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Mountain Jew

Mountain Jews
Juvuro
Total population
2004: 150,000 to 270,000 (estimated)
1970: 50,000-53,000
1959: 42,000-44,000(estimated)
1941: 35,000
1926: 26,000(estimated)
1897: 31,000
Regions with significant populations
 Israel 100,000 to 140,000
 United States 10,000 to 40,000
 Russia 3,000 to 30,000
 Azerbaijan 12,000 to 30,000
(according to Mountain
Jews community in Baku)
 European Union 3,000 to 10,000
Languages
Hebrew, Judeo-Tat, Russian, Azerbaijani
Religion
Judaism
Related ethnic groups
Azerbaijani Jews, Persian Jews, Mizrahi Jews, Ashkenazi Jews, other Jewish ethnic divisions

Mountain Jews or Caucasus Jews also known as Juhuro, Juvuro, Kavkazi Jews or Gorsky Jews (Azerbaijani: Dağ Yəhudiləri, Hebrew: יהודי קווקז Yehudey Kavkaz or יהודי ההרים Yehudey he-Harim, Turkish: Dağ Yahudileri) are Jews of the eastern and northern slopes of Caucasus, mainly Azerbaijan, Chechnya and Dagestan. They are the descendants of Persian Jews from Iran.

The Mountain Jews community became established in Ancient Persia, from the 5th century AD onwards; their language, called Judeo-Tat, is an ancient Southwest Iranian language which integrates many elements of Ancient Hebrew.

It is believed that they had reached Persia from Ancient Israel as early as the 8th century BCE. They continued to migrate east, settling in mountainous areas of the Caucasus. The Mountain Jews survived numerous historical vicissitudes by settling in extremely remote and mountainous areas. They were known to be accomplished warriors and horseback riders.

Mountain Jews never experienced Anti-Semitism and lived in peaceful and respectful coexistence with their neighbours and thrived, especially in Azerbaijan where their main settlement and religious center Qırmızı Qəsəbə, also called Jerusalem of the Caucasus, is located. In Russian, Qırmızı Qəsəbə was once called Yevreskaya Sloboda, "Jewish Village;" but during Soviet times it was renamed Krasnaya Sloboda, "Red Village."

Mountain Jews are distinct from Georgian Jews of the Caucasus Mountains. The two groups are culturally and ethnically different, speaking different languages and having many differences in customs and culture.


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Wikipedia

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