When the Jews of Constantinople saved hundreds of Armenians fom certain death

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  • #1963458
    Historian
    Participant

    Ha-Melitz. No.201. September 25, 1896, p. 3. (Free translation)

    The Jews were shelter to many Armenians, and they hid them until the indignation be past.

    Hundreds of Armenians were saved from death only by the help of the Jews, their neighbors or acquaintances.
    It is therefore, that hoodlums and hooligans decided to riot on the fast day of Yom Kippur of the Jews, for this purpose they began to throw stones at the windows of the Jews’ synagogues at which are at full capacity that day, or spread a false rumor, that a fire erupted, for the sake of triggering anxiety and bring upon confusion & panic [stampede] on city streets… But their malicious plan did not go through and the anxiety passed without any bad consequences for people and property.

    ‘המליץ’, יום ו’, י”ח תשרי, תרנ”ז. מס. 201, דף 3.

    “בחוץ לארצנו”
    […]
    היהודים היו סתרה לארמנים רבים ויחביאום בבתיהם עד יעבור זעם, ארמנים למאות מלטו נפשם ממות רק בעזרת היהודים שכניהם או מכיריהם.
    תחת זה אמרו פוחזים וריקים לפרוע פרעות ביום צום כפור ליהודים, לתכלית זאת החלו להשליך אבנים אל חלונות בהכ”נ ליהודים המלאים ביום ההוא אדם או להפיץ שמועת שוא, כי נפלה דליקה, למען הפל חרדה והבא מבוכה ומרוצה ומבוסה בחוצות עיר ומצאה ידם לעשות זר מעשיהם, אפס כי מחשבתם הרעה לא באה והחרדה עברה מבלי כל תוצאות רעות לנפש ולרכוש.

    #1963493
    RememberThat
    Participant

    Kidush Hashem. It shows mesiruth nefesh self sacrifice to save fellow civilians.

    #1963575
    ujm
    Participant

    Is it muttar for a yehudi to save a nochri if no one would know if he didn’t, and thus no risk of Chillul Hashem?

    #1963589
    CHOOSID
    Participant

    Why in the world wouldn’t it be mutter to save a human life?

    #1963613
    Historian
    Participant

    I think ujm was referring to violent attacks from (aggressive) Armenians upon Jews prior to the genocide. But saying lives is a must.
    It shoumd also be noted that Jews, jut another minority, feared they would get the same treatment as Armenians from the Turks uf they protested to much…

    In the words of writers, even by unfair critic Mr. Kieser, p.302:

    That Jews would face fate of Armenians as many feared …

    Or this:
    The Jewish World, (Messrs. Philip Johns & Company, 1898), p. 156:

    The Zionist Movement
    West End Meeting …
    Mr. O. J. Simon… regarded the Ottonan Government as a dangerous power. For notwithstanding that he had treated the Jews comparatively well, it had but few Jews and they would be massacred like the Armenians and the Greeks…

    Debate At North London
    … he differentiated between Zionism and the religious idea…
    But if the Sultan did sell Palestine to the Jews, those who went there would suffer the same fate as the Armenians.

    Yet, here is more on:
    <emp>Jews helping Armenian victims</emp>
    ___

    Palestine Daily Mail (Doar Hayom). January 3, 1922. Page 1. [Free translation]:

    Mr. Klorisky, the wise and sharp one in our local politicians, did well to raise a great voice for the benefit of our brethren who are beyond the Euphrates; And beautiful was his proposal to the High Commissioner to open the gates of our charitable country to some of the refugees …

    But there remain other great friends of the Armenians in England itself, and in America in particular, and among these friends we are glad to name, in particular, Dr. Weitzmann in London, and H. Stephen Wise and Morgenthau in Washington.

    From clear sources we know that these three Jews, not only did help the Armenians with advice and money, but thanks to them the governments continued to be interested in the future of Armenia and since – Dr. Weizmann is involved, he will cerainly do much for the Armenian question.

    דאר היום 3 ינואר 1922. גיליון ס”ח No.68
    ארמניה לא מתה

    ויפה עשה ה’ קלוריסקי, זה הנבון והחריף שבמדינאינו המקומיים, להרים קול גדול לטובתם של אחינו אשר מעבר לפרת ; ויפה היתה הצעתו לנציב העליון לפתוח בפני קצת מהפליטים את שערי ארצנו הנדבנית…

    אך נשארו עוד ידידים גדולים לארמנים באנגליה עצמה, ובאמריקה ביחוד, ובין הידידים האלה שמחים אנו למנות, ביחוד, את ד”ר וייצמן בלונדון, ואת ה”ה סטיפן וייז ומורגנטוי בושינגתון.

    ממקורות ברורים יודעים אנחנו, כי שלשת יהודים אלה, לא בלבד שעזר עזרו לארמנים בעצות ובכסף, אלא שהודות להם התמידו הממשלות להתענין בעתידה של ארמניה ובהיות – ד”ר ויצמן בקן, עשה יעשה בטח הרבה גם לשאלה הארמנית.

    #1963801
    Historian
    Participant

    From: James Larry Taulbee: International Crime and Punishment: A Guide to the Issues: A Guide to the Issues: A Guide to the Issues (ABC-CLIO, 2009), p.112

    A Crime without a Name

    Henry Morgenthau, the American ambassador to Turkey (1913–1916) during the first Wilson administration, watched the unfolding policy of the systematic slaughter of Armenians with great concern. He termed it “race murder” because no existing English word captured the full horror of the events he observed.
    Others referred to the policy as the “crime without a name.” Even though the United States would not officially take a position, Morgenthau felt morally compelled to express his personal feeling about what he saw as unacceptable.
    The answer he received from Mehmet Talaat, the Turkish head of state, reveals much about the following discussion of these crimes: “Why are you so interested in the Armenians anyway? . . . You are a Jew, these people are Christians. . . . What have you to complain of? Why can’t you let us do with these Christians as we please?

    His response, quoted in WSJ on May 3, 2015. In an article by L. Gordon Crovitz, titled, ‘The Diplomat Who Called Out Mass Murder’

    Morgenthau replied: “I am not here as a Jew, but as American ambassador. My country contains something like 97 million Christians and something less than three million Jews. So, at least in my ambassadorial capacity, I am 97% Christian. But after all, that is not the point. I do not appeal to you in the name of any race or religion, but merely as a human being.”

    He added: “Our people will never forget these massacres. They will always resent the wholesale destruction of Christians in Turkey.”

    WSJ article adds:

    Morgenthau recruited American missionaries and philanthropists in 1915 to form the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief, which solicited donations from across the U.S. The group distributed vivid posters with the tagline “Give or We Perish.” After leaving his post, Morgenthau often spoke on behalf of the relief effort. Americans contributed $100 million, equivalent to almost $2.5 billion today.

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