Mountain Jews
| 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 the 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 experienced less Anti-Semitism than most Jews around the world and lived in somewhat peaceful and respectful coexistence with their neighbours. They 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