The Bukharian Jews are among the oldest and most culturally unique Jewish diaspora communities in Central Asia, with a history spanning over 2,500 years. Local customs state that the community began during the Babylonian exile. Later, Persian Jews migrated along the Silk Road trading routes during the Achaemenid Empire, establishing homes in the ancient emirates of Bukhara, Samarkand, and Khiva, which are located in present-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. The Bukharian Jews The Bukharian Jews are among the oldest and most culturally unique Jewish diaspora communities in Central Asia, with a history spanning over 2,500 years. Local customs state that the community began during the Babylonian exile after the First Temple was destroyed in 586 BCE. Later, Persian Jews migrated along the Silk Road trading routes during the Achaemenid Empire, establishing homes in the ancient emirates of Bukhara, Samarkand, and Khiva, which are located in present-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. These Jews, who lived under several Islamic regimes for centuries, adopted Bukharian or Bukhori, a unique dialect of the Tajik-Persian language written in the Hebrew alphabet, in order to adapt to their surroundings while upholding a very traditional Jewish way of life. Due to their dhimmi status as a religious minority under Islamic rule, they were subject to severe clothing codes, high taxes, and prohibitions on constructing synagogues. Despite this, they were often able to maintain local autonomy, creating prosperous communities of merchants, weavers, and dyers. When Rabbi Yosef Maimon from Morocco arrived in Central Asia in 1793, he revitalized religious life, introduced Sephardic liturgy, and restored the community's ties to the rest of the Jewish world, reversing the spiritual decline that had eventually resulted from the region's isolation from mainstream Jewish centers. The Russian Empire's conquest of Central Asia in the middle of the 19th century resulted in the creation of Russian Turkestan territory and a golden age for the Bukharian Jews. They profited from increased trade rights, quickly became wealthy from the cotton industry, and started financing a large-scale migration to Jerusalem in the 1890s, where they founded the renowned Bukharim Quarter, which is renowned for its opulent homes and grand architecture. Although many families secretly upheld their religious practices, particularly circumcision and kosher dietary laws, this prosperity was abruptly disrupted by the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and the Sovietization of Central Asia that followed. This led to the confiscation of private wealth, the systematic closure of Jewish schools and synagogues, and the forced integration of the community into the Soviet secular system. Nearly the entire community left the Soviet Union in 1991 due to political unpredictability, economic instability, and the emergence of local nationalism. Hundreds of thousands of people left, mostly to Israel and the United States, especially the Queens, New York neighborhood of Rego Park. Even though there are now only a few hundred elderly members of the ancient Bukharian Jewish community in Central Asia, their rich cultural legacy is still very much alive in their new homes, where they actively preserve their distinctive musical style known as "Shashmaqam," their ornate traditional silk robes known as "jomahs," and their renowned culinary customs like "plov" and "bakhsh." Bukharian Jews established the Bukharim Quarter (Sh'hunat HaBukharim) in 1891 with the goal of creating a stately neighborhood in Jerusalem that would symbolize their success along the Silk Road. Constructed on a grid layout with broad streets, it resembled European towns, which was unusual for Jerusalem at this time. Features enormous stone palaces with arched windows in the Italian style, interior courtyards, and lofty ceilings. The Armon, or Yehudayoff Palace, was constructed to welcome the Messiah. The neighborhood's ancient facades still stand, but Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jewish families now make up the majority of its residents. "Six Modes" is the literal translation of Shashmaqam, the traditional classical music style of Central Asia. It combines Jewish religious scriptures, Persian vocal melodies, and Sufi mystical poetry. It is dominated by the Doira (frame drum), Gijak (spike violin), and Tanbur (long-necked string instrument). In the courts of Central Asian emirs, Bukharian Jewish musicians were traditionally the main practitioners and guardians of this musical style. Specialized ensembles that perform at historic events in Israel and New York actively preserve it. Bukharan Jews Sign in Bukharan Jews Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Search videos Search video... 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The history of Iraqi Jews, also known as Babylonian Jews or Bavlim, which spans more than 2,600 years, is intrinsically interwoven with Mesopotamian history. Before disappearing virtually suddenly in the middle of the 20th century, the Jewish population profoundly influenced Iraq's cultural, economic, and spiritual character from their ancient exile to its enormous wealth under several caliphates. The Iraqi Jews The history of Iraqi Jews, also known as Babylonian Jews or Bavlim, which spans more than 2,600 years, is intrinsically interwoven with Mesopotamian history. Before disappearing virtually suddenly in the middle of the 20th century, the Jewish population profoundly influenced Iraq's cultural, economic, and spiritual character from their ancient exile to its enormous wealth under several caliphates. This community was founded in 586 BCE when the Jews were exiled to Babylon. After conquering Babylon a few decades later, in 538 BCE, Cyrus of Persia issued an order permitting the Jews to return to the Land of Israel. But a sizeable section of the population chose to stay in Mesopotamia. They formed trading networks, cultivated agriculture, and constructed strong communal organizations. By doing this, they established the groundwork for an ongoing Jewish presence that would flourish for more than two millennia. Iraq emerged as the unquestionable center of global Judaism between the third and eleventh centuries. After the Second Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, Mesopotamia became a scholars' center, supported by the esteemed rabbinical institutions of Sura and Pumbedita. The Babylonian Talmud, a massive compilation of law, ethics, legal arguments, and tradition, was assembled by experts in these institutions. The Babylonian Talmud continues to be the world's most authoritative source on Jewish law and religion. The leaders of these colleges, known as the Geonim, held great spiritual influence throughout the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad and led Jewish communities from Spain to Asia. Despite having Dhimmi status, which is a restricted but protected second-class citizenship, Jews had centuries of comparatively stable existence. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, under Ottoman rule and later the British Mandate, the Iraqi Jewish community experienced a spectacular economic and cultural renaissance. Jews became fully integrated into modern Iraqi society. They adopted Arabic as their mother tongue, dressed in local fashions, and actively participated in public life. By the early 20th century, Jews made up more than 20% of Baghdad's population. Culturally, Jews were pioneers: brothers Saleh and Daoud Al-Kuwaity composed the foundational melodies of modern classical Iraqi music, earning immense popularity from the royal court and the public alike. The 1930s and 1940s brought a violent fracture. Intercommunal relations started to deteriorate due to the explosive growth of pan-Arab nationalism and the intensive Nazi propaganda that was disseminated from the German consulate in Baghdad. The Farhud, which took place on June 1-2, 1941, was the pivotal moment in history. Following a failed pro-Nazi revolution, crowds used a leadership vacuum to launch a violent, two-day pogrom against Baghdad's Jewish community. Over 180 Jews were killed, hundreds were injured, women were beaten, and houses and businesses were routinely robbed. