Contemporary Georgia History of the Jews in Georgia

old synagogue in oni

during world war ii, thousands of georgian jews served in red army. after war, authorities arrested jews , closed or destroyed synagogues, , anti-semitic acts of violence erupted. despite attempts, soviets not annihilate practice of judaism and, in late 1960s , 1970s, georgian jews managed observe traditions. georgian jews able preserve identity better jews in european parts of soviet union, , assimilated , intermarried less. throughout soviet rule, jews remained society s scapegoat. made majority of georgians convicted economic crimes, , punished more severely rest of population. blood libels continued incidents in tskhaltubo in 1963, zestafoni in 1964, , kutaisi in 1965.

after 6 day war, huge numbers of soviet jews began protesting right immigrate israel, , many applied exit visas. georgian jews made large percentage of number. among first begin protesting, , among militant of campaigners. in august 1969, eighteen families wrote human rights commission of united nations demanding permission make aliyah. first public insistence soviet jews immigration israel. israeli government , jewish world campaigned heavily on behalf of plight of soviet jewry. in july 1971, group of georgian jews went on hunger strike outside moscow post office. determination of soviet jewish activists , international pressure led soviets lessen harsh anti-jewish policies. during 1970s, soviets permitted limited jewish emigration israel, , 30,000 georgian jews made aliyah, thousands of others leaving other countries. approximately 17% of soviet jewish population emigrated @ time. in 1979, jewish population in georgia 28,300 and, 1989, had decreased 24,800.

while soviet jewish emigration individual, georgian-jewish emigration communal. due georgian-jewish traditions of strong, extended families , strict, patriarchal nature of georgian families, georgians immigrated whole communities, emigration of individuals causing chain reaction leading more emigration, , brought community structures them. example, entire population of @ least 2 georgian towns made aliyah. @ time emigration started, israel had policy of scattering population around country, , experiencing housing shortage, result georgians assigned housing in different parts of country. georgians began demanding concentrated together, , crisis reached fever pitch when several families threatened return georgia, , new immigrants, forewarned predecessors, began demanding placed in specific areas upon arrival. although prime minister golda meir criticized georgians desire isolate ghettos , israeli immigrant absorption ministry bowed demands, , began create concentrations of around 200 families in twelve areas of country.

in israel, georgian immigrants integrated society, faced problems. georgian immigrants able find jobs ease, , worked in light industry jobs, such dock workers, porters, , construction workers, faced issues. 1 major issue religion; georgian jews devout , had fiercely clung traditions in soviet union, , stunned discover israeli jews secular. result, georgian immigrants demanded own separate synagogues continue unique religious traditions, government agreed to, , enrolled children in religious schools rather regular schools.