Euroasian Jewish News

EAJC General Council Member Rimma Varjapetyan, community members, Armenian and overseas scholars, and representatives of the diplomatic corpus during the opening ceremony of the Yeghegis cemetery

Jewish History Museum to Open in Armenia

The leader of the Jewish community of Armenia, Euro-Asian Jweish Congress (EAJC) member Rimma Varjapetyan held a press conference in Yerevan, in which she spoke about the achievements of the Jewish community and its plans for the future. She noted that the small Jewish community of Armenia is doing serious work. "We are thanksful to the President of Armenia and the authorities for encouraging our activity and valuing it highly. In 2010, we received certificates of gratitude from President Serzh Sargsyan in honor of our 10th year anniversary," Varjapetyan underscored. The Jewish community has also published a second book on the life of Jews in Armenia during the Middle Ages.

According to the EAJC General Council member, 2011 will see the opening of a museum of the history of Jews in Armenia, The museum will be opened on the grounds of the Yehegnadzor regional history museum. "The museum will represent the Yeghegis dig and its finds, as well as copies of ancient manuscripts from the Matendaran archives, which confirm the presence of Jews in Armenia's teritory. This will be a museum of tolerance in a way, " Rimma Varjapetyan said. According to aysor.am, the head of the Jewish community also thanked the representatives of the Syunik Eparchy of the Armenian Apostolic Church for their aid in opening the museum.

In 1996, matzevas (tombstones) with incriptions in ancient Jewish and Aramaic were found near Yeghegis, a town in the Vayots Dzor province in the southeast of Armenia. Attempts to study the cemetery were made as early as in the end of the 1970s; however, no serious archeological work was done at that time. In 2000-2001, a serious international scholarly expedition was organized, and it found 62 tombstones with 20 inscriptions, which are dated from the 50s of the XIII century to the end of the XIV century. The form of the tombstones does not differ from Armenian tombstones of the time. They were probably made by Armenian artisans, and then were engraved in Hebrew and Aramaic.

The finds dated from the middle of the XIII century, some as early as 1337, are certain proof of an existence of the Jewish community in Armenia from ancient times. In May 2009, an international symposium "Middle Ages Cemetery in Yeghegis" took place with the participation of the Armenian Jewish community. The symposium was timed to the official opening ceremony, when the cemetery was opened to the public after ending the research and restoration works (see photos on our website).
Rimma Varjapetyan also noted to journalist that "the Jewish community of Armenia can become a platform for Armenia, which will make the problems and position of the republic known at the international level."