Azerbaijani: Dağ Yəhudiləri Muzeyi | |
Established | 2020 |
---|---|
Location | Rashbil Zakharyayev st. 7, Qırmızı Qəsəbə, Quba, Azerbaijan [1] |
Coordinates | 41°22′03″N48°30′35″E / 41.36745°N 48.50966°E |
Website | https://jewish-museum.az/ |
The Museum of Mountain Jews (Azerbaijani : Dağ Yəhudiləri Muzeyi) is a museum in Guba, Azerbaijan, dedicated to Mountain Jews. Opened in 2020, it is located in the 19th-century Karzhog Synagogue. [2] [3] It is the first and only museum in the world devoted to Mountain Jews. [3]
The museum is located in the 19 th century Karzhog synagogue in the Gyrmyzy Gasaba. After the Soviet occupation, the synagogue was closed. [4] A warehouse of agricultural products was located here. [5] After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the synagogue was left empty. [6] The synagogue, which remained for years, fell into disrepair. Later, major restoration works were carried out here. The building has a room height of more than 5 meters and is square in shape. A second floor has been added to much of the building to explore more exhibits here. In the basement of the building, a conference hall, a library, and a room for reserve exhibits had been made. [7]
The idea of establishing the Museum of Mountain Jews came up in 2017. Kardzog Synagogue, which had been abandoned for many years, was chosen for the administrative building of the museum. The old synagogue was restored. [8] Russian businessmen God Nisanov, Zarakh Iliev, German Zakharyayev supported the construction of the museum. In addition, the "STMEQI" foundation took on the responsibility of providing the museum with exhibits. This foundation is the largest organization uniting Mountain Jews in the world. During the preparation of the museum, the foundation called upon the diaspora and communities to find the ancient artifacts. [9]
There are exhibits on the traditions, general history, occupations, history of the Mountain Jews living in Gyrmyzy Gasaba. There is a corner with the name of the rabbis who worked in the Caucasus throughout the period [10] and also a corner designated to the National Hero of Azerbaijan Albert Agarunov. [11] There is his medal in the corner dedicated to Albert Agarunov.
Mountain Jews or Caucasus Jews, also known as Juhuro,Juvuro,Juhuri,Juwuri, Juhurim,Kavkazi Jews or Gorsky Jews, are Jews of the eastern and northern Caucasus, mainly Azerbaijan, and various republics in the Russian Federation: Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Kabardino-Balkaria. The Mountain Jews comprise Persian-speaking Jewry along with the Jews of Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. The Mountain Jews are the descendants of Persian Jews from Iran, and fall within the Mizrachi category of Jews. Mountain Jews took shape as a community after Qajar Iran ceded the areas in which they lived to the Russian Empire as part of the Treaty of Gulistan of 1813.
The history of the Jews in Azerbaijan dates back many centuries. Today, Jews in Azerbaijan mainly consist of three distinct groups: Mountain Jews, the most sizable and most ancient group; Ashkenazi Jews, who settled in the area during the late 19th-early 20th centuries, and during World War II; and Georgian Jews who settled mainly in Baku during the early part of the 20th century.
Qırmızı Qəsəbə, translated as "Red Town", is a village and municipality in the Quba District of Azerbaijan. As of 2010, it had a population of 3,598, mostly Jews. It is widely believed to be the world's only population centre exclusively made up of Jewish people outside of Israel and the United States, and is likewise considered to be the last surviving shtetl.
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World Congress of Mountain Jews (WCMJ) is an active, international non-governmental organization that provides opportunities for Mountain Jews, who are dispersed worldwide. WCMJ seeks to bring together the Mountain Jew population to maintain and share traditions and cultural values through cooperation with international society. The organisation plays an integral cultural role for Mountain Jews globally, through official representation of their interests – which includes engagement with governmental and social bodies. It brings together the mountain Jews of Israel, United States, Russia, Canada, Azerbaijan, Germany, Austria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and other countries.
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