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the situation significantly worsened. The Iraqi government transformed the Jewish residents into "internal enemies" and joined the military alliance against the fledgling state. Zionism was made a capital crime punishable by death. Jews' freedom of movement was severely restricted, their bank accounts were frozen, and they were expelled from public service. In response to intense pressure, the Iraqi parliament unexpectedly passed a measure in 1950 that allowed Jews to leave the country as long as they gave up their Iraqi citizenship and all of their frozen assets. Nearly every member of the group registered to flee, taking advantage of this limited opportunity to avoid state-sponsored persecution. Operation Ezra and Nehemiah was a large airlift that Israel coordinated between 1951 and 1952. Between 120,000 and 130,000 Iraqi Jews left the country in a matter of months after being deprived of their money and only permitted to bring one suitcase per person. They left behind ancient tombs of biblical prophets like Jonah and Ezekiel, as well as millennia of history and historic synagogues. The few thousand people who remained had to face waves of fear. The Ba'ath regime's public hangings of Jews wrongly convicted of espionage in the late 1960s marked the culmination of this persecution. The surviving family was compelled by these atrocities to covertly cross the northern mountains into Kurdistan. There are currently fewer than five Jews left in Iraq, making Jewish life there extinct. Nonetheless, a global diaspora of approximately 450,000 descendants, mostly residing in Israel, the United Kingdom, and the United States, preserves the tradition of Babylonian Jewry. Iraqi ancestry has permeated every aspect of Israeli society, from modern music to iconic dishes like Kubbeh soups or the eggplant sandwich Sabich. Digitization initiatives like the Iraqi Jewish Archive, a collection of thousands of religious and communal documents found by US forces in 2003, help preserve the memory of their culture and history. Iraqi Jews' history is an example of centuries-old coexistence in an Arab country that was destroyed by the wrong 20th-century politics. Jewish Iraqi Music Learn more Jews from Iraq Sign in Jews from Iraq Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Search videos Search video... All Categories All Categories Nonprofits & Activism People & Blogs Now Playing עליית יהודי עיראק לישראל- חלק ג 32:59 Play Video Now Playing עליית יהודי עיראק לישראל חלק ב - הפרהוד בבגדד 36:00 Play Video Now Playing עליית יהודי עיראק לישראל חלק א - היהודים בעיראק עד מלחמת העולם השנייה 10:28 Play Video Now Playing Immigr-à-Sion #22– L'Alyah d'Irak 08:10 Play Video

Jewish communities flourished throughout Morocco for centuries, creating thriving hubs of knowledge, commerce, and culture in places like Fes, Marrakech, and Meknes. They also created distinctive Judeo-Moroccan customs, liturgical music, and the Judeo-Arabic language. The Moroccan Jews Moroccan Judaism began with ancient migrations after the First Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, and it greatly expanded during the Roman Empire, spanning more than two millennia[1] . Jewish communities flourished throughout Morocco for centuries, creating thriving hubs of knowledge, commerce, and culture in places like Fes, Marrakech, and Meknes. They also created distinctive Judeo-Moroccan customs, liturgical music, and the Judeo-Arabic language. When Jews were banished from Spain and Portugal in 1492[2] , the Alhambra Decree sent Sephardic customs, knowledge, and prestigious lineages to the coast of North Africa, resulting in a significant cultural and demographic influx. Moroccan Jews had the legal status of Dhimmi under Islamic rule, which provided them with freedom of religion and institutional protection in exchange for specific taxes, albeit their level of everyday security varied. Moroccan Jews had the legal status of Dhimmi under Islamic rule, which provided them with freedom of religion and institutional protection in return for special taxes. However, their level of daily security varied according to the tolerance of local rulers and individual sultans. Through organizations like the ''Alliance Israélite Universelle'', the French and Spanish protectorates' creation in 1912 sped up modernization and westernization[3] , giving Jews more economic mobility while simultaneously changing established social structures. The Vichy regime imposed anti-Semitic laws in Morocco during World War II, but Sultan Mohammed V famously opposed deportations and shielded his Jewish subjects from Nazi persecution, strengthening the community's long-lasting ties to the Moroccan monarchy[4] . Over a quarter of a million Jews left Morocco as a result of the State of Israel's founding in 1948[5] , localized anti-Semitic riots, and the emergence of Moroccan nationalism. Even though there are now only a few thousand Moroccan Jews living in Morocco, the Moroccan Jewish diaspora in Israel, France, and North America is still very much a part of Moroccan culture. They regularly travel back to Morocco for pilgrimages to the tombs of revered saints, known as Hillourot, and they uphold a rich cultural legacy that is officially acknowledged in the country's current constitution[6] . The World Federation of Moroccan Jewry and demographic studies track approximately one million Israelis who have at least partial Moroccan heritage across multiple generations, making up around 10% of the country's overall population[7] . Two Millennia of Presence: Study the chronological history of the ancient migrations to North Africa following the destruction of the First Temple and the community's expansion under Roman rule on the Jewish Virtual Library Moroccan Heritage Archive. The Alhambra Decree Influx (1492): Explore academic essays detailing the profound cultural and lineage shifts brought by the Sephardic influx after the expulsion from Spain and Portugal via the Beit Hatfutsot / Anu Museum Digital Collection. The Alliance Israélite Universelle (1912): Read about the socio-economic transformations, Westernization, and linguistic shifts triggered by French protectorate networks through the Georgetown University Berkley Center Global Religious Archive. Sultan Mohammed V's Protection: Review documentation detailing how the Moroccan monarchy resisted the anti-Semitic mandates of the Vichy regime during World War II, safeguarding its Jewish subjects, on the Arab Weekly Historical Analysis Portal. Mass Emigration (1948–1960s): Track the timelines and demographic figures surrounding the migration of over a quarter-million Jews due to localized riots and rising nationalism via the World Jewish Congress Aliyah Tracking Record or see specific political timelines on the Jerusalem Post Israeli-Arab Exodus Registry. Constitutional Legacy & Hillourot: Access legislative records showing how the 2011 constitutional reform explicitly designated Hebraic components as an integral part of Morocco's national identity, alongside modern royal initiatives, via The Jerusalem Post State Decree Archive. You can view the full translation of the text's preamble on the Constitute Project Legal Repository. The One-Million Israeli Demographic Block: Review the statistical assessments from multi-generational tracking mapping how individuals of Moroccan descent account for roughly 10% of Israel's current population on The Jerusalem Post Diaspora Affairs Registry and the Algiers-to-Amman Peace Institute Demographic Profiles. Jews from Marocco Sign in Jews from Marocco Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Search videos Search video... All Categories All Categories News & Politics People & Blogs Now Playing נדיר-יהודים ממרוקו במחנה המעבר גרנד ארנס-מרסיי,צרפת 10:43 Play Video Now Playing יהדות מרוקו - ארכיון המדינה Moroccan Jewry 14:55 Play Video Now Playing נדיר: תמונות בצבע של עליית מרוקו 07:10 Play Video

Kurdish Jews are among the world's oldest continuously existing Jewish communities, with a history spanning more than 2,500 years. The community originated during the Assyrian captivity when the tribes of Israel were exiled to the region of Media and Assyria, areas that correspond to modern-day Kurdistan. Nestled among the rough highlands of northern Mesopotamia, which includes portions of modern-day Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria, these Jews lived in relative seclusion for generations. The Kurdish Jews Kurdish Jews represent one of the oldest continuous Jewish populations in the world, with a documented presence that goes back more than 2,500 years. Biblical accounts and regional oral histories track the roots of this community to the Assyrian captivity in the 8th century BCE. During this period, the northern tribes of Israel were forcibly relocated to parts of Media and Assyria—territories that overlap with what is known today as Kurdistan. Settled throughout the mountainous terrain of northern Mesopotamia, which now spans parts of modern Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria, these Jewish populations remained isolated from other global communities for centuries[1] . This physical isolation allowed the community to preserve its specific religious customs, cultural habits, and its language over many generations. Kurdish Jews spoke various dialects of Jewish Neo-Aramaic, a linguistic survival directly derived from ancient Aramaic. The population worked primarily as farmers, weavers, craftsmen, and merchants, living alongside Muslim, Christian, and Yezidi neighbors. Their history under various regional rulers included alternating periods of heavy taxation, instability, and persecution, balanced by intervals of peaceful cohabitation under local Kurdish chieftains. The community maintained a deep religious attachment to the land, regularly traveling to pray at the tombs of biblical prophets, such as Daniel in Kirkuk, Jonah in Mosul, and Nahum in Alqosh. At the turn of the 20th century, as Zionist ideas gained ground in the region, small groups of Kurdish Jews began migrating toward Ottoman Palestine[2] . The creation of the State of Israel in 1948 fundamentally altered the security of the community. The rise of Arab nationalism led to the introduction of anti-Jewish legislation in Iraq. These