Help Jack's Jewelers Family-Run Business Recover

Raffi Sarkissian is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Jako Sarkissian.

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Jack’s Jewelers is a small, Armenian family-run business that has been serving Santa Monica for 38 years.

On May 31st, 2020, our store was unfortunately among the worst hit businesses during the vandalism and looting in Santa Monica. The store was completely destroyed. We lost nearly all furnishing, tools, equipment, and a lot merchandise, irreplaceable decades-old personal and business files. The neighboring restaurant caught fire and the building is currently red-tagged, which means it is unsafe to inhabit and we don’t know yet if we will be able to rebuild here. We are still assessing the extent of the damage.

While we wait to hear what we can recover and if it will even be possible to repair the infrastructure or if we will have to start from scratch, our family is out of an income for the foreseeable future and we are asking for your financial help to get us through this difficult process. We know these are tough times for everyone under COVID-19, so any contribution or spreading this fundraiser will be greatly appreciated.

Our story is part of the diverse immigrant experience of this country. We are not just a retailer; we are jewelers by family trade. The store is run by Jack and his family. Jack was born in Lebanon and learned the jewelry trade from his father, Gabriel. As a young apprentice, Jack traveled abroad to France and West Africa to further develop his craft and finally arrived in Los Angeles in 1980. He opened his store in Santa Monica in 1982. Through a couple storefront changes, Jack’s Jewelers has been a permanent fixture of Downtown Santa Monica for nearly four decades and has survived the area’s many changes and economic recession with a loyal customer base and family-style service.

As Armenian diaspora, we live and carry with us the pain of injustice and persecution. But we also know the strength and resilience of our ancestors, our community, and our friends. We support justice and freedom for everyone and believe that strength comes through when all communities work together, and we deeply appreciate all the support and assistance everyone is providing as we figure out the future of our business.

This page is organized by Jack's son, Raffi.