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Jews of Azerbaijan
Three communities, the ancient Juhuri language and Krasnaya Sloboda — one of the few compact Jewish settlements in the world.
A special page for jnews.az
Three communities, the ancient Juhuri language and Krasnaya Sloboda — one of the few compact Jewish settlements in the world.
Jews
The oldest and most numerous group, speaking Juhuri (the Judeo-Tat language). Their presence in the eastern Caucasus spans centuries. Their main centre is Krasnaya Sloboda.
European Jews who appeared mainly in the 19th and 20th centuries in connection with the oil boom and the urbanisation of Baku. They have their own synagogue in Baku.
A small community connected by origin to Georgia; it has a place of worship in Baku.
Jews
Krasnaya Sloboda (Qırmızı Qəsəbə) is a settlement on the left bank of the Gudialchay River, opposite the town of Quba, a unique compact settlement of Mountain Jews. It is often called one of the few places outside Israel where Jews make up almost the entire population (the phrase "the only one in the world" should be used with caution).
The settlement has been known since the 18th century: according to tradition, Fatali Khan of Quba allotted land to the Jews under the protection of the khan's authority. Several synagogues, traditional buildings and a cemetery have survived; in 2020 the Museum of the History of the Mountain Jews opened.
Jews
In Baku there are active synagogues of the Mountain Jews, the Ashkenazi and the Georgian Jews. An important and repeatedly confirmed feature of Azerbaijan is the absence of a tradition of everyday and state antisemitism: Jews were not historically subjected to pogroms by the local population. This is one of the strongest and best-documented arguments for genuine interreligious tolerance.
The size of the community and of the population of Krasnaya Sloboda has changed over time (departures to Israel, Moscow, the USA and returns for the holidays) — the exact figures are being refined.