escalating tensions culminated in Operation Ezra and Nehemiah, a massive airlift organized between 1950 and 1952 that evacuated the vast majority of Iraqi Jews. More than 25,000 Kurdish Jews left their homes during this migration, abandoning their long history in the region to relocate to Israel. Upon arrival, the community settled heavily in and around Jerusalem, eventually integrating into wider Israeli society. Today, they maintain their specific cultural roots through traditional music, dance styles, food, and the annual Seharane festival, keeping their Mesopotamian heritage alive despite their total displacement from their original homeland[3]. The Seharane is the primary cultural gathering for Kurdish Jews, serving to showcase their regional traditions, connection to nature, and history. Originally celebrated back in Kurdistan, the festival was later reintroduced and adapted to life in modern Israel. The musical backbone of the event relies on the heavy, rhythmic patterns of the Dohola (a large traditional drum) paired with the sharp, high notes of the Zurna (a woodwind instrument). Attendees participate in the Govend, a fast-paced, synchronized dance performed in interconnected lines and circles. Participants frequently dress in brightly colored, heavily embroidered traditional Kurdish outfits. Food is a central element of the gathering, with families preparing traditional dishes such as Kuba (stuffed dough dumplings) and Yaprach (stuffed grape leaves)[4] . Today, the population of Kurdish Jews and their descendants living in Israel is estimated to be between 200,000 and 300,000 people. Approximately half of this population lives in Jerusalem, with notable concentrations in specific southern sectors of the city, such as the Katamonim neighborhood. Over the decades, members of the community also established more than 30 agricultural villages (moshavim) throughout the Israeli countryside. The majority of these residents are descendants of the roughly 50,000 Kurdish Jews who arrived during the emergency airlifts of the 1950s. While Hebrew has become the primary language for the vast majority of the community, a shrinking population of older individuals still speaks regional Kurdish dialects and Judeo-Aramaic[5] . Source: The Kurdish Jews Who Never Stopped Speaking Aramaic: Historical Analysis, Aish.com. Source: Seharane Cultural Festival of the Kurdistani Jewish Community Overview, Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue. Kurdish Jews Sign in Kurdish Jews Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Search videos Search video... All Categories All Categories Comedy Music People & Blogs Now Playing Kurdish Jew in israel 1970 07:04 Play Video Now Playing Chabad For the first time printed a TANYA book in Kurdistan 04:26 Play Video Now Playing With all religions Prayer for Coexistence, Peace and Tolerance In the Jews center of Kurdistan 03:54 Play Video Now Playing צ'ופי כורדי - היוצר צפריר יפרח מארח את רונן יונה 03:36 Play Video

There are 5,000 Circassians living in Israel. Kfar Kama and Rehaniya are the two main towns where they reside. The Circassians of Israel are a part of the Circassian diaspora, which emerged as a result of the Russian Empire's 19th-century genocide against the Circassians during the Russo-Circassian War. The Circassians are an ethnic group of Northwest Caucasians who speak the Circassian languages and are originally from the historical country-region of Circassia in the North Caucasus. The Circassians There are between 4,000 and 5,000 Circassians living in Israel. Kfar Kama and Rehaniya are the two main towns where they reside. The Circassians of Israel are a part of the Circassian diaspora, which emerged as a result of the Russian Empire's 19th-century genocide against the Circassians during the Russo-Circassian War. The Circassians are an ethnic group of Northwest Caucasians who speak the Circassian languages and are originally from the historical country-region of Circassia in the North Caucasus. The majority of Circassians in Israel are mostly Sunni Muslims. They are descended from two Circassian diaspora communities that the Ottoman Empire relocated to Galilee in the 1870s. For a millennium, Circassia was a Christian region, but, from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, the Crimean Tatars and Ottoman Turks influenced them to convert to Islam. After being driven from their land to the northwest Caucasus, the Circassians moved to the Middle East. The beginning of the Russo-Circassian war, according to most historians, was in 1763 with the construction of the first Russian fortress in the northeast of Circassia. The whole Circassian population was nearly wiped out as a result of the Czar's soldiers' pursuit, burning, rape, and murder of the Circassians during a 101-year conflict. It was the largest humanitarian catastrophe of the 19th century and the first genocide in contemporary history, with an estimated 1.5 million Circassians killed. Over two-thirds of Circassia's population perished. Circassians never forgot their homeland, which they constantly yearned for. The Circassians were assimilated into the Ottoman Empire and settled in inhabited regions. The exiles from Circassia settled in Galilee, in Kfar Kama in 1876 and in Rehaniya in 1878. Throughout the Ottoman Empire, Circassians stayed to themselves and retained their distinct identity, even establishing their own courts in which they would not tolerate any foreign influence. Because many of the First Aliyah immigrants from Russia who landed in the Galilee spoke the same language, Circassians maintained cordial ties with the Yishuv and later the Jewish community in Israel. Jews and Circassians shared empathy for one another's exile experiences. There are 656 Circassian language speakers listed in the 1922 census. The freedom to keep its own educational system outside the Department of Arab Affairs of the Israeli government was granted to the Circassian minority in 1976. To preserve its culture for future generations, the village runs its own independent educational system. The Knesset enacted a measure in 2011 allocating NIS 680 million for Circassia's infrastructure, tourism, and education. Circassians Sign in Circassians Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Search videos Search video... All Categories All Categories Entertainment News & Politics Nonprofits & Activism People & Blogs Now Playing The 12 Circassian Tribes 03:12 Play Video Now Playing Circassian Culture & Traditions: Food, Clothing, Marriage, Horses & Cultural Heritage 03:50 Play Video Now Playing Circassian Festival 2011 Israel (2).wmv 14:54 Play Video Now Playing Секреты черкесов Израиля 34:41 Play Video

The population is divided into various communities, each having intriguing historical roots: Bene Israel: They are from the Konkan coast, close to Mumbai. Cochin Jews (Malabari Jews): They are mostly from Kerala, Baghdadi Jews: They came from Mumbai and Kolkata (Calcutta). Bnei Menashe: A Jewish community from the northeastern Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram that has been returning to Israel as a result of continuing government programs like ''Operation Wings of dawns''. The Indian Jews Indian Jews have been around for more than 2,000 years and are a distinct, historically integrated group. Jews in India have a long history dating back to antiquity. Judaism is one of the first known foreign religions to have reached the Indian subcontinent. A small religious minority has inhabited the region. Despite persecution by Portuguese colonists, they managed to survive there for centuries. There are about 4,000 members of this community in India, mostly residing in Mumbai and Kochi, but there are also over 85,000 Indian immigrants in Israel as a result of significant waves of aliyah. The population is divided into various communities, each having intriguing historical roots: Bene Israel: They are from the Konkan coast, close to Mumbai. Cochin Jews (Malabari Jews): They are mostly from Kerala, Baghdadi Jews: They came from Mumbai and Kolkata (Calcutta). Bnei Menashe: A Jewish community from the northeastern Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram that has been returning to Israel as a result of continuing government programs like ''Operation Wings of Dawn ". Jews from India Sign in Jews from India Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Search videos Search video... All Categories All Categories Education Entertainment News & Politics Nonprofits & Activism People & Blogs Now Playing The Lost Tribes: The Journey of the Bnei Menashe - Part I - Hebrew with English subtitles 15:09 Play Video Now Playing The Jews of India 06:26 Play Video Now Playing The Lost Tribes: The Journey of the Bnei Menashe - Part 2 - Hebrew w/ English subtitles 12:25 Play Video Now Playing The Tribe of Menashe: A Lost Tribe of Israel Returns 09:46 Play Video

