Preserving the Armenian Diaspora's History in Lebanon: The Birds' Nest Museum

• The Aram Bezikian Armenian Genocide Orphans' Museum, located in Jbeil, Lebanon, occupies the former site of the 'Birds’ Nest' orphanage.
• The facility served as a sanctuary for thousands of Armenian children displaced by the Armenian Genocide, offering them a new life in what survivors termed their 'second homeland.'

The Humanitarian Effort

• Established with the support of Near East Relief, a U.S.-based organization that responded to reports of massacres in the Ottoman Empire.
• Maria Jacobsen, a Danish nurse who witnessed atrocities in Elazığ, played a critical role in managing the orphanages and ensuring the survival of thousands of children.
• The Jbeil site became the permanent location in 1928, where educators helped children reconstruct their identities, often assigning new names to those who arrived without documentation.

Linguistic and Cultural Restoration

• The orphanage acted as an essential educational center where the Armenian language was the primary medium of instruction.
• Promoting the language was considered vital for survival and the continuity of national identity, especially for those whose first languages were Turkish or Kurdish.

Memory and Integration

• The museum opened in 2015 to preserve the legacy of the orphanage and connect the survivors' history with the broader context of Lebanon's history of hosting refugees.
• The Armenian community has since integrated deeply into Lebanese society, holding dedicated seats in the parliament and maintaining a significant presence in educational and political life.
• The museum highlights themes of resilience and 'resurrection,' detailing how survivors transitioned from orphans to active participants in building the society that welcomed them.