Les Juifs de Bakou (Azerbaïdjan)

Baku, in Azerbaijan, experienced a surge in the nineteenth century linked to the oil industry, which attracted Mountain Jews (Juhuro, or Jews of the eastern Caucasian mountains) as well as Ashkenazim from the Russian Empire. The city became a notable commercial and industrial center, where several Jewish traditions coexisted, with distinct synagogues and institutions. Under the Soviet regime, religious life was suppressed while a communal identity persisted. After Azerbaijani independence, a large part of the community emigrated to Israel and the United States, while maintaining a Jewish presence in the country.

Sources & resources

• The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe ↗
• Encyclopaedia Judaica — 2e éd., Keter/Macmillan