In 2026, the population of Israel is estimated to be around 10.1 million. The population is distributed as follows: Jewish and others around 76%; Arabs approximately 21%; foreign residents: approximately 3%. The country's population growth rate is between 1% and 1.1%. The population is distinguished by a high percentage of young people, with a median age of roughly 29 years. The State of Israel The Land of Israel, which the Bible claims was promised to Abraham, the father of the Israeli nation, to his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob, and to which their descendants, the Israelites, returned after being enslaved in Egypt for hundreds of years, is where the State of Israel was founded[1] . The Israelites appointed a ruler for themselves and created the undivided Kingdom of Israel, which subsequently divided into two kingdoms: Israel and Judah, after hundreds of years of temporary judges ruling the region that was frequently conquered. The Northern Kingdom of Israel lasted until 721 BCE, at which point it was conquered by the Assyrian army[2] . Some of the Jewish people were banished. The majority of them stayed in the country, although a sizeable portion fled to Judah as refugees. The Temple was destroyed in 586 BCE when the Babylonians overthrew the Kingdom of Judah. Following the conquest, the majority of Judah's population was banished to Babylon. Following the Persian conquest, Jews were granted autonomy, permitted to return to the land, and even had the Temple rebuilt (late 6th century BCE) thanks to King Cyrus's edict[3] . Later, near the close of the second century BCE, the Hasmonean dynasty, which rebelled against Seleucid power, led to the restoration of the Kingdom of Judah. Pompey subjugated Judah in 63 BCE, turning it into a Roman protectorate[4] . The Great Revolt began in 66 CE as a result of several ordinances prohibiting religious practice[5] . After the Romans put an end to the uprising, Emperor Titus demolished the Second Temple, and Jerusalem was destroyed. The Bar Kokhba Revolt began in 132 CE[6] . After three years, the uprising was brutally put down despite the rebel forces' early successes. From the fourth century CE to the twentieth century, the Land of Israel changed hands numerous times between invaders of various ethnicities, with the support of the region's leading countries. Jews have resided in and moved to Israel from all over the world for centuries, but a focused immigration of groups started later, the most well-known of which were the Hasidic students[7] . The formation of the institutionalized Zionist movement coincided with the start of major waves of immigration in the late 19th century. As a continuation of the immigrant movement to the Land of Israel across the years, the State of Israel's history started with the awakening of Jews from all over the world to come to the Land of Israel. Many Jewish thinkers, including Rabbi Yehuda ben Shlomo Hai Alkalai, Moshe Hess, Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kalischer, Yehuda Leib Pinsker, and Moshe Leib Lilienblum, who published books and articles asserting that the creation of a Jewish state was the answer to the Jewish people's predicament, advocated for immigration to the Land of Israel to establish a state there, that is, independent Jewish sovereignty[8] . Benjamin Ze'ev Herzl released his book "The State of the Jews" in 1896, outlining his ideas for a Jewish state[9] . In order to disseminate his ideas and secure a charter—permission from the Ottoman Sultan to settle Jews in the Land of Israel—Herzl made diplomatic contacts. Herzl was the leader of the political Zionist movement. Herzl, in contrast to other Zionist leaders, placed a high value on obtaining legal and international acknowledgement of the Jewish people's claims to the Land of Israel before the actual settlement. The World Zionist Organization was established when Herzl called the first World Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897.[10] The congress's description of "a national home for the Jewish people in the Land of Israel under the law of nations" was the Zionist movement's stated objective. The Zionist Organization started by setting up the necessary infrastructure for the creation of a Jewish state in Israel. This included managing foreign policy, establishing financial institutions, buying land (through Keren Kayemet LeIsrael[11] ), and directing and supporting Jewish establishment in Israel. Herzl led the Zionist movement from its founding in 1897 until he died in 1904. One of the most prominent activists alongside Herzl, especially in the diplomatic field, was Chaim Weizmann, who became one of its leaders after Herzl's death and later the president of the State of Israel. With the publication of the Balfour Declaration on November 2, 1917, which stated that the British government supported a national home for the Jewish people in Israel, the Zionist Organization's foreign policy saw tremendous success. After the British occupation of Israel during World War I came to an end, the proclamation gained its greatest significance. Based on this proclamation, the League of Nations granted Britain authority over the Land of Israel, subject to the creation of a Jewish organization to counsel the British on issues about the Jewish national home. This body was indeed established and was named the Jewish Agency. On May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was founded with the proclamation of independence in the Land of Israel on 2nd Iyar 5708. At the time of its founding, it was home to more than 600,000 Jews, making up over 6% of all Jews worldwide[12] . In 2026, the population of Israel is estimated to be around 10.1 million. The population is distributed as follows: Jewish and others around 76%; Arabs approximately 21%; foreign residents: approximately 3%. The country's population growth rate is between 1% and 1.1%. The population is distinguished by a high percentage of young people, with a median age of roughly 29 years, and is primarily driven by a birth rate of 2.7%[13] . The Patriarchal Promise: The Hebrew Bible (Genesis 12:7, 15:18) details the covenant and promise of the land to Abraham, renewed with Isaac (Genesis 26:3–4) and Jacob (Genesis 28:13). Fall of Northern Israel (721 BCE): Documented in II Kings 17. This aligns with Assyrian archaeological records, such as the Nimrud Prism, which notes Sargon II's campaign and population shifts. Edict of Cyrus: The biblical book of Ezra (1:1–4) records the Persian decree allowing Jews to return and rebuild the Temple. The Cyrus Cylinder (housed in the British Museum) corroborates this imperial policy of restoring displaced populations. Pompey's Conquest (63 BCE): Documented by Romano-Jewish historian Flavius Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews (Book XIV). The Great Revolt (66–70 CE): Flavius Josephus's eyewitness account, The Jewish War, describes the Roman siege of Jerusalem, Titus's destruction of the Second Temple, and subsequent Jewish displacement. Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–135 CE): Chronicled by Roman historian Cassius Dio in Roman History (Book 69) and substantiated by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and Bar Kokhba letters. Hasidim Immigration: Historical accounts track the continuous Jewish presence and the specific late 18th-century migrations of the students of the Baal Shem Tov and the Vilna Gaon (1777–1808). Leon Pinsker: Auto-Emancipation (1882). Theodor Herzl: Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State), published in Vienna in 1896. The Basel Program (1897): Official protocols of the First Zionist Congress state the goal of establishing a "publicly and legally assured home in Palestine." Keren Kayemet LeIsrael (Jewish National Fund): Established at the Fifth Zionist Congress (1901) to acquire land. Declaration of Independence: The official Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel, publicly read by David Ben-Gurion on May 14, 1948 (5 Iyar 5708). 2026 Demographic Statistics: These figures align with the official tracking, press releases, and statistical abstracts published by the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). Israel History Sign in Israel History Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Search videos Search video... All Categories All Categories Education Entertainment People & Blogs Now Playing ארכיון שפילברג מציג: 1911-2011 הסרט הראשון של פלשתינה 17:46 Play Video Now Playing פסח בכותל המערבי 1913 Passover 02:48 Play Video Now Playing ירושלים מאוחדת לפני 100 שנה 1913 JERUSALEM 10:34 Play Video Now Playing מעברות | תוהו ובוהו - פרק 1 - פרק הבכורה 49:48 Play Video

