Kavkazi “Mountain Jews,” with Valeriya Nakshun

Please register for this free online program.

The Jewish community of the Caucasus, the mountainous region between the Black and Caspian Seas, is known by many names. The term “Kavkazi,” derived from the Russian word for Caucasus, and “Mountain Jews” have been used interchangeably. Traditionally, however, this community has called themselves “Juhuro,” meaning “Jews” in their ancestral language Juhuri, a Judeo-Persian dialect.

Kavkazi Jews primarily lived in Azerbaijan and the Russian Republics of the North Caucasus—Dagestan, Chechnya, Kabardino-Balkaria, and Karachay-Cherkessia. Their history dates back to the Babylonian Exile of the Jews in 586 BCE and their subsequent integration into the Persian Empire after its conquest of Babylonia. Over time, some Jewish communities migrated north into the Caucasus mountains, where they established settlements.

This talk will feature an overview of Kavkazi Jewish origins, history, and the efforts of the diaspora community to preserve their heritage today.

Valeriya Nakshun is a Kavkazi Jewish culture writer, community organizer, and marketer. Born in the Republic of Dagestan in Russia, she immigrated with her family to the United States as a refugee in the late 1990s. She serves as a Community Outreach Fellow at Sephardic Heritage International DC, an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Sephardic and broader Jewish heritage. She previously performed as a company dancer with the Silk Road Dance Company, where she specialized in traditional dances from Silk Road cultures, and has performed at the Embassies of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Tajikistan. Nakshun is active in sharing resources about Kavkazi-Mountain Jewish heritage while fostering connections across the diaspora.