The Jews of Azerbaijan

The Jewish history of Azerbaijan is one that is old and very interesting. Located on the Caspian Sea, the country is surrounded by Armenia, Georgia, Iran and Russia.  The first Jews came to the area over 1500 years ago when the Mountain Jews arrived.
The Mountain Jews, who are also known as the Persian Jews first arrived sometime before the 5th century. The Mountain Jews have a history well over 2000 years old.
According to their own tradition, the Mountain Jews believe they are descended from the Lost Tribes who left what is now Israel after the destruction of the First Temple. After leaving Israel they made their way through Syria and Babylon before arriving in Persia. Finally their ancestors came to live in southern Azerbaijan, which is now the northern part of Iran. 

While living in southern Azerbaijan the Jews adopted Tat, which was the language of the native Muslim people. They adopted the language but remained Jewish. Their language over time has evolved into a very distinct dialect, Juhuri, which incorporates many parts of the ancient Hebrew language.
The first Ashkenazic Jews started arriving in Azerbaijan in the 1800's. It was at this time that the Czar of Russia first sent Ashkenazic Jews into the area. Another wave of Ashkenazim came during World War II in an attempt to escape the Nazis.
Today, most of the more than 15,000 Jews of Azerbaijan live in cities such as Baku, which is home to the majority of the community, and Quba and Grozny.
The overall population of the Jewish community has shrunk from where it was as recently as the 1990's. At that time there were more than 75,000 Jews. The decline in population can probably be blamed on economic conditions, and not anti-semitism which has for the most part not been a problem to the Jews. Yes, while the Soviet Union was in control they did seize many buildings and property, however the leaders today have returned many of those buildings, including the synagogues back to the people.
The fact that many of the Jews have no immigrated to Russia, Israel and the United States is because they are seeking employment or because the young people are looking for a place to get a better education.

Jews of Azerbaijan

The history of the Jews of Azerbaijan is a very long and for the most part a peaceful one. The approximately 7.5 million people of Azerbaijan, which is located on the southern end of the Caucasus Mountains are a very diverse group. The country is surrounded by the countries of Russia, Georgia, Armenia, Iran and the Caspian Sea.

The Jewish community today numbers about 30,000 people,  with about 2/3 of those located in the city of Baku. The Jewish community of Azerbaijan is for the most part comprised of 2 different groups, the Ashkenazi Jews and the Mountain Jews, who are of Persian origin.

Ashkenazi Jews began arriving in the 1800's, when Russia, which was in control, tried to influence the people by bringing in  Russian heritage. This group also grew during World War II as other Jews fled the Nazi's.
The Mountain Jews on the other hand have a history that probably dates back over 2000 years. Many of these came from the area that is now Iran and are said to be descendants of the Jews who left Israel after the destruction of the First Temple. They survived for such a long time by settling in areas that others didn't travel, the extremely remote areas of the mountains.
When the Constitution was written in the early 1990's, religious freedom was given to all, and no state religion was declared. This freedom led to the Jewish community being somewhere between 75-100 thousand people. While the freedom still exists, many families have now emigrated to Israel, Russia or the United States because of the  poor economic situation.

Jews of Iran

Recently the records of the Battat Family of Iraq were added into the Knowles Collection - Jews of Africa and the Orient database. This great family had a tremendous history throughout the region. One of the areas that the family journeyed to often was the land of Persia, which is modern day Iran. This has made many people inquire as to the history of the Jews of Iran. Besides families such as the Battats, Iran has always been a home to many Jews.
The Jewish community of Persia, dating back well into the sixth century B.C.E., is one of the earliest Jewish communities. As with the neighboring Jews of Babylon, the Jews of
Persia have always been a people living under constant change. Some examples include;

• From about 226 - 642 C.E., Persia was under the Sassanid Dynasty which was favorable to the Jews, which allowed the Jewish community to grow and eventually move to other locations.


• In 642 C.E. Persia was invaded by Arab Muslims, who made Islam the state religion and placed restrictions upon the Jews. Many of the freedoms they previously had were now gone.


• Into the 1800's the Jews of Iran were often tormented and persecuted for their beliefs. This led to a lot of immigration into the land of Israel.


• In 1925 Iran fell under the rule of the Phalevi Dynasty. They moved Iran toward a more Western lifestyle. This was wonderful for the Jews as they gained more freedoms and indeed became a community that flourished. By the time of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, there were somewhere between 80,000- 90,000 Jews living in Iran.


• After the Revolution of 1979, the Jewish community found itself in a state of uncertainty, which caused thousand to flee the country, leaving behind their homes and businesses. Those that remain live under the scrutiny and restrictions of the government. Even with the restrictions, the Jewish community is still of good size, possible only Israel has a larger one in the area.

The records of some of the Jews of Iran are included with the Battat family. Those and others families, such as the Sassoons who had connections to Iran, can be found in the Knowles Collection - Jews of Africa and the Orient database.