Interfax, Russia
May 11 2007
Yerevan mayor’s office tries to appropriate local synagogue – Jewish
community
Yerevan, May 11, Interfax – Yerevan mayor’s office decided to
appropriate the land of the local Jewish community center, Mordechai
Navi.
A few days ago Armenian Jewish community received a letter from the
city council, according to which the community building was to be
appropriated by the state, the Jewish News Agency reported on Friday.
`Taking into consideration that synagogues are very important for
Jewish communities as centers or their revival and existence, the
government’s effort to rob the community of its heart is not the best
decision,’ Chief Rabbi of Armenia Gersh Meir-Burshtein said in his
letter to the Armenian Government and Yerevan mayor’s office.
He noted that Armenian Jews had already had their synagogue and
cemetery stolen by the Soviet regime, ant this loss had not been
compensated under the new democratic Armenia.
However the Jewish community demonstrated their `citizens’
understanding’ by raising funds to buy a small community center
building `without awaiting for compensations from the Yerevan city
council.’
Armenian Jewish community center is located in Yerevan includes a
prayer room, a charitable refectory and a weekend school.