His Holiness Karekin II and Chief Rabbi Metzger Visit Armenian Genocide Memorial
22.11.2005
On November 22, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, and Rabbi Yona Metzger, Chief Rabbi of Israel, visited the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial and Museum of the Armenian Genocide in Yerevan.
The delegations of the Pontiff of All Armenians and the Chief Rabbi of Israel first visited the Museum, where Rabbi Metzger offered a prayer and lit a candle in memory of the victims of the Genocide of the Armenians during the First World War. Emerging from the museum, the two spiritual leaders led a procession to the eternal flame within the memorial, where they placed floral wreaths and offered their prayers and respect to the memory of the 1.5 million innocent victims.
In his remarks, Rabbi Metzger spoke about the issue of recognition of the Genocide, and stated in part, "Do not pay attention to international political arguments. We, as the leaders of our faithful communities, are obligated to remind our people about those horrendous murders and remember and keep the (victims') memory."
When asked about the term 'genocide', Rabbi Metzger stated, "Without reservation, I use that term, and those documents and photographs that we viewed in the museum are testimonies to that tragedy. When in the museum, my breathing was smothered by my tears? No one can understand this depth of emotion as we Jews do."
As has become tradition for visiting heads of state and leaders of religious communities, at the conclusion of the visit to Tsitsernakaberd, Rabbi Metzger and members of his delegation planted a tree on the grounds of the memorial.
The same day, the Pontiff of All Armenians and the Chief Rabbi of Israel met with Prime Minister of Armenia Andranik Margarian. The delegation of guests also visited the National Academy of Sciences and the Matenadaran Manuscript Depository in Yerevan.
