Armenian and Jewish groups join together
By Molly Ritvo – Tuesday September 11 2007
Councilor Ross: ‘Never again’ for all communities
Political and religious leaders from the Jewish and Armenian-American
communities gathered at the State House Aug. 30 to display their
solidarity and to recognize the Armenian genocide. The event was held
in response to the recent controversy surrounding the Anti-Defamation
League’s refusal to acknowledge the genocide.
"The two communities joined hands to ensure that a genocide will
never, ever again happen," said State Representative Rachel Kaprielian
of Watertown, who organized the event along with Councilor Michael P.
Ross, a member of the Boston City Council.
The late afternoon event was not heavily attended, but those who spoke
emphasized the importance of their message.
"In our community we use the phrase ‘never again and never forget,’
and that doesn’t just refer to the Jewish community," said Ross. "It
refers to the acknowledgment of all humanity and all genocide and all
intolerance. It’s very important that we show the Armenian community
that there’s support."
Ross added that his father, who was originally scheduled to speak at
the event, is a Holocaust survivor, which has helped inform his
opinion on genocide recognition.
Ross and Kaprielian, longtime friends, said it was important to join
their communities together now to avoid further fallout from the
recent tensions.
"We want to soothe ongoing animosities that have developed of late," said Ross.
As local pressure mounted on the ADL and Abraham H. Foxman, the
organization’s national director, the human rights group eventually
switched its stance and recognized the Armenian massacres as
"tantamount to genocide." Still of concern to the Armenian community,
however, is Foxman’s assertion that the genocide is an issue that only
Turkey and Armenia should address. Foxman said he will not support a
congressional resolution recognizing the genocide.
"The most important step in stopping genocide is to recognize it,"
said Kaprielian.
Holocaust survivor Izzy Darakhoyskiy, who also spoke at the event,
agreed with Kaprielian.
"Instead of bread, we got bullets," he said of the Holocaust. "Without
acknowledging genocide, people deny it happened."
Steve Grossman, a former ADL board member and leader in the local
Jewish community, said that the two communities should be tightly
bonded because both have been through genocides in the 20th century.
Nancy K. Kaufman, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations
Council of Greater Boston, Sheila Decter, director of the Jewish
Alliance for Law and Social Action, and Rabbi Ron Friedman of Temple
Israel were also in attendance.
Following the event, Kaprielian noted that many members of the Jewish
community came out in a show of support.
"I was pleased with the breadth of Jewish groups that were there," she
said. "This is not just an ADL issue, but an issue for all human
rights organizations. Our goal was creating awareness, affirming that
genocide happened, coming together as one community and moving forward
to ensure that genocide never happens again."
Kaprielian added that there will be a continuing effort to foster the
partnership between the Jewish and the Armenian communities.
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