With over 177,600 citizens of Ethiopian heritage as of 2024, Israel is currently home to the largest Beta Israel group in the world. They are about 1.75% of the Israeli population. They speak Hebrew, Amharic and Tigrinya. The Jews from Ethiopia The history of the Ethiopian Jews, formerly known as Beta Israel, is a remarkable story of spiritual dedication, loneliness, and return. It spans more than two millennia. Their ancestry can be traced either to the lost biblical tribe of Dan, which moved south during the Assyrian conquest, or to the union of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, according to the rich oral tradition and religious scriptures of the community. In the untamed mountainous areas of northern Ethiopia, especially in the vicinity of Gondar, Lake Tana, and the Simien Mountains, Beta Israel had a fiercely independent life for centuries, establishing an independent Jewish monarchy under the Gideon dynasty[1] . After years of warfare with surrounding Christian emperors[2] , this golden age of independence progressively vanished until the 17th century, when the kingdom was overrun, their estates were seized, and the Jews were reduced to tenant farmers, artisans, and weavers. The community maintained a distinctive pre-Talmudic form of Judaism based solely on the written Torah, practicing animal sacrifice, adhering to stringent biblical purity laws, and using Ge'ez, an ancient Ethiopian liturgical tongue, instead of Hebrew, while being cut off from the rest of mainstream global Jewry for more than 1500 years[3] . Kessim, a highly esteemed council of priests who supervised their religious leadership, kept the spiritual flame alive during decades of poverty, seclusion, and severe pressure to convert from Western Christian missionaries in the 19th century[4] . When Ovadia Yosef, Israel's Sephardic Chief Rabbi, formally acknowledged the Beta Israel as completely Jewish in 1973[5] , the situation drastically changed. This decision legally permitted their entry under Israel's Law of Return. This paved the way for one of the most audacious humanitarian endeavors in contemporary history, which started in the late 1970s and early 1980s when hundreds of Ethiopian Jews made dangerous, covert foot treks over Sudan's searing deserts to reach covert rescue camps. Operation Moses, a clandestine Israeli airlift that delivered over 8,000 refugees to safety in 1984[6] , ensured the survival of the remaining refugees despite the terrible deaths of thousands due to malnutrition, disease, and bandit attacks[7] . In 1991, Israel initiated Operation Solomon[8] , an unusual and spectacular military airlift that used stripped-down commercial and military planes to evacuate over 14,000 Ethiopian Jews in only 36 continuous hours as unrest in Ethiopia increased during the fall of the Mengistu dictatorship. The community faced a difficult transition from an agrarian, rural lifestyle to a highly modernized, Westernized Israeli society in the decades that followed these historic airlifts. They struggled with language barriers and systemic absorption problems while also attempting to integrate into society[9] . Falash Mura, a community of Beta Israel who had converted to Christianity during the previous two centuries but were allowed to immigrate to Israel after returning to the Israelite faith [10], are also included in the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel. Over 160,000 people make up the Ethiopian-Israeli community today. Vibrant generations born in Israel have excelled in academia, the military, politics, and the arts while proudly preserving their distinctive cultural legacy, most notably through Sigd, an ancient holiday of spiritual renewal and longing for Jerusalem that is now recognized as an official national holiday in the State of Israel [11] . The Ethiopian Jewish community celebrates Sigd[12] , a holiday that emphasizes solidarity, repentance, and a longing for Jerusalem. The Ge'ez word for "prostration" or "worship" is where the name "Sigd" originates. Traditionally observed fifty days following Yom Kippur, it is modeled after the biblical gathering of Ezra and Nehemiah upon the return of the Jews from Babylon. In order to worship in front of Jerusalem, the Ethiopian community fasted and ascended the highest neighboring mountains under the leadership of the Kessim bearing the Orit. The Knesset enacted a resolution[13] in 2008 designating Sigd as an official national holiday in Israel, which is celebrated annually with a large gathering that overlooks Jerusalem's Old City. With over 177,600 citizens of Ethiopian heritage as of 2024, Israel is currently home to the largest Beta Israel group in the world. They are about 1.75% of the Israeli population. They speak Hebrew, Amharic, and Tigrinya[14] . Ancient Roots and the Kingdom of Gideon: Review the comprehensive history of the fiercely independent Jewish kingdom in the Simien Mountains and Gondar regions via the World Jewish Congress Community Profiles. The Medieval Monarchy and Displacement: Access academic essays detailing the warfare with neighboring Christian emperors, the loss of independence, and the transition of the Beta Israel into tenant farmers on the Minority Rights Group International Ethiopian Archive. The Liturgy of Ge'ez and the Kessim: Explore the distinct biblical purity laws, the preservation of the Orit (the Torah in Ge'ez), and the role of the priestly council on the National Library of Israel Digital Collections. 19th-Century Missionary Pressure: Read documented historical accounts of the encounters between Western Christian missionaries (such as Henry Aaron Stern) and the secluded Beta Israel community on the Boston University School of Theology History of Missiology Portal. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's 1973 Decree: Read analytical breakdowns of the legal and religious impact of the Chief Rabbi's halakhic ruling via the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA). The Logistics of Operation Moses (1984): Study the declassified operational aspects, the geopolitical coordination between Israel, Sudan, and the US, and the secret flights on the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise (AICE) Archive. The Sudan Desert Crossings: Read journalistic reporting, survivor testimonies, and memorial pages dedicated to the thousands of refugees who perished from disease and bandit attacks during the foot treks on The Times of Israel Community Archives. The 1991 Airlift Logistics: Read about the declassified details of Operation Solomon, including how stripped-down commercial and military flights evacuated over 14,000 citizens in 36 continuous hours, on the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Historical Repository. Societal Absorption Barriers: Explore documentation covering the socioeconomic transition from rural agriculture to modern urban communities, as well as institutional struggles regarding language integration, via the Jewish Virtual Library Study on Ethiopian Jews in Israel. The Return to Israelite Faith: Review the complex historical, religious, and legal frameworks surrounding the immigration, conversion processes, and status of the Falash Mura community on the Jewish Virtual Library Archive. Annual Entry Tracking: Access chronological charts tracking total immigration figures from Ethiopia (including specific counts for the Falash Mura and Quara populations) through the Jewish Virtual Library Statistical Tables. Biblical Precedent & Holiday Mechanics: Explore the linguistic origins of the Ge'ez word Sigd, its links to the biblical models of Ezra and Nehemiah, and the role of the Kessim priests leading prayers on the mountains via the Israel Knesset Lexicon Gateway. The 2008 Knesset Resolution: Read the official legislative overview designating Sigd as a formal state holiday celebrated 50 days after Yom Kippur through The Times of Israel Community Archives. Official Census Abstracts: Read the official statistical updates mapping out the growth of the Ethiopian-Israeli community (which reached over 171,600 by the start of 2024 and continues to expand past 1.75% of the total population) directly from the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics Demographic Abstract. Jews from Ethiopia Play Video Play Video 02:39 A Look Inside Ethiopia's Falash Mura Community | Short Film Showcase Falash Mura is the name given to the community of Ethiopians who practice the Jewish faith and claim the right to live in Israel. Every year, the city of Gondar hosts what is billed as the largest Passover celebration in the world. The Falash Mura community bakes and sews for days, preparing for the Jewish holiday. While thousands of other Falash Mura have been airlifted to Israel, for these devotees, the struggle to return to what they see as their spiritual homeland continues. Filmmaker Lior Sperandeo documents this Ethiopian "Jewish island" where people dream of immigrating to Israel. Read a Q&A with the filmmaker. http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2016/07/29/a-look-inside-ethiopias-falash-mura-community-qa-with-filmmaker-lior-sperandeo/ See Lior Sperandeo's website: http://www.liorsperandeo.com/#!people-of/c130w ➡ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/NatGeoSubscribe ➡ Get More Short Film Showcase: http://bit.ly/ShortFilmShowcase About Short Film Showcase: A curated collection of the most captivating documentary shorts from filmmakers around the world. See more from National Geographic's Short Film Showcase at http://documentary.com Get More National Geographic: Official Site: http://bit.ly/NatGeoOfficialSite Facebook: http://bit.ly/FBNatGeo Twitter: http://bit.ly/NatGeoTwitter Instagram: http://bit.ly/NatGeoInsta About National Geographic: National Geographic is the world's premium destination for science, exploration, and adventure. Through their world-class scientists, photographers, journalists, and filmmakers, Nat Geo gets you closer to the stories that matter and past the edge of what's possible. A Look Inside Ethiopia's Falash Mura Community | Short Film Showcase https://youtu.be/Fc_3VT2TsZU National Geographic https://www.youtube.com/natgeo Play Video Play Video 02:55 Israeli-Ethiopian Village Keeps Ethiopian-Jewish Heritage Alive HOLY LAND UNCOVERED | A special Ethiopian village in the Southern city of Kiryat Gat aims to preserve Jewish-Ethiopian culture. Under the Shahaf Foundation, the project’s inception aimed to help the older Ethiopian generation find their way in a new country. Our Shelby Weiner takes us on a tour. Story: Walking through the fields in Beta Israel Village is as if you stepped off an airplane in Ethiopia. Located in Kiryat Gat, the unique plot of land aims to preserve Jewish-Ethiopian culture. Under the Shahaf Foundation, the project’s inception aimed to help the older generation find their way in a new country. 