On Local Groups of Mountain Jews of the Caucasus: The Case of g’ubonig’o – Dzhegonas Kuban Jews

Abstract

The article discusses the prospects of studying local groups that are part and parcel of larger communities. The Mountain Jews of the Caucasus are taken as an example of the larger community of the kind, while Dzhegonas Kuban Jews represent a local group in this case. I examine various aspects of the group organization, such as local identity in its combinations with other patterns of identification, religious identity, material culture (dwelling, food, clothing), and traditional economic activities (leatherworking, barter trade). I further trace the history of the group from its origins in the early nineteenth century up to the point of its dissolution in the mid-twentieth century, and put forward arguments about the specific features distinguishing the group.