Asian Jewish Communities

As an indigenous West Asian people, Jews have been present in western Asia since the beginning of their history. Some examples of ancient Jewish communities in the Mediterranean and Caucasus are: Iran (Persian Jews) and Iraq (Iraqi Jews); the Georgian Jews and Mountain Jews of the Caucasus.

Mountain Jews (see above image) or Caucasus Jews ) are Jews of the eastern and northern Caucasus, mainly Azerbaijan, and various republics in the Russian Federation: Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Karachay-Cherkessia, and Kabardino-Balkaria. Mountain Jews are the descendants of Persian Jews from Iran.  They were known to be accomplished warriors and horseback riders

Through the centuries, Jews moving to Asia also established Jewish communities in eastern parts of Asia. There are Bukharan Jews of Central Asia. Some Jews migrated to India, establishing the Bene Israel, the Baghdadi Jews and the Cochin Jews of India (Jews in India); and the former Jewish community in Kaifeng, China.