Kurdish Jews in Israel

Jewish ethnic subdivision

Ethnic group

Kurdish Jews in IsraelTotal population

Israel 300,000[1][2][3]
Regions with significant populations
Mainly Jerusalem, also Tel Aviv and many other places.
Languages
Hebrew (Main language for all generations);
Older generation: Kurdish (Kurmanji, Sorani and Feyli), Persian, Judeo-Aramaic
Religion
Judaism
Part of a series on

Kurdish history and Kurdish culture

People

* List of Kurds

Population

* Homeland

* Kurdistan
* Turkey (Northern Kurdistan)
* Iran (Eastern Kurdistan)
* Iraq (Southern Kurdistan)
* Syria (Western Kurdistan)

* Diaspora

* Belgium
* Canada
* Caucasia (Armenia) (Azerbaijan) (Georgia)
* Denmark
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* France
* Germany
* Greece
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* Iran
* Israel
* Japan
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* Palestine
* Pakistan
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* Syria
* Sweden
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* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom
* United States

History

* Timeline of Kurdish uprisings

Ancient

Karduchian dynasties

Corduene
Zabdicene
Cyrtians
Moxoene

* Kayusids

Medieval

* Shahrizor
* Mir Jafar Dasni
* Aishanids
* Daisam
* Shaddadids
* Hasanwayhids
* Annazids
* Marwanids
* Hadhabani
* Hazaraspids
* Ayyubids
* Badlis
* Ardalan
* Badinan
* Soran
* Mokryan
* Baban

Modern

* Kurdistansky Uyezd
* Kurdish rebellions during World War I
* Simko Shikak revolt
* Koçgiri Rebellion
* Ararat rebellion
* Dersim Rebellion
* Kingdom of Kurdistan
* Kurdish Republic of Ararat
* Republic of Mahabad
* Al-Anfal campaign
* Kurdish Republic of Lachin
* Iraqi Kurdistan (Kurdistan Region)
* Iranian Kurdistan
* Turkish Kurdistan
* Syrian Kurdistan

Culture

* Clothing
* Cuisine
* Celebrations
* Dance
* Flag
* Folklore
* Historical sites
* Literature
* Music
* Organisations
* Philosophers

Languages

* Kurmanji
* Sorani
* Xwarin
* Zaza
* Laki
* Gorani

Religion

* Islam
* Spread
* Christianity
* Judaism
* Shabakism
* Yarsanism
* Yazdânism
* Yazidism
* Zoroastrianism

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* t
* e

Kurdish Jews in Israel are immigrants and descendants of the immigrants of the Kurdish Jewish communities, who now reside within the state of Israel. They number about 300,000.[4][5][6]

## History

[edit]

Immigration of Kurdish Jews to the Land of Israel initiated during the late 16th century, with a community of rabbinic scholars arriving to Safed, Galilee, and a Kurdish Jewish quarter had been established there as a result. The thriving period of Safed however ended in 1660, with Druze power struggles in the region and an economic decline.

Many Kurdish Jews, especially the ones who hail from Iraq, went through a Sephardic Jewish blending during the 18th century.[7]

Since the early 20th century, some Kurdish Jews had been active in the Zionist movement. One of the most famous members of Lehi (Freedom Fighters of Israel) was Moshe Barazani, whose family immigrated from Iraq and settled in Jerusalem in the late 1920s. In 1939, there were 4,369 in Jerusalem, growing to 30,000 in 1972.[8]

The vast majority of Kurdish Jews were forced out by Iraqi authorities, being evacuated to Israel in the early 1950s, together with other Iraqi Jewish community. The vast majority of the Kurdish Jews of Iranian Kurdistan relocated mostly to Israel as well, in the 1950s.[9]

The Times of Israel reported on September 30, 2013: "Today, there are almost 200,000 Kurdish Jews in Israel, about half of whom live in Jerusalem. There are also over 30 agricultural villages throughout the country that were founded by Kurdish Jews."[10] Today, the large majority of the Jews of Kurdistan and their descendants live in Israel.

