Rima Varzhapetyan-Feller | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rima Varzhapetyan |
| Nationality | Armenian |
| Occupation | Mechanical engineer |
| Title | President of the Jewish Community of Armenia |
Rima Varzhapetyan-Feller is an Armenian activist and a leader of the Jewish Armenian community.
Varzhapetyan-Feller has been the president of the Jewish Community of Armenia since 1996, [1] [2] a community which currently stands at 1,000 people, despite Jews being present in Armenia since the days of Tigranes the Great. [3] She is also a member of the European Jewish Parliament, representing Armenia.[ citation needed ]
She has spoken against the idea that Armenia is an antisemitic country. [4]
She has campaigned for the recognition of the Armenian genocide, [5] [6] especially by Israel, even sending an open letter to the Knesset in 2012. [7]
On April 28, 2015, Arye Gut, an Israeli of Azerbaijani origin, accused Varzhapetyan of not denouncing the publication of antisemitic books in Armenia and the glorification [8] of Drastamat Kanayan, leader of the Armenian Legion and collaborator with Nazi Germany during World War II. In response, Varzhapetyan-Feller sent a letter to the Jewish Journal, [9] suggesting that Gut's claims of the Armenian Legion's actions were exaggerated and that Armenia treats its Jewish community well. She has criticized Israeli and U.S. Jewish newspapers [10] [11] who have published similar articles, suggesting they have an anti-Armenian bias.
She has also criticized the leadership of Azerbaijan [12] for whitewashing the image of Azerbaijan in the eyes of Israel and the U.S. Jewish community. [13]
Varzhapetyan-Feller was raised in a Jewish-Armenian family. Her father fought in World War II. [9]
Varzhapetyan-Feller is a mechanical engineer. [14] She is married to a Christian Armenian man, [15] and the couple have two sons. [16]