International Institute for Genocide
and Human Rights Studies
(A Division of the Zoryan Institute)
PRESS RELEASE
CONTACT: Torrey Swan
DATE: October 17, 2007
Tel: 416-250-9807

Relationship between the Armenian and Jewish Genocides
to be Presented at World’s Largest Holocaust Education Week Program

Toronto, Canada— As part of the United Jewish Association’s
Holocaust Education Week in Toronto, November 1-11, the largest such
program in the world, the Zoryan Institute, through one of it sister
Divisions, has been invited to jointly organize a thought provoking
public lecture, "Nazi Germany, the Armenians and the Jews." The lecture
will be presented by Prof. Eric D. Weitz, Distinguished McKnight
University Professor of History and Arsham and Charlotte Ohanessian
Chair in the College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota.

Prof. Weitz, in his exploration of many points of interconnection
between the Armenian Genocide and the Jewish Holocaust, discusses: the
influence of the Armenian Genocide on Raphael Lemkin in his having
genocide declared a crime in international law; the Nazi reaction to
Franz Werfel’s novel, The Forty Days of Musa Dagh; the novel’s impact on
the Yishuv and on Jewish resistance during World War II; how the lack of
punishment for the perpetrators of the Armenian Genocide gave confidence
to Hitler to declare in August 1939, when justifying to his generals his
plan to kill, oppress, and brutalize the Poles, "Who, after all, speaks
today of the annihilation of the Armenians," and believe that he could
get away with exterminating Jews and committing other crimes against
humanity. Prof. Weitz, will conclude his sobering lesson of the impact
of history with an examination of German officials involved in Ottoman
Turkey who went on to become Nazi leaders and supporters.

Prof. Weitz will be speaking at 7:30pm both at the Temple Har Zion, 7360
Bayview Ave W, on Tuesday November 6 and at the Armenian Youth Centre,
50 Hallcrown Place, on Wednesday November 7.

The mission of the Holocaust Education Week is to provide "truth in
education and dignity in remembrance," said Lorraine Sandler, Chair, UJA
Federation Holocaust Centre of Toronto. This year over 25,000 people
will participate in one or more of the 150 programs offered throughout
the city.

"We are very pleased to be part of Holocaust Education Week where Prof.
Weitz is discussing the many direct connections between the two
genocides. First, because we believe that education and
awareness-raising activities are essential for preventing the gross
violation of human rights and genocide. Second, because sharing
scholarship on, and testimonies from, many tragedies powerfully
illustrate the universal nature of the problem, the necessity of it
being the concern of us all, and, in particular, with the Armenian
Genocide and the Holocaust, how impunity for genocide emboldens future
perpetrators," commented George Shirinian, Executive Director of Zoryan
Institute.

This program is organized by the International Institute for Genocide
and Human Rights Studies (A Division of the Zoryan Institute), with the
participation of the Armenian Community Centre of Toronto, the Armenian
General Benevolent Union of Toronto, and the Canadian Jewish Congress
Ontario Region.

For more information visit or contact the
Zoryan Institute (416-250-9807 or zoryan@zoryaninstitute.org).