TODAY.AZ / Society

Leader of Mountain Jews: "Jews have never been oppressed in Azerbaijan"

24 January 2006 [16:38] - TODAY.AZ
The history of Jews living in Azerbaijan counts about three thousand years, during which they have never been subjected to oppressions. At present moment over 30,000 Jews live in Azerbaijan.

According to Leader of the Mountain Jews Religious Community Semyon Iikhilov, "only in the Soviet times there was an attempt to assimilate the people by presenting the Mountain Jews as Tats, but it was the Communist policy and the Azerbaijani people have, of course, nothing in common with it," Regnum informs, reffering to Turan news agency.

After collapse of the USSR, in Azerbaijan schools for Jews were opened. At the expense of the Israeli government and other international Jewish organizations teachers were sent to Azerbaijan. At present moment there are two such schools in Baku, the pupils there are taught in three languages: Hebrew, Russian and English. According to Iikhilov, today Jews live mostly in Baku, Guba, Gabala, Jalilabad. Only 5% in the community are European and Georgian Jews, the rest are Mountain Jews.

Semyon Iikhilov stressed that Jews in the whole world know that Azerbaijani is "one of few countries where their compatriots have never been oppressed in their nationality." He noted that over 20% of Mountain Jews graduated from schools and high schools in Azerbaijani language. At present moment newspapers, magazines sponsored by international Jewish organizations are published in Azerbaijan.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/society/22459.html

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