2,500 Years of Tradition: The Unique World of the Mountain Jews

The Beit Tanchum synagogue in Tirat Carmel serves not only as a place of worship but as a tourist attraction. Its architecture is reminiscent of the ancient Temple, with courtyards, domes, and mosaics, making it truly remarkable. While some may have heard of it, few have visited Tirat Carmel. The real intrigue, however, lies in the history of the community that built this extraordinary synagogue, beginning with the original Temple in Jerusalem.

Around 2,500 years ago, Ezra the Scribe, with a royal decree from Cyrus the King of Persia, sought to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. He called Jews across the kingdom to assist. During his journey through the varied exiles of the Persian Empire, Ezra and his entourage reached the "Ahava" river, where they camped for three days. Ezra counted his companions and found a lack of Levites, essential for Temple services. What could be done?

Ezra remembered a neighboring Jewish community, Cushfaya, likely holding descendants of exiled Temple Levites. He sent Eliezer and Ariel with a letter to Ido, the head of Cushfaya, described in the Book of Ezra, Chapter 8: "I directed them to Ido, the leader in Cushfaya, placing words in their mouths to speak to Ido and his associates, custodians at the place of Cushfaya, to bring us servants for the house of our God."

Ido complied, sending twenty Levites and two hundred and twenty servants for the Temple – woodcutters and water carriers. Yet, the people of Cushfaya themselves remained. Unfortunately, not many Israelites in exile chose to return with Ezra. They supported the effort but doubted its success.

Cushfaya, known in Persian as "Caspiana," retains its name today in the Caspian Sea area's vicinity, modern-day Azerbaijan. Jews have continuously inhabited the region since Ezra's time. During the establishment of the Jewish Khazar Kingdom, the settlement flourished. King Bulan founded a fortified city, Derbent, on the Caspian shores, where the scroll of Esther is traditionally read on the 15th of Adar, claiming it had a wall during the times of Mordechai and Esther.

Most Caucasian Jews reside in Dagestan's interior cities, known as "Mountain Jews" or in Russian: "Gorskie Yevrei." During the Sassanian dynasty's persecution, devout Jews fled to the mountains to preserve their faith, a name that stuck through generations. The Communist regime pressed them to abandon tradition, imposing a law requiring Mountain Jews to add a 'B' to their last names. Many family names now end with 'B', yet this didn't deter these steadfast Jews who've preserved their customs for 2,500 years.

During the Holocaust, many Mountain Jews perished, but a miracle occurred when the Germans reached Mozdok and Nalchik. A German commander hesitated, uncertain if Mountain Jews were covered by extermination orders. He rounded up thousands, forcing labor but was unsure whether to spare them. Before he could decide, the Red Army intervened, driving Nazis out. Most of the community, especially in Derbent, escaped this fate.

Thousands of the community migrated to Israel, settling in places like Tirat Carmel. Many still live in the mountains, devoutly maintaining traditions. Chabad emissary Rabbi Schneur Segal in Azerbaijan sought to help them observe Passover correctly, given the area's poverty and remoteness. He ordered a large supply of kosher-for-Passover goods, but met stiff resistance. An elderly mountain woman visiting the Chabad house during Passover was shocked to see him handling sugar: "Sugar—during 'Nissanu'?!", referring to Passover as "Nissanu," the local name for the month of Nisan. They had long avoided sugar during Passover due to chametz concerns in its production. Despite Rabbi Segal's assurances of its kosher certification by Jerusalem's Badatz, she questioned his rabbinic credentials.

One of the fascinating customs of the Mountain Jews is eating a dish called "Kisani Boruchoi" on Seder night made from thorns, inspired by a Midrash where Egyptian children threw thorns into clay baths that Jewish slaves trod barefoot.

Their Seder plate lacks a shank bone, but on the morning of the Seder, they cook one, each firstborn partaking, in memory of the plague of the firstborn.

A notable family among the Mountain Jews is the Adam family, which includes Yekutiel Adam, who fell in the First Lebanon War; his son, Udi Adam, a commander during the Second Lebanon War; and the singer Omer Adam.

Like many Jewish communities worldwide, the Caucasian Jews have preserved distinct traditions with characteristic Jewish devotion. Many have made Aliyah, continuing to uphold these customs in Israel.