Azerbaijan
AZERBAIJIAN
Azerbaijan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azerbaijani: Azərbaycan Respublikası), is a country in the Transcaucasian region, situated at the crossroads of SW Asia and SE Europe bounded by the Caspian Sea to the E, Russia to the N, Georgia to the NW, Armenia to the W and Iran to the S.
Wikipedia [Dec 2017]
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
The Jewish Community of Azerbaijan: Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [November 2000]
Humanitarian Association of Jewish Women
370007 Baku Azerbaijan,
Prospect Azadlig 70, KB #50
Tel/Fax: (99-412) 40-36-27
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Dr. Larisa Efimovna Pehrudel, president
History:
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History of the Jews in Azerbaijan - Wikipedia
Azerbaijan Virtual Jewish History Tour
History of the Azerbaijan Jewish Community
Haruth [November 2000]
http://www.fjc.ru [January 2004]
Kosher Delight [August 2003\
Click on Azerbaijan at WJC Communities website [September 2005]
"Nearly 8,000 "Mountain Jews" live in the Azerbaijan in cities like Baku and in villages such as Krasnaya, Sloboda and Vartashen. These Jews descend from Iranian tribes that moved into the Azerbaijani mountains in the 5th and 6th centuries. They are separate from other Jewish communities in that they speak Tat, a unique New-Persian language, and have developed many practices and traditions in kind with Dagestan mountain tribes. They have traditionally been grain farmers and wine makers, and were allowed to retain many of their skills (although less of their culture) during the Soviet period. The community has become active again since the end of the Soviet period, but Azerbaijiani nationalism has recently threatened to curtail their revival."
Jewish history [Dec 2018]
JewishGen's ShtetlSeeker references border changes to locate a given town. [February 2009]
Source: [January 2002]
"... an estimated 17,300 Jews in Azerbaijan at the end of 1993. The rate of immigration from Azerbaijan to Israel was high: 2,625 left Azerbaijan for Israel in 1992, and 3,133-in 1993. Source: WJC Communities website (see above) (current version does not contain this text) [September 2002] UPDATE "Since 1989, 27,650 Azeri Jews have emigrated to Israel." Source: WJC Communities website (see above) (current version does not contain this text) [September 2005]
"Most Jews in this predominantly Muslim country live in the cities of Baku (12,000) and Kuba (2,000). Other communities exist, but none is larger than 500 people. The Jewish population comprises two different ethnic backgrounds. One of the two Jewish Azeri groups are Ashkenazim who settled in Azerbaijan in the last century. The other Jews are Caucasian Mountain Jews, known as Tats. The latter group speak a Jewish dialect called Judeo-Tat. During the period of Soviet rule, Tat religious and cultural institutions were closed and the Soviet policy of forced acculturation took its toll on Tat customs and language." Source [September 2002]