ARMENIAN CHURCH IN JERUSALEM CAUGHT IN PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT (PART II)
Jirair Tutunjian
Keghart
11 April 2009
Toronto
Several Canadian-Armenians who are interested in financially helping
the St. James Patriarchate in Jerusalem have contacted me. I have been
in touch with some friends in Jerusalem and elsewhere to determine
whether there is an officially recognized organization, which promotes
donations and the raising of funds for St. James Monastery.
Earlier it was not mentioned that the St. Tarkmanchats Secondary
School, was the best in Jordanian-ruled Jerusalem in the ’50s and the
’60s. Because of emigration, the school is now a shadow of its past
glory. I understand that it now has about 100 students. I remember my
"graduating" kindergarten class (1954) had 64 students!
The St. Tarkmanchats Alumni Association in Los Angeles raises money for
the school. Since this year is the 80th anniversary of its founding,
a group of former students will make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in
April. I am certain that during their stay in Jerusalem they will
extend further financial assistance.
Jerusalem Armenians are caught between a rock and a hard place.
Before 1967, Armenians lived in reasonable comfort with
Palestinians. Now the community is in a vise–Moslem fundamentalism
on one side and Jewish fundamentalism on the other, not to mention
ultra nationalism in both camps.
At present, Armenians living in the occupied West Bank, including Old
Jerusalem, and Israel, are isolated from Armenians living in Arab
countries–Lebanon, Syria, and even Jordan. One can argue that it
would be advantageous for Armenians–as a community–to be part of a
future Palestine because such a development would end or reduce their
isolation from their Armenian brothers and sisters in the Arab Middle
East. One devastating impact has been the soaring number of Armenian
intermarriages with Christian Arabs. To put it bluntly, a shrinking
community means fewer people in the marriageable demographics.
As well, a peaceful solution to the Arab/Israeli conflict would, one
would expect, reduce ultra nationalism and religious extremism among
Palestinians and Israelis. I believe extremism is often a "survival
mechanism", an attempt to preserve one’s "threatened" identity. When
there is peace, extremism should diminish, making life tolerable for
all, including Armenians.
The idea of making Jerusalem an international city is a vehicle without
wheels. Even before Palestine was split up, there was serious talk
of making Jerusalem an international city. The subject has come up
repeatedly. To this day, the United Nations considers Jerusalem corpus
separatum. However, since Israelis and Palestinians are against the
idea of an international Jerusalem, the proposal will stay a dream.
I exchanged several emails with a prominent leader of the Armenian
community in Jerusalem. I have known him all my life. My inquiries
focused on the comment that the St. James Brotherhood is in no need
of financial assistance from the Diaspora. According to the long-time
community leader, the statement does not reflect reality. In fact,
he became irate at the observation.
I do not want to start "yes, they do" and "no, they don’t" exchanges. I
am not an expert on the finances of the fellowship, but I know the
following:
During the Ottoman rule of the Holy Land (early 16th century to 1917),
the Armenian Church experienced a litany of difficulties–confiscation
of property, heavy taxation, arbitrary rule, corruption. The financial
pressures were somewhat offset by donations from pilgrims, Armenian
amiras, wealthy Armenians in India, and the rent that the St. James
Brotherhood collected from its properties outside the monastery.
Because of usurious taxation, early in the 17th century the
Patriarchate was in heavy debt. It was rescued from financial disaster
through the assistance of an Armenian merchant in Aleppo, plus nine
wealthy Armenians in India and in Constantinople. In other words,
400 years ago, Armenian patriots (supposedly not as enlightened as
contemporary Armenian leaders and intellectuals) stepped forward
and rescued Armenian Jerusalem. They did not say the situation is
untenable and walked away.
>From 1917 to 1948, the picture changed because the British Mandate
was mostly a "rule by law" administration. However, this did not mean
the financial picture of improved.
1. The monastery had to provide accommodation and assistance to the
thousands of genocide survivors who sought sanctuary in the Armenian
Quarter.
2. Because Cilicia and Western Armenia was emptied of Armenians
(1915-1922), there were no more pilgrims who would donate funds to
the monastery.
3. To guarantee the survival of the new community, the Patriarchate
initiated a variety of valuable projects–St. Tarkmanchats School,
the Gulbenkian Madenataran, improvements to the printing press, etc.
By the way, very few students paid tuition; and those who did,
paid $5 to $10 a year. Some of the school expenses were covered
by donations from the Gulbenkian Foundation, the Armenian General
Benevolent Union, and from Armenian-American individuals. However,
despite this assistance, we were aware, in the ’50s and the ’60s,
that months would go by and the teachers would not be paid because
there was no money. Everyone was waiting for the check from the
Armenian-American parerars [benefactors].
Despite these difficulties, the school remained the best secondary
school in Jerusalem as I mentioned above. The graduates and students
of St. Tarkmanchats, now spread all over the world, have made great
contributions to Armenian communities from Los Angeles to Paris,
from Cyprus to Australia. Former students are now scientists,
industrialists, authors, classical music composers, medical doctors,
philosophers, journalists, teachers and professionals in various
fields. Here, in Toronto, you will find a number of former Jerusalem
residents who are leaders of Armenian community centres, churches
and political parties.
Since 1967 The St. James Brotherhood has no pilgrim revenues, because
there are no pilgrims, and several traditional donors are not there;
but it receives rental income from properties.
Led by Patriarch Torkom Manoogian, the Brotherhood has undertaken
much-needed infrastructure developments. Please note that since the
Armenian Quarter is one-sixth of Old Jerusalem, there is a great
deal of real estate to restore, renovate and to maintain. Consider
how much a North American household pays for the repair of a single
plumbing problem. Multiply that by thousands of dollars.
To continue the survival and prosperity of this priceless national
edifice, we have to pitch in… financially. In the absence
of an organized charity, you may send your donations to the
"Armenian Patriarchate, Jerusalem, Israel". The donations are tax
deductible. Meanwhile, I will continue my contacts with current and
previous Jerusalemite Armenians to determine whether we can launch
a formal organization, which would channel financial donations to
the Patriarchate.
The St. James Brotherhood (Armenian Patriarchate) has always been
"allied" with St. Etchmiadzin and has recognized the Catholicos there
as Amenayn Hayotz. From 1915 to the late ’40s, most of the members were
orphans who had survived the genocide. Whereas from early ’50s to 1967,
they were natives of Lebanon and Syria who had come to Jerusalem to
attend the seminary and become priests. There were also a number of
Jerusalem-born seminarians and priests.
After the Six-Day War, Israel illegally annexed Old Jerusalem and
occupied the West Bank. This meant that Lebanon- or Syria-born young
men could no longer attend the St. James Seminary in Jerusalem. Thus,
the number of seminarians began to decline. This spelled debacle
to the fellowship. No seminarians meant no future priests for the
Diaspora parishes "allied" to St. Etchmiadzin.
Certain disaster was prevented after independence of Armenia, when
young men–from Armenia–began to attend the seminary. In time, many
became priests. That is why the St. James Brotherhood is "full" of
Armenia-born priests. With the dwindling of the Armenian Diaspora in
the Middle East, it is likely that Armenia (Artsakh?) will continue
to be a major source of new seminarians and priests even when the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved.