Armenian Jerusalem today is facing major challenges that could be detrimental to its future. This talk will analyze the historical background of the formation of the modern Armenian community in Jerusalem and will examine the impact of political and socioeconomic transformations of the volatile region on the Armenian Patriarchate, as well as the community. It will concentrate on the major challenges facing the community and will provide a road map for securing the historical presence of the Armenians in Jerusalem as well as protecting the more than one-millenia old cultural heritage.

Bedross Der Matossian is a Professor of Modern Middle East History at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Born and raised in the Old City of Jerusalem. He is the author, editor, and co-editor of seven books. His latest edited volume Denial of Genocides in the Twenty-First Century was published by the University of Nebraska Press (2023).