Dagestani Jews Find Safe Haven In Israel

by Simon Griver

For the past decade the Sitkilovs have been procrastinating about aliyah. They always hoped that the situation in their home city of Mahachkalah, the capital of the southern Russian republic of Dagestan would get better. This year they finally realized that matters were going from bad to worse and in September the Sitkilovs reached Israel as part of an airlift arranged by the Jewish Agency.

In fact it was not the declaration of independence by Islamic separatists in Dagestan which acted as a catalyst for the Sitkilovs emigration but rather a more personal incident last May.

"Bandits attacked our house late at night," recounts Boris, 58. "I was asleep in bed when I heard my wife Aza and son Alex shouting. I thought they were arguing with each other. But when I came into the garden I found that they were both being held at knife point. I attacked one of the bandits and the neighbors started making a noise too and they ran off."

The next day the Sitkilovs began making plans to leave for Israel. "The Jewish Agency officials were very helpful," explains Alex, 25. "We needed to sell our house and belongings. They told us to take our time and that they were very flexible about when they could fly us to Israel.".

"I have been wanting to come to Israel for 10 years," adds Alex, a hairdresser. "But my parents had not wanted to emigrate. I was the last child at home so I didn’t want to leave them alone."

The Sitkilovs other children already live in Israel. Paulina, 29, who is married with two children came to Israel in 1991. Arkady, 21, reached Israel in 1995 within the framework of the Jewish Agency’s Na’aleh 16 program, where young people come to Israel without their parents and complete their high school studies.

"Actually there is no anti-Semitism in Dagestan," continues Alex. "But the Jews are very vulnerable. Each different ethnic group has its own militia which looks after the interests of its own people. But the Jews are small in number and thus have little power."

In its heyday Dagestani Jewry boasted more than 40,000. Known as Mountain Jewry this is a traditional community with its origins in ancient Persia. But since the break up of the former Soviet Union the community has been moving en masse to Israel. Less than 10,000 Jews are left and the Jewish Agency is flying out several hundred per month.

"Crime is on the increase since the Dagestanis declared independence," says Alex, "because the local militias need money for arms and ammunition for their resistance fight against the Russians."

"As a hairdresser," continues Alex. "You get to speak to a lot of people. You know how the man in the streets feels. The declaration of independence is very popular in Dagestan. People also support the idea of an Islamic regime, which will not good for the Jews."

In Israel the Sitkilovs moved into an apartment rented for them by Paulina in Netanya. Boris and Aza, both near retirement age, will be happy with any work they can find. Alex is concentrating on learning Hebrew and would also like to begin finding some work to supplement his absorption grant.

"We feel very much at home already," insists Alex. "I feel I have a great future here. It is more difficult for my parents but so many Israelis are Russian speaking immigrants that they too are not isolated."