Jewish Georgia: Between Shtetls and the Silk Road

As a student of Jewish Studies in Georgia, I always dreamed of taking a journey through my own country, one that would allow me to trace the story of Jewish arrival, settlement, and flourishing by visiting the actual historical sites where this history unfolded.

After returning to Georgia from my PhD studies in the Middle East and the European Union, I created a full-day journey shaped around Jewish storytelling across five historic towns of central and southern Georgia, each surrounded by unique fortresses and layers of Jewish heritage.

Today, I invite you to join me and travel through time, from 586 BCE to the present day.

This experience weaves together the Pagan, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim heritage of Georgia, exploring regions that survived Ottoman, Persian, and Russian imperial rule while preserving their distinct local traditions.

Together, we will discover the unique customs and traditions of Georgian Jewish life, shaped over centuries by coexistence with Paganism, Christianity, and Islam.

Along the way, we will visit four synagogues, two remarkable Jewish cemeteries, and five medieval castles hidden across the landscapes of Georgia.