History of the Jews in Armenia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The History of the Jews in Armenia may date back almost 2,800 years. Jewish legend speaks of the descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes settling in the Caucasus in the region of present day Armenia and Georgia following the destruction of the northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 BC. Later on, during the 1st century BC, the Armenian monarch Tigranes the Great retreated from an abortive military campaign in Palestine and brought back with him 10,000 Jews who quickly found a niche as merchants and traders.

In the early 19th century, Jews began arriving in Armenia in considerable numbers from Poland and Iran, creating separate Ashkenazic and Sephardic communities in Yerevan. More Jews moved to Armenia from Eastern Europe following its annexation by the Soviet Union in the 1920s, finding a somewhat more tolerable political climate than existed in Russia or Ukraine. By the end of World War II, the Jewish population of Armenia had risen to approximately 5,000. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, however, many Jews began to leave Armenia for Israel, Western Europe, or the United States, since the rising tide of nationalism which followed in the wake of the collapse of Communism increased hostility towards the community and led to a growing number of anti-semitic incidents. Today, Armenia's Jewish population numbers just under 1,000 and is still shrinking.

Despite these small numbers, however- coupled with a high rate of intermarriage and relative cultural isolation- the relic Armenian Jewish community has shown great perseverance and enthusiasm in maintaining its traditions. ^[1]

There are many noteworthy Armenians with full or partial Jewish ancestry, including Garry Kasparov, World Chess Champion from 1985 to 1991, and Yelena Bonner, a human rights activist in the former Soviet Union.

There still exists in Armenia a tiny community of Subbotnik Jews, whose Christian ancestors converted to Judaism in Medieval times. They maintain their own traditions and practices as distinct from "mainstream" Armenian Judaism. Their numbers, however, are rapidly dwindling.[1]

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Armenian Quarter
• Armenian-Israeli relations