'Our first goal was to get the elder Ethiopians focused. An elder is one with authority and respect. They spent a lifetime in Ethiopia where they held a place of value in the family and in the community. They made the long, arduous journey to Israel. But when they got here, they couldn’t find their place in society, which means they left their strength and authority in Ethiopia. Their standing was lost,' Geula Hagari explained. Geula Hagarai immigrated when she was 10-years-old. She helped create the Hineni Society, which works to band Ethiopian Jews together in Israel. A few years later the organization launched the farm at Beta Israel. 90 percent of Ethiopian Jews were farmers before arriving to Israel and the elder generation now continues to grow the same crops they were once familiar with. However once the farm was running, the community realized it can serve another purpose — teaching. 'Our second goal is our children who were born in Israel or immigrated here at a young age. The minute you cut yourself off from your heritage, you lose something from yourself. We don't want this happening to our children so here we found a way to keep them connected to their heritage and Judaism. We want them to be proud of their color and who they are,' Hagari continued. But the cultural education isn’t only for their own community. Beta Israel invites Israelis and tourists to visit their village. The staff hopes to share the rich history of Ethiopian Jews with their new country. For more, see below ⬇ Website Articles: https://www.i24news.tv/en Live: https://video.i24news.tv/page/live?clip=5a94117623eec6000c557fec (Subscription) Replay: https://video.i24news.tv/page/5a97befe23eec6000c5585a9?utm_source=youtube.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=holy_land_uncovered&utm_content=en2 (Subscription) Social Media Jordana's Twitter: https://twitter.com/JordanaLMiller Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/i24newsEN/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/i24NEWS_EN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/i24news/ Play Video Play Video 19:18 Operation Solomon to rescue 14,325 Ethiopian Jews On May 24th 1991, over the Shavuot festival, 14,325 Ethiopian Jews were rescued by Israel. Operation Solomon (Hebrew: מִבְצָע שלמה, Mivtza Shlomo) was a covert Israeli military operation to airlift Ethiopian Jews to Israel in 1991. Non-stop flights of 35 Israeli aircraft, including Israeli Air Force C-130s and El Al Boeing 747s, transported 14,325 Ethiopian Jews to Israel in 36 hours. please visit The Jewish Agency site http://jewishagency.org

The post-Soviet changes shaped the current Armenian Jewish community. The great majority of Armenian Jews made Aliyah to Israel as a result of this crisis. The Joint Holocaust and Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, which unifies both countries in remembering their past tragedies, is a potent emblem of their modern identities. The Armenian Jews This story of the Armenian Jews, which spans more than 2,000 years in the South Caucasus, is one of profound cultural integration, tenacity, and distinctive coexistence rather than one of vast numbers. It demonstrates how two ancient peoples, each with a history of displacement and survival, coexisted on the same territory. Jews have lived in Armenia since the first century BCE. Tigranes the Great, the Armenian king, extended his dominion into the Levant. To promote trade and urban growth, he sent thousands of Jewish prisoners from Judea to Armenia after his return. These early Jewish communities were an important component of the kingdom's merchant class by settling in prosperous Armenian commercial hubs like Artashat and Vagharshapat. In the fourth century, this flourishing first phase came to a sudden end. Tens of thousands of Jewish families were exiled to Iran after the Persian King Shapur II invaded Armenia and devastated the country. There was almost no written record of Jewish life in mediaeval Armenia for centuries after the Persian exile. Things changed in the 1990s with a groundbreaking archaeological finding. Researchers discovered a flawlessly preserved Jewish cemetery from the 13th century in the southern Armenian town of Yeghegis. Sixty tombstones, with legible Hebrew and Aramaic inscriptions, were found in the town. The results demonstrate that during the Mongol era, an affluent and self-governing Jewish community coexisted peacefully under the protection of local Christian Armenian princes. Due to regional geopolitical changes, Jewish life in Armenia saw a resurgence in the 19th and 20th centuries after centuries of decline. Russian Subbotniks, ethnic Russians who converted to Judaism, fled to Armenia in the 1800s to avoid religious persecution under the Tsarist government. A fresh group of Jewish professionals arrived after World War II. To aid in the reconstruction of the Soviet republic, academics, scientists, and engineers from Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia relocated to Yerevan. Despite being predominantly secular and Russian-speaking, this group was well educated and extremely integrated. The deliberate eradication of the Armenian community in the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1917, which claimed almost 1.2 million lives, is known as the Armenian Genocide. The impact on Jewish communities differed depending on whether they were in Ottoman territory or over the border in Russian-controlled territory (Eastern Armenia) because the events occurred inside the Ottoman Empire (historic Western Armenia). The Ottoman Empire's sharp fall and the rise of the nationalist "Young Turks" administration, which aimed to homogenise Anatolia, were catalysts for genocide. The Ottoman Empire sided with Germany when World War I broke out in 1914. The government wrongly accused the Christian Armenian minority of being wartime traitors after suffering a significant military setback against Russia. The genocide began on April 24, 1915, when hundreds of Armenian leaders and intellectuals were apprehended in Constantinople and killed. Millions of Armenians were methodically deprived of their belongings under the Tehcir Law and made to march brutally through the Syrian desert in the direction of detention camps without access to food or water. Planned massacres, sickness, and malnutrition claimed the lives of about 1.5 million Armenians. The survivors scattered globally, creating the modern Armenian diaspora. Armenia did not exist as an independent state at this time. Because the area was divided, Jewish communities had to deal with very different circumstances depending on where they lived. At the time, the Russian Empire ruled over the historical region that is now Armenia. Because they were shielded by Russian military lines, the Ottoman soldiers did not physically damage the small Jewish community that lived there, which was primarily made up of Russian Jewish immigrants. In Ottoman cities, local Jewish populations coexisting with Armenians typically escaped targeted killings. Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks were among the non-Muslim, non-Turkic Christian minority that the Young Turks targeted because they believed they posed a threat to national security. A Jewish network known as NILI witnessed Ottoman brutality in Palestine under Ottoman rule. Aaron Aaronsohn warned the British military in a well-known document titled "Pro Armenia" that the Ottoman policy against the Armenians could serve as a model for the eventual annihilation of the Jewish population. The Armenian Genocide profoundly shaped Jewish history and the response to the Holocaust decades later. The term "genocide" was first used in the 1940s by Polish-Jewish jurist Raphael Lemkin. He made it clear that he came up with the idea while researching the unfolding Nazi Holocaust and the mechanical murder of the Armenians in 1915. The Forty Days of Musa Dagh, a 1933 novel by Austrian-Jewish author Franz Werfel, chronicled Armenian resistance to the murders. Copies of this book were read in Jewish ghettos throughout Europe during World War II, encouraging Jews to rebel against the Nazis. On June 28, 2026, the Israeli government unanimously and formally recognized the Armenian genocide. The post-Soviet changes shaped the current Armenian Jewish community. Armenia experienced serious economic and energy challenges after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. The great majority of Armenian Jews made Aliyah to Israel as a result of this crisis. There is still a small but devoted group of a few hundred people living in the capital city of Yerevan. They congregate at the only operational Jewish temple of worship in the nation, the Mordechai Navi Synagogue. The Joint Holocaust and Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, which unifies both countries in remembering their past tragedies, is a potent emblem of their modern identities. However, Ottoman Jews still suffered from the broader wartime famine, economic collapse, and forced conscription. The Old City of Jerusalem is home to a historic Armenian Quarter that occupies one-sixth of its area. Approximately 2,200 Armenians reside there, centred around the Patriarchate and St James Cathedral. Significant and long-established communities are also located in Jaffa (Tel Aviv), Haifa, and Ramla. More recent waves of Armenian immigration from the former Soviet Union are distributed throughout the country's urban centers. Jews from Armenia Sign in Jews from Armenia Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Search videos Search video... All Categories All Categories News & Politics Now Playing Jewish Renaissance in Armenia amid Exodus from Russia 10:04 Play Video Now Playing The Jewish World: Armenia 02:23 Play Video Now Playing A conversation with Armenia’s chief rabbi 10:42 Play Video

