Jews in Georgia

They are almost 8 thousand in Georgia, Call themselves Georgian Jews and have the same problems as each Georgian today has: jobs and not enough salaries.
“We are Georgians, “said Avimilikh Rosenblatt the deputy of main Rabbi,” I am born and grown up in Tbilisi. We have nothing to complain against Georgian government and society. On the contrary they are always ready to help us in any case if we need their maintenance.”
In Judaism, a rabbi is a religious teacher. As Rosenblatt said Jews in Georgia come to him always with religious problems, because religion defines all the aspect of their life. On the holidays they have a very strict law about working, it’s forbidden for them to work on some holidays. Most of Jews work with Georgian employers and almost all Georgians make exception for them and let them have a holiday even if it is a working day in the whole Georgia.
“If there is any special case and employer insists on working, because of some need we try together to find any way-out, because we have some laws and all Jews have to obey this laws, “said Rosenblatt, “But this kind of issues happen very seldom.“
Georgian Jews meet each other in Synagogue. There are two Synagogues in Tbilisi on Leselidze Street. Rosenblatt said that Synagogue is financed from contributions. They have different rituals every day and Jews buy the right to take part in these rituals through the auctions. The more people take part in the auctions the more money is contributed. The number of the prayers lessened last time and the Synagogue doesn’t have as much money as before. Sometimes some international organizations make contributions for Synagogue.Jews pray three times a day, once in the morning and two times in the evenings. Isaac Beridze who tries to come to Synagogue every evening can’t also remember any kind of discrimination from Georgian people:
“We don’t really have any lack of attention from Georgian government,” said Beridze,”We have regular relations with Georgians. Journalists also come when we have any holidays or special events. We live here as in our home town and have exactly the same problems what Georgian Orthodox’s today have.“
As Isaac Beridze said they have some Jewish newspapers and NGOs in Tbilisi, “The 26th Century”, “Club of Jewesses” who have connections with Journalists and give them information if something special or interesting happens. Thematically their events are almost religious.
His relative,74year-old Jacob Xaxiashvili who moved to Israel because of some private reasons and visits Georgia very often tried to explain their condition with a little joke:”If we are religious minority in Georgia, they call us ethnic minority in Israel, because we are here Jews and in Israel Georgian Jews, “said Xaxiashvili.
Georgian-speaking Jewry is one of the oldest surviving Jewish communities in the world. The Georgian Jews have approximately 2,600-year history in the region.Some claim they are descendants of the exiled ten tribes of Israel by Shalmaneser V of Assyria. Another more popular view is that the first Jews made their way to southern Georgia after Nebuchadnezzar conquest of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. and exile in Babylon
The Georgian public defender raised the question of registering status of religious minorities. The deputy of Rabbi said that Jewish government is actively taking part in the negotiations:”Although we live in normal conditions in Georgia we have nothing against having status, “said Avimilikh,”Rosenblatt This is a more privilege for Jews. “