RAMALLAH, May 12 (JMCC) - Armenians have had a presence in Jerusalem for 1,600 years, but as their numbers slowly drop, the community admits its future is unsure,
reports the Associated Press.
Buffeted by Mideast forces more powerful than themselves and drawn by better lives elsewhere, this historic Jerusalem community has seen its numbers quietly drop below 1,000 people. The Armenians, led by an ailing 94-year-old patriarch, find themselves caught between Jews and Muslims in a Middle East emptying of Christians, and between a deep sense of belonging in Jerusalem and a realization that their future might lie elsewhere.
“Very few will remain here if it goes on like this,” said Kevork Kahvedjian, a Jerusalem storeowner.