A rabbi walks in the courtyard of a synagogue in the ancient city of Debent on the Caspian Sea coast in Russia’s Caucasus region of Dagestan August 17, 2007. REUTERS/Thomas Peter (RUSSIA)
The Jewish community residing in the predominantly Muslim region of Dagestan has a history dating back to the 7th century, and it has been thrust into international attention due to recent events stemming from an attack on passengers flying in from Israel. As the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in Gaza escalates, the community, which has diminished over the years due to emigration, now comprises approximately 300-400 families, a significant decrease from its peak population of over 10,000 in the mid-20th century. Their settlement is in the ancient city of Derbent, located on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, tracing its heritage along an age-old north-south trade route skirting the formidable Caucasus mountains.
In 1813, Dagestan became part of the Russian Empire when Tsarist forces wrested it from Persia. Referred to locally as “Mountain Jews,” they speak a dialect of the Farsi or Persian language prevalent in southern Iran.
Soviet authorities, for the sake of identification in passports, classified this distinct group under the term “Tat,” which served as an umbrella term for Persian-speaking populations residing in various parts of the northern Caucasus. Derbent, a city with a population of 120,000, remains their religious and cultural hub, although it boasts only one synagogue.
Historical records suggest that, like members of many Jewish communities worldwide, the initial Mountain Jews may have embarked on emigration to a potential homeland in what was then Ottoman-ruled Palestine as early as the 19th century.
With the relaxation of emigration restrictions during the later years of the Soviet Union, a considerable portion of Dagestan’s Jewish population chose to relocate to Israel. Presently, Rabbi Ovadia Isakov, the most renowned Mountain Jewish rabbi of the contemporary era, has reported that approximately 300-400 families still call Derbent their home.
Rabbi Isakov himself survived a harrowing incident in 2013 when he was shot in the chest as he exited his car to enter his residence. Following extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation in Israel, he courageously returned to Russia.
Shneor Segal, the chief Ashkenazi rabbi of Azerbaijan, situated just south of Dagestan, shared his perspective on the recent events. He characterized them as a grim reminder that, even in their region of the Caucasus, where Jewish communities have already faced significant decline, anti-Semitic sentiments continue to persist. Such sentiments can be triggered by any pretext, posing a threat to the dwindling numbers of Jewish individuals who have chosen to remain in the region.
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