## Settlements

[edit]

* Agur
* Avital
* Azaria
* Beit Yosef
* Givolim
* Ein HaEmek
* Ein Ya'akov
* Even Sapir
* Meitav
* Mlilot
* Nes Harim
* Neve Michael
* Patish
* Prazon
* Sdei Trumot
* Shibolim
* Talmei Bilu
* Revaha
* Yardena
* Zekharia

## Notable people

[edit]

* Moshe Barazani
* Zvi Bar
* Ofer Levi
* Yosef Shiloach
* Yitzhak Mordechai
* Itzik Kala
* Ilana Eliya
* Mickey Levy
* Mossi Raz
* Ran Raz
* Sabat Islambouli
* Yona Sabar
* Uri Malmilian
* Haviv Shimoni
* Itzik Shmuli
* Zvi Yehezkeli
* Miki Geva
* Or Sasson
* Itamar Ben-Gvir
* Idan Amedi
* Yehezkel Zakai
* Yehezkel Mizrahi[11]

## See also

[edit]

* History of the Jews in Kurdistan
* Jewish ethnic divisions
* Aliyah
* Iranian Jews in Israel
* Iraqi Jews in Israel
* Turkish Jews in Israel
* Demographics of Israel
* Iraqi Kurdistan–Israel relations
* Palestinian Jews

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Kurdish Jewish Community in Israel". Jcjcr.org. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
2. ^ Berman, Lazar (September 30, 2013). "Cultural pride, and unlikely guests, at Kurdish Jewish festival". timesofisrael.com.
3. ^ "Inside the Unlikely, Unofficial Ties Between Israel and the Kurds". Haaretz.
4. ^ "Kurdish Jewish Community in Israel". Jcjcr.org. Archived from the original on July 28, 2013. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
5. ^ Berman, Lazar (September 30, 2013). "Cultural pride, and unlikely guests, at Kurdish Jewish festival". timesofisrael.com.
6. ^ "Kurdistan". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
7. ^ "מגורשי ספרד בעיראק – הוצאת דרכון פורטוגלי – משרד עו"ד בת"א וירושלים".
8. ^ Mamostaye Kurd. "The Kurdish Jews in Transition: From Kurdistan to Israel". Retrieved January 7, 2019.
9. ^ "Publicity seeking Kurdish official brings back memories of Jewish Kurd aliya fiasco". www.jpost.com. December 7, 2015.
10. ^ "Ancient pride, and unlikely guests, at Kurdish Jewish festival". timesofisrael.com.
11. ^ "Mizrahi, Yehezkel – Freedom Fighters of Israel Heritage Association". Retrieved July 15, 2024.

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Israeli Jews by geographic origin in the Jewish diaspora

Ashkenazi Jews|

* Argentine Jews
* Australian Jews
* Romanian Jews
* Russian Jews
* South African Jews
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* Venezuelan Jews

Mizrahi Jews|

* Yemenite Jews
* Moroccan Jews
* Kurdish Jews
* Iranian Jews
* Bukharan Jews
* Mountain Jews
* Georgian Jews
* Iraqi Jews

Sephardi Jews|

* Bulgarian Jews
* Moroccan Jews
* Peruvian Jews (Iquitos)
* Turkish Jews

Other Jewish groups|

* Ethiopian Jews
* French Jews
* Indian Jews
* Pakistani Jews
* Peruvian Jews (B'nai Moshe)

Non-Jewish groups (with Jewish minorities)|

* Dutch Israelis

Related topics|

* Aliyah
* Sabra
* Israelis abroad
* "Reverse Aliyah"
* Historical Jewish population comparisons

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Demographics of Israel

Israelis by religion|

* Judaism
* Rabbinic
* Conservative
* Reform
* Karaite
* Haymanot
* Islam
* Sunni
* Shia
* Ahmadiyya
* Christianity
* Eastern Orthodox
* Catholic
* Protestant
* Druzism1
* Samaritanism
* Bahai
* Hinduism
* Buddhism

Jews|

* Ashkenazim
* Romanian
* Russian
* Mizrahim
* Bukharan
* Iraqi
* Iranian
* Kurdish
* Moroccan
* Mountain Jews
* Yemenite
* Sephardim
* Bulgarian
* Moroccan
* Turkish
* Karaites
* Romaniotes
* Italkim
* Gruzinim
* Indian
* Cochin
* Bene Israel
* Bnei Menashe
* Bene Ephraim
* Ethiopian
* Beta Israel
* Falash Mura

Arabs|

* Arab Muslims
* Madani and Fellahin
* Bedouin
* Galilee
* Negev
* Arab Christians
* Druze1
* Lebanese

Other Semitic|

* Assyrians
* Samaritans
* Arameans2
* Maronites
* Lebanese

Other non-Semitic groups|

* African Americans
* Armenians
* Dutch
* Indians
* Russians
* Subbotniks
* Circassians
* Bosniaks
* Vietnamese

Foreign nationals|

* African-American Hebrews
* Argentines
* Chileans
* Chinese
* Filipinos
* Greeks
* Turks
* Kurds
* Mexicans
* Palestinians
* Doms (Gypsy)
* Sudanese

* 1 Druze have a status aparte from Muslim Arabs in Israel, since 1957.
* 2 Arameans have a status aparte from Christian Arabs in Israel, since 2014.

Portals:

* Judaism
* Kurdistan

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