Kuba takes one back to the period before World War II, when the shtetls of Eastern Europe had not yet vanished.
The various Jewish communities of Central Asia — a region once largely cut off from world Jewry — have fared differently in the wake of communism’s collapse. In some places, the Jews seemed uncertain of their post-Soviet identity; in some, Jews were eager to make aliyah to escape political unrest. Here in Kuba, there is a happy Jewish settlement with a proud history and a sure sense of what it is.
Kuba lies on the eastern slopes of the Caucasus. It has a population of 25,000, some 5,500 of whom are Jewish. Many in the community make their living in the local hand-woven carpet industry. And they make a good living: Kuba carpets are famous throughout the region.
Kuba once had one of the largest Jewish communities in the Caucasus. At its peak, the Jewish population had totaled approximately 18,000. But the community became smaller during the 1970s, when many began: immigrating to Israel.
Kuba is located along the banks of a river. On one bank is a Moslem community; on the other is the Jewish town — a cluster of small houses, surrounded by greenery.
Three magnificent synagogues dominate the town, their Stars of David rising skyward as if to say: Here lives a proud Jewish community.
JEWISH PRESENCE GOES BACK TO 12TH CENTURY
Inscribed on a plaque on the wall of the main synagogue is a blessing to the government of the Soviet Union for all the good things it had done for the Jewish community. It is a remnant of old, no-longer-relevant times.
The Jewish presence in the region has a long history. Some date it back to the 12th century, when Jews from Iran traveled to the northern end of the Caspian Sea. From there they dispersed along the coast toward the Caucasus Mountains.
But there is another, more intriguing theory about the local Jewish community’s roots.
This is the area where in the eighth century the Khazar people converted from Islam to Judaism, by order of their king. He had listened carefully to a theological disputation conducted by three clergymen — a Moslem mufti, a Christian priest and a Jewish leader, Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi. The Khazar king liked the rabbi’s arguments best.
The legendary Jewish kingdom of the Khazars survived for almost 200 years. According to some, the inhabitants of Kuba are their descendants.
On a Saturday morning, one is greeted in Hebrew with “Shabbat shalom” and “Ma nishma?”
Kuba is still very much a village. The people live in small houses that have inner courtyards which serve alternately as kitchen, guest room, storeroom. The impression of village life is underscored by the sight of women doing their laundry by faucets on the streets.
The best view in town can be found at the local Jewish cemetery. Tombstones dating back to the 17th century cover a green hill that overlooks the river and the colorful roofs of the village. Pictures and statues of the deceased can be found at each grave. It may not be a particularly Jewish way of honoring the dead, but it is in the best of Soviet tradition.
A year ago, Lyova Baradani, an emissary of the Jewish Agency in the region, came to Kuba to speak to the people about aliyah. At the time, not many wanted to listen.
But this year there were questions. Political problems — particularly the war between Christian Armenians and Moslem Azerbaijanis in nearby Nagorno-Karabakh — were causing many here to rethink their options.
Though many were still doubtful, people wanted to know about life in Israel. Is there work for us? they asked. What about our property here? “It is so difficult to leave everything behind.” said one elderly Jew at the meeting with Baradani.
Kuba brought out the dilemma many Jews in the region face. Some here want to leave, but it is hard to make the sacrifice.
A solution to the dilemma was proposed at the meeting: The young people should go to Israel first. Let the older ones come later, after the children have paved the way for them.
But many others here have a different solution, one that Jews elsewhere in the region — and elsewhere in the world — have reached before. They will leave their homes, their cars, their cherry-tree orchards only when the political situation becomes intolerable.
In the meantime, life in Kuba is too good for most to abandon.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
