Abstract:
In 2007 the standout political issue for the American Jewish community was whether or not to support a congressional resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide of 1915. How did global political complexities intrude on such a seemingly simple matter? What is the past history between the Armenian people and the American Jewish community? And what are the wider implications of this controversy?
This paper considers the above questions across three sections. The first delves into Armenian history, noting in particular where the Armenian story abuts the Jewish one. This section also surveys the 1890s Hamidian massacres and American Jewry’s role in what became America’s first international humanitarian relief effort.
The second part examines the Armenian Genocide, from the rise of the Young Turks to the aftermath of World War One, which resulted in the creation of the modern Republic of Turkey and the absorption of Armenia into the Soviet Union. Certain Jewish heroes emerge, such as Ambassador Henry Morgenthau, Raphael Lemkin, and Rabbi Stephen Wise, who, among others, endeavored to report on the Genocide and raise American consciousness about the fate of the Armenians. This paper also looks at comparisons between the Holocaust the Genocide and the efforts of modern-day Turkey to deny the Genocide and thwart recognition efforts.
The third section considers the contemporary politics that make Genocide-recognition so difficult. Concerns about American and Israeli national security, the fate of Turkey’s Jewish community, and the desire to preserve Holocaust “uniqueness” intrude upon what many in our community consider to be a purely moral question. Ultimately, this paper leaves it to the reader to consider the dilemma between acting “righteous” and “practical.”