Discover the rich tapestry of Israeli culinary traditions, from ancient seven species like olives, dates, and pomegranates to iconic dishes such as Kugel Yerushalmi and Khubeza. Explore the history of Israeli cuisine, including Sephardi, Ashkenazi, and Mizrahi influences, Old Yishuv flavors, and Tzena-era adaptations. Learn how Israeli food culture blends tradition with modern Mediterranean diet trends for a unique culinary journey. CULINARY TRADITIONS History Israel’s culinary traditions comprise foods and cooking methods that span three thousand years of history. Over that time, these traditions have been shaped by influences from Asia, Africa, and Europe, as well as religious and ethnic influences. The food of the ancient Israelites was based on several products that still play important roles in modern Israeli cuisine. These were known as the seven species: olives, figs, dates, pomegranates, wheat, barley and grapes. The diet, based on locally grown produce, was enhanced by imported spices, readily available due to the country’s position at the crossroads of east-west trade routes. The Jewish community that lived in Ottoman Syria prior to immigration that began in 1881 was known as the Old Yishuv. The cooking style of the community was Sephardi cuisine, which developed among the Jews of Spain before their expulsion in 1492, and in the areas to which they migrated thereafter, particularly the Balkans and Ottoman Empire. Sephardim also established communities in the Old Yishuv. Particularly in Jerusalem, they continued to develop their culinary style, influenced by Ottoman cuisine, creating a style that became known as Jerusalem Sephardi cuisine. This cuisine included pies like sambousak, pastels and burekas, vegetable gratins and stuffed vegetables, and rice and bulgur pilafs, which are now considered to be Jerusalem classics. Groups of Hasidic Jews from Eastern Europe began establishing communities in the late 18th century, and brought with them their traditional Ashkenazi cuisine, developing, however, distinct local variations, notably a peppery, caramelized noodle pudding known as kugel yerushalmi. Beginning with the First Aliyah in 1881, Jews began immigrating to the area from Eastern Europe in larger numbers, particularly from Poland and Russia. They used local produce, especially vegetables such as zucchini, peppers, eggplant, artichoke, and chickpeas. The first Hebrew cookbook, written by Erna Meyer and published in the early 1930s by the Women's International Zionist Organization (WIZO), exhorted cooks to use Mediterranean herbs and Middle Eastern spices and local vegetables in their cooking. The bread, olives, cheese and raw vegetables they adopted became the basis for the kibbutz breakfast, which in more abundant forms is served in Israeli hotels, and in various forms in most Israeli homes today. Tel Aviv residents in the period from 1948 to 1958 experienced a time of food rationing and austerity, known as tzena. In this decade, over one million Jewish immigrants, mainly from Arab countries, but also including European Holocaust survivors, inundated the new state. They arrived when only basic foods were available, and ethnic dishes had to be modified with a range of mock or simulated foods, such as chopped “liver” from eggplant, and turkey as a substitute for veal schnitzel for Ashkenazim, kubbeh made from frozen fish instead of ground meat for Iraqi Jews, and turkey in place of the lamb kebabs of the Mizrahi Jews. These adaptations remain as a legacy of that time. Khubeza, a local variety of the mallow plant, is high in iron and vitamins. In the past decade, food writers in Israel have encouraged the population to prepare khubeza. Local chefs have begun to serve khubeza and other wild plants gathered from the fields in upscale restaurants. The dish called Ktzitzot Khubeza is still eaten by Israelis today. Immigrants arriving from central Europe brought foods such as schnitzel and strudels, while Russian Jews brought borsht and herring dishes, such as schmaltz herring and vorschmack. Ashkenazi dishes include chicken soup, schnitzel, lox, chopped liver, gefilte fish, knishes, kishka and kugel. The first Israeli patisseries were opened by Ashkenazi Jews, who popularized cakes and pastries from central and Eastern Europe, such as yeast cakes (babka), nut spirals (schnecken), chocolate rolls and layered pastries. There was a large migration of Jews from Turkey, Iraq, Kurdistan and Yemen, and Mizrahi Jews from North Africa, particularly Morocco. Mizrahi cuisine, the cuisine of Jews from North Africa, features grilled meats, sweet and savory puff pastries, rice dishes, stuffed vegetables, pita breads and salads, and shares many similarities with Arab cuisine. Other North African dishes popular in Israel include couscous, shakshouka, matbucha, carrot salad and chraime. Sephardic dishes, with Balkan and Turkish influences incorporated in Israeli cuisine, include burekas, yogurt and taramosalata. Yemenite Jewish foods include jachnun, malawach, skhug and kubane. Iraqi dishes popular in Israel include amba, various types of kubba, stuffed vegetables (mhasha), kebab, sambusac, sabich and pickled. The 1980s were a formative decade: privately owned dairies began to produce handmade cheeses from goat, sheep and cow’s milk, which quickly became very popular both among chefs and the general public. New attention was paid to the making of handmade breads and the production of high-quality olive oil. Ethnic heritage cooking, both Sephardic and Ashkenazi, has made a comeback. Apart from home cooking, many ethnic foods are now available in street markets, supermarkets and restaurants, or are served at weddings and bar mitzvahs, and people increasingly eat foods from ethnic backgrounds other than their own. Overlap and combinations of foods from different ethnic groups are becoming standard as a multi-ethnic food culture develops. In the 2000s, the trend of “eating healthy” with an emphasis on organic and whole grain foods has become prominent, and medical research has led many Israelis to re-embrace the Mediterranean diet, with its touted health benefits. Tabbouleh is a Levantine vegan dish traditionally made of tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, mint, bulgur, and onion, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Some Israeli variations of the salad use pomegranate seeds instead of tomatoes. Kubba is a dish made of rice/semolina/burghul, onions, and ground lean beef, lamb, or chicken. The best-known variety is a torpedo-shaped fried croquette stuffed with minced beef, chicken, or lamb. It was brought to Israel by Jews of Iraqi, Kurdish and Syrian origin. Sigarim are soft minced meat with onions and spices or mashed potato filling wrapped in phyllo dough, and deep-fried in oil or oven-baked. They are commonly served at weddings and other celebrations. Hamusim are pickled vegetables made by soaking them in water and salt in a pot and removing them from the air. They can include: cucumber, cabbage, eggplant, carrot, turnip, radish, onion, caper, lemon, olives, cauliflower, tomatoes, chili pepper, bell pepper, garlic, and beans. Tahina is often used as a dressing for falafel, serves as a cooking sauce for meat and fish, and forms the basis of sweets such as halva. Salat avocado is an Israeli-style avocado salad with lemon juice and chopped scallions, introduced by farmers who planted avocado trees on the coastal plain. Avocados are a winter delicacy in salads as well as being spread on bread. Memula’im, stuffed vegetables are prepared with many varying flavors, such as spicy or sweet, with bell peppers, chili peppers, figs, onion, artichoke bottoms, Swiss chard, beet, dried fruits, tomato, vine leaves, potatoes, mallow, eggplants, and zucchini squash. Shakshuka, a North African (Tunisian) dish of eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce, is a national favorite. It is traditionally served up in a cast-iron pan with bread to mop up the sauce. Variations are cooked with eggplant, chili peppers, hot paprika, spinach, and cheese. Mujadara is a popular rice and lentil dish, adopted from Arab cuisine, consisting of cooked lentils together with groats, generally rice, and garnished with sautéed