JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL FORMALLY RECOGNIZED EVENTS OF 1915 AS GENOCIDE
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
2007-09-12 16:33:00
The Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Boston
credited the Armenian Assembly of America for raising public
awareness of the Armenian Genocide, which led the organization to
formally recognize the events of 1915 and to successfully encourage
the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to do the same, Armenian Assembly
of America reports.
During the JCRC’s annual meeting in Boston, Executive Director Nancy
K. Kaufman thanked the Armenian Assembly and the ADL for "being such
bold and courageous partners for change."
"At the request of the Armenian Assembly of America, JCRC took a
public position on this over two years ago at the time of the 90th
anniversary of that genocide, when we issued a statement that said:
‘The Armenian Genocide represented a failure of the international
community to intervene against the worst possible crime, the
destruction of people. We must never forget the Armenian Genocide and
maintain our guard against those, who deny its occurrence," she added.
To note, the ADL reversed its longstanding policy and acknowledged
the Armenian Genocide last month, following repeated calls by members
of the Armenian, Jewish and other communities to persuade the human
rights group to change its position. Prior to this, two members
of the ADL Board, Stewart Cohen, a former chairman of the Polaroid
Corp., and Boston City Council member Mike Ross, both stepped down
after Tarsy was fired for breaking rank with national ADL policy and
acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.
Following Tarsy’s departure, Kaufman sent a letter to some 40 prominent
Jewish leaders in Massachusetts, urging them to pressure the ADL to
recognize the genocide and support Tarsy.
"I have never gotten such unanimous support for any position by the
JCRC as I have in the last few days on this one," Kaufman told the
Boston Globe last month.
"It doesn’t matter where people are on the political spectrum – left,
right, middle – people are really standing behind this, because it
strikes at the core of what it means to be a Jew and never again
means never again."
In 2005, Assembly leaders met with their JCRC counterparts to
encourage the organization to publicly acknowledge the events of
1915 as genocide. As a result of that meeting, the JCRC released a
statement in April 2005, commemorating the 90th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide.
To date, the following Jewish-American organizations support the
Armenian Genocide resolution: American Federation of Jews from Central
Europe (New York, NY), American Jewish World Service (New York, NY),
Center for Russian Jewry with Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry (New
York, NY), Jewish Social Policy Action Network (Philadelphia, PA),
Jewish War Veterans of the USA (Washington, DC), Jewish World Watch
(Encino, CA), Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (Wyncote, PA)
and The Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring (New York, NY).
JCRC works to promote a society that reflects the best of American
and Jewish values – in Greater Boston, Israel and around the world –
by convening and mobilizing the Jewish community. Through advocacy,
organizing, service and partnerships, JCRC pursues social justice,
ensures a vibrant Jewish community and builds a network of support
for Israel.
The ADL is one of the oldest and most influential Jewish organizations
in the United States and has been working to combat anti-Semitism
and bigotry for more than 90 years.