The symbolic birthday of this blog is April 24, 2006. Since 1965, people around the world commemorate the Armenian Genocide on that day. In 2006, Yom ha-Shoah, the remembrance day for the Holocaust, which is observed on the Hebrew calendar date of Nisan 27, fell on April 25. It seemed like a perfect opportunity for Armenians and Jews in the diaspora to cooperate in ceremonies to mourn the victims of the past and to stand united against genocide today. Not much of the sort occurred; rather, we were struck by the lack of mutual acknowledgement.
There is another front on which one would expect Armenians and Jews to be natural allies: the struggle against the ongoing denial of genocide. Unfortunately, here, too, we have let ourselves become divided. This forum is an effort to rectify the present set of circumstances by bringing together news and analysis, individuals and organizations from the diasporas, Armenia, and Israel to work on our common concerns.
The name of this blog is a composite of the Armenian word genats (Կենաց) and the Hebrew expression le-hayim (לחיים). Both words are used to preface toasts, and both literally mean “to life.”
Կենաց-לחיים,
Amos and Taline
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5 comments:
Hello!
This is a very good idea, guys! I am glad that there are people among us- Armenians and Jews, that understand the importance of being together in this fight...
Unfortunately, official Israel and Armenia are not supportive for each other at all.
Best Wishes to you,
Gevorg Avetikian, Yerevan, ARMENIA
Hello Amo, Talin and Gevorg,
I think this initiative could be developed on different level as well i.e. in Armenia and Israel, between citizens of two countries and not just diasporas. I agree that official armenia and israel are not very supportive towards each other(we don't even have an israeli embassy here), but don't have much grassroot civic friendship groups ether. Probably this blog and other initiatives can fill the gap ?!
isabella, yerevan
Hey Isabella,
That's definitely one of the things I hope this blog might accomplish. I'll try to put up a post soon about possibilities for improving relations between Israel and Armenia - i.e., both on an official level as well as between citizens of the two countries.
Amos,
you can definitely take me and some other armenians from armenia (:)) into account, i am sure it is possible to find some counterparts in israel as well.
thanks again !
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