onions. Sabich salad is a variation of the well-known Israeli dish Sabich. The ingredients of the salad are eggplant, boiled eggs/hard boiled eggs, tahini, Israeli salad, potato, parsley, and amba. Sambusak is a semi-circular pocket of dough filled with mashed chickpeas, fried onions, and spices. There is another variety filled with meat, fried onions, parsley, spices, and pine nuts, which is mixed with chickpeas, and a breakfast version with feta or tzatziki cheese and za'atar. Roasted vegetables include bell peppers, chili peppers, tomatoes, onions, eggplants, and sometimes potatoes and zucchini. Usually served with grilled meat. Baba ghanoush, called salat ḥatzilim in Israel, is made with tahina and garlic, lemon juice, onions, herbs, and spices. The eggplant is grilled over an open flame so that the pulp has a smoky taste. An Israeli variation of the salad is made with mayonnaise. Hummus is a cornerstone of Israeli cuisine; in pita is a common lunch for children and is a popular addition to many meals. Some Israelis will go out of their way for fresh hummus prepared at a hummusia, an establishment devoted exclusively to selling hummus. Turkish salad (a piquant salad of finely chopped onions, tomatoes, herbs, and spices), tabbouleh, carrot salad, marinated roasted red and green peppers, deep-fried cauliflower florets, matbucha, torshi (pickled vegetables), and various eggplant salads. Turks introduced stuffed vine leaves in the 16th century, and vine leaves are commonly stuffed with a combination of meat and rice, although other fillings, such as lentils, have evolved among the various communities. Falafel are fried balls or patties of spiced, mashed chickpeas or fava beans. Falafel is most often served in a pita, with pickles, tahina, hummus, cut vegetable salad, and often harif, a hot sauce, the type used depending on the origin of the falafel maker. Orez Shu'it is an Israeli dish consisting of white beans cooked in tomato paste and served on white rice. The dish was developed by Sephardic Jews in the Old City of Jerusalem. Modern variations include adding meat (beef, lamb, chicken) and fried onions. Jewish cuisine is a diverse collection of cooking traditions of the Jewish people worldwide. It has evolved over many centuries, shaped by Jewish dietary laws (kashrut ), Jewish festivals, and Shabbat (Sabbath) traditions. Jewish cuisine is influenced by the economics, agriculture, and culinary traditions of the many countries where Jewish communities have settled and varies widely throughout the world. The distinctive styles in Jewish cuisine are Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi, Persian, Yemenite, from Jewish communities from Ethiopia, Indian, and Latin-American. Israeli Jewish cuisine is both authentically Jewish and distinctively local "Israeli", yet thoroughly hybridised from its multicultural diasporic Jewish origins. The laws of keeping kosher (kashrut) have influenced Jewish cooking by prescribing what foods are permitted and how food must be prepared. The word kosher is usually translated as "proper." Certain foods, notably pork and shellfish, are forbidden; meat and dairy may not be combined, and meat must be ritually slaughtered and salted to remove all traces of blood. Observant Jews will eat only meat or poultry that is certified kosher. The meat must have been slaughtered by a shochet (ritual slaughterer) in accordance with Jewish law and is entirely drained of blood. Before it is cooked, it is soaked in water for half an hour, then placed on a perforated board, sprinkled with coarse salt (which draws out the blood), and left to sit for one hour. At the end of this time, the salt is washed off, and the meat is ready for cooking. Today, kosher meats purchased from a butcher or supermarket are usually already koshered as described above, and no additional soaking or salting is required. According to kashrut, meat and poultry may not be combined with dairy products, nor may they touch plates or utensils that have been touched by dairy products. Therefore, Jews who strictly observe kashrut divide their kitchens into different sections for meat and for dairy, with separate ovens, plates, and utensils (or as much as is reasonable, given financial and space constraints; there are procedures to kasher utensils that have touched dairy to allow their use for meat).

Safeguard the intangible cultural heritage of Israel through research, identification, protection, valorisation, transmission, formal and non-formal education, activities, festivals, courses, workshops, conferences, exhibitions and more SAFEGUARDING Safeguarding means: Protecting and promoting Israel's Intangible Cultural Heritage through research, identification, preservation, enhancement, and education via workshops and cultural activities. Encouraging policies that support Israel's intangible cultural heritage in Israel and around the world Supporting scientific, technical, and artistic studies about the intangible cultural heritage of Israel Promoting the transmission of the intangible cultural heritage of Israel through forums, community spaces and other appropriate settings Working for the recognition, respect and enhancement of intangible cultural heritage in society through: education, awareness and information programs for the general public and young people Promoting education for the protection of natural spaces and places of memory whose existence is necessary for the expression of the intangible cultural heritage. Ensuring the participation of communities, groups and individuals to maintain and transmit the heritage, and to involve them actively in its management. Carrying out the inventory of the intangible cultural heritage of Israel Supporting programs, projects, and activities about intangible cultural heritage Recognition Requirements: Detailed documentation of the element. Proven active participation from communities and individuals. Strategic planning and implementation Evaluation of the transmission of the element to be safeguarded from generation to generation The role of children and young people as learners and future practitioners. Sustainable development integrates considerations into the element to be preserved: inclusive social development; environmental sustainability; inclusive economic development; and peace and security (peacebuilding, dialogue, respect for cultural diversity). Individuals, groups and communities in Israel are invited to contribute to the research and provide information to the database. Just fill in the form and send it via the application for Registration / Recognition. Community members are encouraged to contribute to the database by submitting the recognition form. CONVENTION FOR THE SAFEGUARDING OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE ENGLISH FRANÇAIS עברית Guidance Note on Inventorying Intangible Cultural Heritage Download the form for Application Send the completed form to ich-israel@outlook.com

Social practices, religious traditions, and festivals are activities that are part of the life of Israeli citizens. They are important for the preservation of the identity of Israel and communities. Social practices, religious traditions, and holidays are part of the national calendar and community calendars. They are related to the life of Israeli citizens, connected to the various communities, their history, and their memory. SOCIAL PRACTICES Social practices, religious traditions, and festivals are activities that are part of the life of Israeli citizens. They are important for the preservation of the identity of Israel and communities. Social practices, religious traditions, and holidays are part of the national calendar and community calendars. They are related to the life of Israeli citizens, connected to the various communities, their history, and their memory. Rituals and festive events take place at special times and places and remind a community of aspects of their worldview and history. Social practices shape everyday life and are familiar to all members of the community, even if not everyone is involved. The diversity of social practices, due to the diverse origins of Israeli citizens, is particularly enriching for the country's life and the lives of communities and helps strengthen the sense of identity and continuity with the past. Social practices, religious traditions and festive events take various forms: prayer, brit milah, bar mitzvah, marriage, Shabbat traditions, culinary traditions, religious festivals, Independence Day and many more. They also include a wide variety of expressions and physical elements: gestures and special words, recitations, singing or dancing, special clothing, special foods. Social practices, rituals and festive events are strongly affected by changes in communities in modern society because they depend so much on the broad participation of practitioners and other members of the communities themselves. And in today's modern world based on productivity, traditions are in danger of disappearing and being relegated to the museum function. It is important to understand that the immaterial cultural heritage of Israel is a living heritage, that it must remain so for future generations and that it must be safeguarded in everyday social practices. RELIGIOUS TRADITION OFFICIAL HOLIDAYS CULINARY TRADITIONS