The Khazars and Judaism: Unveiling the Mysterious Journey Along the Volga-Don Canal

One of Russia's well-known landmarks is the "Lenin Volga-Don Canal." This canal links two of Europe's largest rivers: the Volga, which flows east to the Caspian Sea, and the Don, which flows west to the Black Sea. It was dug by Russia's ruler, Stalin, in the 1950s, using the labor of countless forced laborers from the communist gulags, and allows direct trade between East and West.

Few know that right at this very site started a fascinating bond between the Eastern and Western kingdoms, leading to the conversion to Judaism of a mysterious Eastern kingdom - the Khazar Kingdom.

Around 1,200 years ago, the Khazar Kingdom began to expand and gain power. It was founded centuries earlier as a union of Eastern tribes driven out by the Mongols and regional tribes. Its language was Khazar, likely similar to Turkish. But in the 8th century CE, the Khazars began expanding, gaining power, and getting better acquainted with their neighbors to the west. At this crucial trading spot between the Volga and the Don, the Khazars built a fortress called Sarkel. From this fortress, they could oversee the collection of goods, transporting them by land where there is now a waterway, for shipment east.

The Khazars were a warrior kingdom. Threatened by tribes from the north, they sought to ally with Eastern Christians. A Khazar delegation proposed cooperation to Byzantine Emperor Theophilos: the Khazars would provide manpower and funds, and the Byzantines would send their expert engineers, and together they would build a fortress to protect trade from east to west and repel the Viking raiders from the north.

Economic ties also spark interest, and thus the Khazars, who were pagan, after resisting Muslim jihad efforts several generations earlier, became interested in Christianity. Knowing about Islam, they faced a dilemma: clearly, the idea of one God was more accurate than paganism, but where does this one God reside? Among the Christians or the Muslims? They soon discovered that both religions were based on Judaism and turned their attention to exploring Judaism.

Thus began the famous story documented in Rabbi Yehuda Halevi's "The Kuzari." During the 9th century CE, King Bulan of Khazaria converted to Judaism, along with the Khazar elite and nobility. Following them, large parts of the population converted as well, turning Khazaria into a Jewish kingdom. In the 19th century, some scholars questioned the authenticity of the story, but when the Cairo Geniza was discovered, it contained authentic copies of letters between the Khazar king and Rabbi Hasdai ibn Shaprut, proving the story to be true. The Khazar Kingdom converted to Judaism.

The Khazar Kingdom was an empire, a regional power. It controlled trade throughout the region and subdued surrounding tribes and nations. But shortly after the conversion, Prince Sviatoslav of Kiev, who was pagan and did not adopt Christianity, rose to power (in 960). He fought the Khazars and captured the fortress of Sarkel, which, as mentioned, was a strategic point controlling trade between the Volga and the Don. The Khazar State continued to exist as an independent state, but not as an empire.

Interestingly, the Khazar state was composed of different tribes, hence there were black Khazars and white Khazars. The nobility primarily consisted of the whites, who had white skin and blue eyes, possibly coming from the north at an early stage, while large portions of the people were black Khazars, resembling Indians more. Some claim they also had different Jewish customs, much like the Ashkenazim and Sephardim...

The sages of Spain, residing far from the Russian and Khazar region, corresponded with Khazar leaders to learn about them. Initially, they thought the Khazars were from the Ten Lost Tribes, but later understood based on the data that they were converts, a kingdom that embraced Judaism following contact with a Jew named Rabbi Yitzhak Sangari. This encounter led to the conversion of a nation, sparking the imagination of millions for generations, and to this day, books continue to be written about it.