ქართველ ებრაელთა მიერ დანახული ქუთაისი
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Date
2023
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ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტის გამომცემლობა
Abstract
Historical tradition speaks of the first Jews coming to Mtskheta,
the ancient capital of Kartli, the East Georgian Kingdom, as early as the
end of the 8th century BC. However, later, as a result of external and internal
migration waves the Jewry spread all over Georgia. In Western
Georgia, their spiritual and cultural center was Kutaisi, one of the most
important cities in Georgia with its interesting history from the capital
of Aia-Colchis Kingdom to the reign of Bagrat III and David IV Aghmashenebeli
and thereafter … The purpose of the present paper is to clarify the role of Georgian
Jewry in the development of Kutaisi and demonstrate the ways in
which Kutaisi and the Jewish community of Kutaisi are described in historical
sources and in the works of contemporary Georgian Jews.
Obviously, the strategic location of Kutaisi and the growth of trade
accelerated the urbanization of Kutaisi and eventually contributed
to the formation of Jewish community that was actively involved in the
development of the city. However, up until the 17th century there are
only the barest hints of information of Georgian Jews and, consequently,
very little is known about the Kutaisi Jewry and their contribution
to the economic life of the city throughout the period. From the
17th century the picture becomes clearer thanks to the information
scattered in historical sources and official documents. In particular,
Vakhushti Bagrationi is the first historian and geographer to have mentioned
Kutaisi Jews. It was supplemented by numerous documents referring
to them as serfs owned by their feudal lords. Based on the sources,
it can be assumed that at that time the Jewish population of Kutaisi
was quite small but it gradually increased due to the internal migration.
Starting from the 18th century, many Jews of Akhaltsikhe, Oni,
Lailashi, Kartli and other regions moved to Kutaisi.
Given the lack of historical information, the accounts/descriptions
of Kutaisi Jews contained in travelogues could prove highly valuable
but the analysis shows that they are less reliable sources because they
provide inaccurate demographic data. Therefore, the significance of
the study of Georgian printed sources (scholarly works, periodicals, fiction
and non-fiction writings etc.) issued in Israel can hardly be overestimated.
The paper discusses the works of two Kutaisi writers, Daniel Khakhanashvili
and Irakli Kokuashvili from this point of view. The contribution
of Daniel Khakhanashvili, an outstanding scholar/historian, who
worked fruitfully on the lifestyle, customs and traditions of the Jewish community in Georgia as well as on the history of Kutaisi and Georgian
Jewry over decades, is invaluable in this regard. His rich heritage includes
unique material for the book „The Gates of Prayer: The Jewry of
Kutaisi“ published in Tel Aviv in 2009. The book provides a coherent
and in-depth account of the life of Kutaisi Jewry. This book can well
serve as the primary and reliable source for the study of various aspects
of social and cultural life of the Jewish community in Kutaisi including
demographic data, the origins of Kutaisi Jewry, trade, involvement
in politics, their religion, Kutaisi synagogues etc.
Irakli Kokuashvili is an author of many books. He has published several
books in Israel. Some of them are anthologies of selected poems,
while others are based on real events and situations and contain the
author’s memories of childhood and youth, his parents, family members
and his hometown of Kutaisi. The book also includes dedications
to family members and relatives in poetic as well as prosaic form. The
poems devoted to Kutaisi show much affection for the city. His latest
books are concerned with the spiritual leaders of the Jewish community,
outstanding historical and contemporary figures, artists, writers,
friends and acquaintances. The book „Jews in Kutaisi“ narrates the history
of Kutaisi Jewry and provides demographic data as well as comprehensive
information on their lifestyle and traditions.
Both authors have preserved a sense of Georgian as their native
language and, most importantly, some of their writings contain significant
accounts of the life and occupation of the Kutaisi Jewry. Given the
insufficient information provided by historical sources and travelogues,
these writings are particularly valuable for the study of the role of the
Jewry in the urban development of Kutaisi.
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კულტურის ისტორიისა და თეორიის საკითხები XXXVII, თსუ ისრაელის ცენტრი, თბილისი, 2023, გვ.: 94-118/ ISSUES OF HISTORY AND THEORY OF CULTURE XXXVII, TSU Center for Israel Studies, Tbilisi, 2023, pp.: 94-118