Rima Varzhapetyan-Feller ( hy, Ռիմա Վարժապետյան-Ֆելլեր, russian: Римма Варжапетян-Феллер) is an
Armenian woman of
Jewish origin. She has been the president of the
Jewish Community of Armenia since 1996, a community which currently stands at 1,000 people, despite Jews being present in Armenia since the days of
Tigranes the Great. She is also a member of the
European Jewish Parliament
The European Jewish Parliament or EJP (formerly known as European Jewish Union or EJU) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Brussels whose stated aim is to be "a uniting structure for all Jewish communities and organizations throughou ...
, representing Armenia.
She has campaigned for the recognition of the
Armenian genocide, especially by
Israel, even sending an open letter to the
Knesset in 2012.
Controversies
Refuting claims of Antisemitism in Armenia
Organizations like the
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Septe ...
and some media outlets in the
United States have reported that Armenia is probably the most anti-Semitic member of the former
USSR countries, with over half of the population harboring anti-Semitic attitudes, according to some sources. Varzhapetyan has refuted those sources.
Accusations of glorifying of Nazi collaborators
On Apr. 28, 2015,
Arye Gut, an Israeli of
Azerbaijani
Azerbaijani may refer to:
* Something of, or related to Azerbaijan
* Azerbaijanis
* Azerbaijani language
See also
* Azerbaijan (disambiguation)
* Azeri (disambiguation)
* Azerbaijani cuisine
* Culture of Azerbaijan
The culture of Azerbaijan ...
origin, accused Varzhapetyan of not denouncing the publication of anti-semitic books in Armenia and the glorification of
Drastamat Kanayan
Drastamat Kanayan (; 31 May 1884 8 March 1956), better known as Dro (Դրօ), was an Armenian military commander and politician. He was a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. He briefly served as Defence Minister of the First Republic ...
, leader of the
Armenian Legion
The Armenian Legion (german: Armenische Legion; hy, Հայկական լեգիոն ''Haykakan legion'') was a military unit in the German Army during World War II. It primarily consisted of Soviet Armenians, who wanted to fight the Russians for an ...
and collaborator with
Nazi Germany during
World War II. This letter prompted a response sent to the
Jewish Journal
''The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles'', known simply as the ''Jewish Journal'', is an independent, nonprofit community weekly newspaper serving the Jewish community of greater Los Angeles, published by TRIBE Media Corp. ''The Journal'' wa ...
by Varzhapetyan and moreover, Varzhapetyan has come against Israeli and U.S. Jewish newspapers where these anti-Armenian articles have been published, as well as criticizing the leadership of
Azerbaijan for whitewashing the image of Azerbaijan in the eyes of Israel and the U.S. Jewish community.
Personal life
Varzhapetyan-Feller is a mechanical engineer, married and has two sons.
Rimma Varzhapetyan
European Jewish Parliament
The European Jewish Parliament or EJP (formerly known as European Jewish Union or EJU) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Brussels whose stated aim is to be "a uniting structure for all Jewish communities and organizations throughou ...
References
{{Authority control
Armenian Jews
Jews and Judaism in Armenia
Armenia–Azerbaijan relations