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Armenian Genocide Commeration
at the
Hebrew University, Jerusalem
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91st
COMMEMORATION OF THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
HELD AT HEBREW UNIVERSITY
JERUSALEM---
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem held its
commemoration of the Armenian Genocide on Wednesday 26 April 2006,
two days
after Armenians officially mark the deportation and murder of 1.5 million of
their people between 1915 and 1917 by the Ottoman Turks. Close to 200 people,
both Jews and Armenians, filled the library at Beit
Belgia on the University’s Givat Ram Campus in Jerusalem for the moving
tribute and remembrance.
Dean of the Faculty
of Humanities, Professor Steven Kaplan, officially represented the University
at event, which is initiated and organized annually by the long-standing
Armenian Studies Program of the University headed by Professor Michael Stone.
Professors Kaplan and
Stone addressed the audience as did the Armenian
Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Archbishop Torkom Manoogian, who was accompanied
by His Excellency Bishop Aris Shirvanian and members of the Brotherhood of St.
James, and His Excellency Mr. Tsolag Momjian,
Honorary Consul of the Republic of Armenia.
As in previous years,
the commemoration of the Genocide coincided with the State of Israel’s
Holocaust Remembrance Day, which pays tribute to the 6 million Jews murdered by
the Nazis in World War II. The
result was children and survivors of the Holocaust sitting amongst children and
grandchildren of survivors of the Armenian Genocide, together paying respect to
its victims.
The keynote speaker
for the evening was former Member of Knesset and former Education Minister
Yossi Sarid, a passionate campaigner for Israeli recognition of the most tragic
event. The State of Israel unfortunately does not officially recognize the
Genocide mainly due to its relations with Turkey. Since Jews know the tragedy
of genocide so well, stressing the moral imperatives, Sarid said, “there is no
greater educational mistake” than to be silent while others suffer the pains of
denial, even when one’s self interests are at stake.
His words were echoed in concluding remarks
given by distinguished Fulbright Scholar and Professor Abraham Terian who said
the psychology of denial in comparison to the Genocide itself sometimes “hurts
just as much or more so.” He
added that Jews and Armenians understand this, as their histories are very
similar and with a concerted voice, Armenian people and the Jewish people should
be in the forefront of decrying such acts.
With the poignant yet positive evening of
reflection and introspection coming to an end, there was optimism that in the
coming years, changes will happen regarding the denial of the Armenian Genocide
in all countries, and even in Turkey, Sarid and Terian noted, some measure of
change can be discerned.
For further details contact:
The Armenian Studies Program
Phone: +972-2-588-3651
Fax: +972-2-588-3658
E-mail: armenian@mscc.huji.ac.il
Website: http://micro5.mscc.huji.ac.il/~armenia