in the early 20th century
Military tradition and a
papakha "And we, the TatsWe,
Samson warriors,
Bar Kochba's heirs...we went into battlesand bitterly, heroicallystruggled for our freedom
-"The Song of the Mountain Jews" Mountain Jews have a military tradition and have been historically viewed as fierce warriors. Some historians suggest that the group traces its beginnings to Persian-Jewish soldiers who were stationed in the Caucasus by the
Sasanian kings in the fifth or sixth century to protect the area from the onslaughts of the
Huns and other nomadic invaders from the east. Men were typically heavily armed and some slept without removing their weapons. Women's dress was typically of simpler design in dark tones, made from
silk,
brocade,
velvet, satin and later wool. They decorated the fabric with beads, gold pins or buttons, and silver gold-plated belts. Outside the house, both single and married women covered their hair with
headscarves. •
Eshkene – Persian soup, made of Lamb, potatoes, onions, eggs, dried cherry plums, cinnamon and herbs such as cilantro, green onions, parsley and spinach, prepared for
Passover. •
Yakhni Nisonui – The
Derbendi variation of eshkene consist on lamb, potatoes, onions, eggs, dried cherry plums, cinnamon but without herbs, made on the first day of
Passover. •
Yakhni Nakhuti – A soup made of lamb, chickpeas, potatoes and dried plums cooked in a tomato paste based soup. served with rice. •
Hoshalevo – (honey-based treats made with sunflower seeds or walnuts) typically prepared for
Purim. •
Bischi – Fried dough topped with hot honey syrup, typically prepared for
Purim. •
Hallegh – made with mixture of apples, walnuts, honey, raisins, cinnamon and wine, a ritual dish prepared for
Passover. •
Pakhlava •
Fadi-shiri – A milk cake made of flour, eggs, butter, milk, sugar, turmeric, raisins, walnuts, sesame seeds and poppy seeds, served during
Shavuot. •
Pertesh – A dish consist of a
Lavash bread that is soaked in honey based syrup and filled with a milk porridge inside, served for Shavuot. •
Khashil – Sweet porridge made of flour, butter, honey, cinnamon and turmeric with a crunchy crust. •
Lovush Roghani •
Khashlama – Boiled chunks of meat, usually beef, veal, or lamb, as well as vegetables such as bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and onions, in hot water. •
Khoyagusht – Meat pie made of eggs, turmeric, slow cooked meat (usually sheep or goat) and its broth, often considered to be the "national dish" of the Mountain Jews. •
Khoyaghusht Kyargi – Khoyagusht with chicken instead of red meat. •
Khoyahusht Bodimjon – Khoyagusht with eggplants instead of meat, without turmeric. •
Nukhorush – Beef or Lamb cooked with quince, raisins, dried golden prunes, dried apricots, chestnuts and flavoured with turmeric, sometimes served alongside rice (
osh). •
Nukhorush marjumeki – Lentil stew with potatoes, zucchini, onions, and carrots flavoured with cilantro, dill, cumin and turmeric. •
Gayle or
Khayle – A dish made of herbs, onion and eggs. •
Dugovo – A soup made by cooking yogurt, with a little bit of rice, a variety of fresh herbs such as dill, mint, and coriander. •
Aragh – a strong alcoholic drink made of distilled fermented mulberry juice. It can be made from both black and white mulberries. •
Asido •
Harissa – A dish of Mountain Jews from the northern regions in Dagestan made of Meat, Potatoes and dried cherry plums cooked in tomato sauce, traditionally used in weddings.
Music The music of Mountain Jews is mostly based in the standard liturgy, for prayer and the celebration of holidays. Celebratory music played during weddings and similar events is typically upbeat with various instruments to add layers to the sound. ==Notable Mountain Jews== •
Omer Adam, Israeli singer •
Udi Adam, Israeli general •
Albert Agarunov (1969–1992), Azerbaijani soldier •
Ilya Anisimov (1862–1928),
Russian ethnographer, ethnologist and engineer •
Astrix, producer of
trance music •
Djumshud Ashurov (1913–1980), Soviet composer •
Yuno Avshalumov (1934–1981), Soviet composer, conductor, and teacher •
Daniil Atnilov (1913–1968), Soviet poet •
Hizgil Avshalumov (1913–2001), novelist, poet and playwright •
Mishi Bakhshiev (1910–1972), Soviet writer and poet •
Manuvakh Dadashev (1913–1943), Soviet poet •
Mikhail Dadashev (1936), Soviet and Russian writer •
Gyulboor Davydova (1892–1983), Soviet winegrower •
Mikhail Gavrilov (1926–2014), Soviet writer and poet •
Sarit Hadad, Israeli singer •
Zarakh Iliev (born 1966) Russian businessman •
Gavril Abramovich Ilizarov (1921–1992), Soviet physician (Mountain Jewish father, Ashkenazi Jewish mother) •
Tankho Israelov (1917–1981), dancer, choreographer •
Sergey Izgiyayev (1922–1972), author, translator, and songwriter •
Mozol Izrailova (1955), actress •
Amaldan Kukullu (1935–2000), Soviet/Russian poet, storyteller, folklorist •
Lev Manakhimov (1950–2021), choreographer and director •
Bikel Matatova (1928–2013), Soviet and Israeli actress of the
Judeo-Tat Theatre •
Tamara Musakhanov (1924–2014), Soviet
sculptor and
ceramist •
Mushail Mushailov (1941–2007), Soviet/Russian artist and teacher •
God Nisanov, Russian businessman •
Gennady Simeonovich Osipov (1948–2020), Russian scientist and professor •
Iosif Prigozhin, Russian music producer •
Lior Refaelov, Israeli football player •
Israel Tsvaygenbaum, Russian-American artist (Ashkenazi Jewish father, Mountain Jewish mother) •
Anatoly Yagudaev (1935–2014), sculptor •
Yaffa Yarkoni (1925–2012), Israeli singer, winner of the Israel Prize in 1998 for Hebrew song •
German Zakharyayev (born 1971), businessman, vice-president of the
Russian Jewish Congress •
Zhasmin (née
Sara Manakimova), Russian pop singer (2005) ==Gallery==