Simon the Just bonfire
Unlike their compatriots in the diaspora, where the seductive arms
of assimilation have succeeded in denuding Armenians of their ethnic
entity, the kaghakatsis and Venketzis of Jerusalem have been able to
resist its charms and retain the purity and independence of their blood.
There have been instances of intermarriage with their neighbors,
mostly Christian Arabs, but these have been few and in most cases the
offspring of such marriages have been firmly absorbed into the Armenian
fold.
One or two Armenian girls have broken from the fold and acquired
Moslem husbands - in at least one case, the Moslem husband has had no
qualms about his children going to an Armenian school or even
transmogrifying his Moslem surname with the addition of the distinctive
Armenian patronymic "ian."
And lo and behold, Bitar becomes Betarian!
On the other hand, one rarely hears of an Armenian (or Christian)
male wedding a Moslem girl. Not because of the lack of eligible brides,
or the impossibility or impracticability of a romantic interlude, but
simply because it is anathema for a Moslem girl to marry outside her
religion. Although the code of laws enforced by Israeli courts in Arab
lands it has occupied has practically eradicated the pernicious
"tradition" of honor killing among an Arab society growing in
sophistication as it becomes more exposed to Western ideals, the stigma
and alienation attached in such a mixed marriage is enough to deter the
most ardent wooer.
Before the Israeli juggernaut swept over Jerusalem, Armenians had
been living under the sway of the Arabs who have had a noticeable
influence on their way of life. The Israeli presence did awaken them to
the unlimited possibilities available from a different, more Westernized
perspective, but the old traditions and mores had been too deeply
ingrained to be easily uprooted.
The Arab influence pervaded many aspects of Armenian life, including
their cuisine and social mannerisms. Arabic became the Armenians' second
language: the kaghakatsis spoke it fluently but the Vanketsis have always
been struggling with it because coming late on the scene, they had less
contact with and exposure to the Arabs. On the other hand, the Vanketsis
were at ease with Turkish which had been their second tongue before their
arrival in the Holy Land. At home, almost all the kaghakatsis spoke in
Arabic!
Inevitably, the Armenians interjected their conversations with
linguistic expressions adopted from Arabic and Turkish, thus enriching
their vocabulary and expanding their literary horizons. I can remember
scores of Arabic (and a few Turkish) proverbs I learned at home and in
the streets, but hardly a dozen in Armenian.
As a matter of course, some of the juiciest dealt always dealt with
the lower parts of the human anatomy. And quite a few descended to the
levels of sheer vulgarity. If you were unhappy with your portion of a pie
or cake, you would protest that it was as small as the female
reproductive organ of a crab. Two inseparable friends, applied
specifically to gossiping females, were described as two bottoms in one
panty.
Whenever I kissed my grandparents' hands (this tradition, too, has
dropped by the roadside), they would bestow this blessing upon me: "may
the soil you touch turn into gold."
The Jewish influence has been salubrious, and the affluence made
possible by the higher standard of living is appreciated by modern
Armenians. But they still find it difficult to make Jewish friends. For
many, it is easier to communicate with the Arabs. Perhaps this is the
result of the Arab conditioning process. Perhaps they find Israelis
"cold." Even so, the Armenians cannot help feeling a begrudging
admiration and sympathy for Israelis. They share a similar history of
persecution, if nothing else. Israel's superior technology and the sheer
endurance of its people never stops acting as an incentive for Armenians.
The young adventurers and their chaperones usually came back with
their pot of gold, but disaster overtook a distant uncle of mine. His son
was hit by a train. He buried the youth in a foreign land and returned
home empty-handed, a broken man.
The years rolled by. Radio and TV invaded the Armenian Quarter, and
the lure of tempting places and distant fortunes gripped the young. The
concept that Jerusalem was merely a temporary sojourn intensified,
particularly among the young. They believed that this was merely a way
station, that their future, or that of their offspring lay either in
America or Australia, or perhaps Armenia. The older generation could only
moan and grieve and pine, too deeply rooted in tradition to ponder any
move themselves.