Synagogues in the Clouds

The oldest known Hebrew Bible discovered in Georgia comes from the beautiful village of Lailashi, once home to one of the country’s oldest and most vibrant Jewish communities.

Together with the nearby town of Oni, in the mountainous region of Racha-Lechkhumi, this part of Georgia was once known as the “Georgian Jerusalem” for its large and thriving Jewish population, which lived here for centuries. The renowned Georgian Rabbi David Baazov served as the Rabbi of Oni and, during the First Democratic Republic of Georgia, opened a Jewish school there in 1919.

Even after the devastating earthquake of the 1990s, the synagogues of Lailashi and Oni endured. Today, they remain magnificent spiritual and historical guardians of Georgian Jewish heritage.

Come and discover two synagogues hidden in the highlands of Georgia, surrounded by forests, mountain roads, and kosher wineries. Together, we will walk through the towns, synagogues, and cemeteries where Jewish life once thrived among the clouds, before gathering for a traditional Georgian lunch accompanied by some of the finest kosher wines in Georgia.