By Vestnik Kavkaza
Jews are truly native residents of the Caucasus. The first representatives of the Jewish people settled in the territory of modern Georgia more than two thousand years ago. Later, the Mountain Jews came to the territory of Azerbaijan and Dagestan from Persia. After them, Ashkenazi Jews appeared in the North Caucasus. Thus, experts speak about three waves of Jewish populating of the Caucasus.
Berel Lazar, the Chief Rabbi of Russia, told Vestnik Kavkaza about the current life of Jews in the North Caucasus: “Jews have always lived well in the Caucasus. And I believe that the brotherly relations between our peoples have continued today.”
According to him, military activities in the North Caucasus and their negative social consequences encouraged an outflow of Jews from the region and a reduction of the previously huge community.
“But, thank God, today we can see in all cities that something new has been started. New synagogues are being built. I visited Derbent, where a wonderful synagogue was opened. Now I have been invited to Nalchik; I plan to visit Makhachkala, Mineralnye Vody, and so on. Of course the number of Jews today cannot be compared with the previous one. But our relations are the same – warm, friendly. Any initiatives are welcomed in the Jewish community. I think this is the best guarantee for the future. If Jews feel confident there, their children will stay there, people will come back, and we will see a revival of the Jewish community in the Caucasus,” Berel Lazar believes.
