Saturday, April 29, 2006
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mt. Scopus, Israel
Prof. Michael Stone and Dr. Sergio LaPorta
PRESS RELEASE
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Email: [email protected].
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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.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
