The Lemkin family of Plainsboro was invited to attend an event at the United Nations on December 9 to commemorate the 65th Anniversary of the Genocide Convention and honor Raphael Lemkin, an international lawyer who coined the word genocide and pushed for the passage of the Genocide convention in the UN. Family members of Raphael Lemkin, largely responsible for the creation of the United Nations Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, was recognized at the event held in the Economic and Social Council Chamber in New York.
“What Raphael Lemkin did was incredible — to persevere until genocide was made into a palpable crime that can be prosecuted,” said Joseph Lemkin, an attorney with Parker Ibrahim & Berg in Somerset, and second cousin to Raphael. He attended the commemorative event with his wife, Risa, and Lara, a seventh grade student at Grover Middle School; his sister and brother-in-law, Rachel and Adam Mimeles; and their daughters, Danielle and Olivia. Lemkin’s two younger children, Cayla, 8; and Daniel, 6, both students at Town Center School in Plainsboro, were too young to attend.
“For the family, it was deeply meaningful to witness this event led by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, to be represented by Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson,” says Joseph. (Ban ki-Moon was in transit to South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s funeral).
“I wanted to learn more about my family, the work of the United Nations, and how it helps people from different cultures,” says Lara, 12, about her first visit to the U.N.
Lemkin’s father, Daniel, and his cousin, Raphael Lemkin, grew up together in Poland near the border with Russia. Raphael escaped to the United States as the reach of the Nazis grew, while Daniel was drafted into the Soviet Army. The remainder of their Jewish relatives — 49 in all — died either in concentration camps or as resistance members.
“My father’s entire family was killed in the Holocaust,” says Joseph. “My dad was only spared when he was conscripted into the Russian Army during World War II.”
“My father told me of Raphael’s trips to Washington, D.C., having spent all of his money and being shunned by many,” says Joseph. “But his legacy lives on, as one of the initial acts of the first-ever United Nations General Assembly was to adopt the convention that Raphael Lemkin had been promoting.”
“Each of the speakers addressed our family,” says Joseph. “However, most prominently, the welcoming remarks were made by Jan Eliasson, the Deputy Secretary General.”
“We also spent time with other dignitaries, including the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia,” says Joseph. “Jews and Armenians share a common bond of genocide, and Raphael Lemkin studied the Armenian genocide well before the Holocaust took place.”
“It was terrific day today,” wrote Joseph to Sahak Sargsyan, second secretary to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Armenia to the United Nations. “We enjoyed the experience — particularly Ambassador Nazarian’s comments about Rafael Lemkin at the close of the conference. It is a shame that our shared history of genocide is what brings us together.”
