Hrag Vartanian

You gotta give credit to Jewcy (the new Jew blog of choice) for taking the definition of mensch to a new level and turning up the torque on the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) Abe Foxman.

They cite an earlier blog post of mine (link), professionalize my quirky graphic (which the Watertown-based noplacefordenial.com also used) and outline the fall out from ADL’s refusal to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.

I’ll let them explain:

Last night, the Armenian community of Watertown, Massachusetts voted to break all connections with the Anti-Defamation League by severing ties with its No Place for Hate Program, which attempts to promote tolerance (though not, apparently, for descendents of the Armenian Genocide). Armenian-American activists in Watertown are promising to lobby all 67 of the Massachusetts towns still participating in NPFH to drop their connection, too. Ultimately, they want the Massachusetts municipal association to stop working with the ADL entirely. These activists have Jewcy’s emphatic support, and we will do what we can to help their cause along. (source)

Now the ball is in Foxman’s court. But wait! Jewcy has even outlined some things Foxman can do to make amends–guess they beat the California Courier‘s Harut Sassounian to the punch on this one, Sassounian is usually the one making these lists–here’s Jewcy again:

We think it would be fitting to see Foxman take a sensitivity course on the challenges faced by the modern Armenian-American community, but all we really want from him are three simple responses:

1. Acknowledge the Armenian Genocide
2. Apologize to the Armenian-American community
3. Apologize to the Jewish community, for humiliating us before our fellow-citizens (source)

While we’re waiting…you HAVE TO read Jewcy blogger John DiMascio’s first-hand account from Watertown’s raucous meeting last night…it’s priceless!

Coincidentally, this isn’t the first time Foxman has done something ethically questionable…for instance he seems to have had a role in the pardon of Marc Rich by President Bill Clinton.