History

Description

The city of Quba is one of the centers of the Jewish diaspora in the Eastern Caucasus. A key historical aspect shedding light on the origin of this community is its division into five groups, named after their places of origin: Gil-Goti, Kusary, Gilyaki, Shavkani, and Garchai-Gattai. (It is believed that there were once eleven groups in Quba, and supposedly eleven synagogues were built, one for each group. However, no one can confirm this today.)

Representatives of each group provide different dates for the community’s establishment. For instance, the Garchai-Gattai claim that Jews settled in Quba over four hundred years ago. The Gilyaki group asserts it was 200–250 years ago, while the Gil-Goti state their ancestors settled in Quba during the reign of Baki Khan in the late 18th century.

We previously mentioned that Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition initially settled in the Gattin Valley and, after about a century, dispersed to various regions of the Eastern Caucasus. The very name «Gattin group» suggests these are descendants of settlers from the Gattin Valley. This is supported by the fact that the mentioned period (around 400 years) aligns with the group’s emergence in Quba. Thus, members of this group are likely descendants of Jews who fled Spain and settled in the Gattin Valley about 500 years ago.

As for the Gilyaki group (or others), according to a 90-year-old elder, Arye Hanoch, this group descends from five rabbinical families who arrived in Quba from Berdichev 220–230 years ago at the request of a Quba delegation seeking rabbis after pogroms left the community without spiritual leaders. This timeframe aligns with the return of Jews to Quba after Nadir Shah’s death. Arye Hanoch claims, «as far as he remembers», tradition states: «…after the terrible events in Quba, not a single rabbi remained, and there was no one to conduct synagogue services. These five rabbis, upon arriving in Quba, restored the community’s spiritual life. Later, rabbis came from other places as well». Hanoch says he descends from those five rabbis, with his great-grandfather Rabbi Yaakov, grandfather Rabbi Ovadia, and father Rabbi Yashua—all bearing the surname Hanoch. His father emigrated to Eretz Israel in 1894, he adds.

Regarding the origin of the Quba community, it should be noted that most of its members are descendants of those who lived in villages such as Gyurz, Shuduk, Khinalug, Syuyub, Yuch-Gyun, Kunak-Kent, and others. Many of these villages were exclusively Jewish.

Tradition holds that during the Arab invasion led by Hazrat Ali, residents of the Shahdag villages were forced to convert to Islam. Only Jews living in mixed villages with already Islamized tribes avoided forced conversion. Unaware that non-Muslims remained, the Arabs did not inspect these villages closely. If they did enter, local neighbors, resentful of their oppressors, hid «their» Jews. Jewish graves preserved in these villages testify to their presence. Tradition also states that the invaders gave Jews three days to decide on conversion, and those who refused faced extermination. Nevertheless, many managed to preserve their Jewish identity. After the turmoil of Hazrat Ali’s invasion subsided, surviving Jews left Shahdag and resettled in Kyun-Chal.

This marked the beginning of the Jewish descent from the highland gorges.

Over time, the residents of these settlements faced the same fate as their Shahdag ancestors, this time at the hands of Tamerlane and other oppressors. Many managed to flee, settling in Gilgot. However, Jews there also faced persecution. After the death of Fet-Ali Khan, when Baki Khan, his nephew, took over Quba, he allowed the Jews of Gilgot to relocate to Quba alongside their coreligionists, forming the Gilgot group.

The Kusary group consists of settlers from the village of Kusary who moved to Quba during Baki Khan’s reign.

Unfortunately, no data is available on the origin of the Shavkani group. However, it is known that the Quba community—all its groups—was also supplemented by settlers from various highland Azerbaijan villages and nearby settlements like Gyug-Chay, Syuyub II, Gilon, Merede, Shamakhi, and others.

The Jewish part of Quba, known as the Sloboda, was renamed Krasnaya Sloboda (Red Sloboda) under Soviet rule.

Currently, this community numbers just under ten thousand people. The question arises: why has this community remained roughly the same size for decades? The reason is that the area of Krasnaya Sloboda is limited, and authorities strictly control its expansion. Jews are reluctant to move to the Muslim part of Quba, and it is likely they would not be allowed to do so. Additionally, Quba’s employment opportunities are limited to one collective farm, a canning factory, and an artistic goods (carpet) enterprise. These factors force Quba’s Jews to leave for industrial cities in Azerbaijan and other Soviet republics.

Another factor is the strong desire of young people to leave the province. Students, in particular, often do not return after completing university or technical education, as they cannot apply their skills in a provincial setting. These circumstances keep the Jewish population of Krasnaya Sloboda at roughly the same level as in the early Soviet years.