Jewish Geography

In the northwestern corner of the Sahara, a Jewish community lived and thrived amid the sand and heat.

While there isn’t a synagogue at the North Pole (yet!), there has been, and there still is, a Jewish presence not far from the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.

Sweden is home to a significant Jewish community with a relatively recent history.

Turkey has an ancient, uninterrupted Jewish presence spanning millennia, with communities that once ranked among the largest and most influential in all of Jewish history.

While you may have heard of Hebrew, Yiddish, and Ladino, there are actually many other Jewish languages.

Learn about the Jewish villages of Troglodytes (“cave dwellers”) who lived in the frontier of Tripolitania.

Brazil has an ancient Jewish presence and was home to the first synagogue and rabbi in all of the Americas!

The ancient Jewish community of the Crimean Peninsula who adopted the language, lifestyle, and dress of their Tatar neighbors while remaining steadfast in Jewish belief and practice.

Santa Teresa is about as remote and exotic as you can possibly get.

In the decades leading up to the revolution, Cuba was home to a diverse and flourishing Jewish community with everything needed to live a full Jewish life.

This is the story of an antisemitic warlord, a brutal purge, and a tiny pocket of Jewish life in one of the least expected places on earth.

Invariably, we would give our new homeland a name from the Bible.

From Tsarist times through Communism to the modern era, Russia’s Jews have seen it all and not only survived but thrived.

The findings revealed much more than just a building. They uncovered a glimpse into the lives of ancient Jews.

Would you believe that it is a place where thousands reconnect with their Judaism?

These terms will help you navigate basic Jewsh llife.

From the Western Wall to the mountains of Alaska, Jews grab the opportunity to do a mitzvah on the go.

Believe it or not, this island nation has been home to a vibrant Jewish community for over 150 years.

The community now lives in Israel and the U.S., where their unique language, Lishan Didan, is facing extinction.

Instead of hiding in fear, as British Jewry would have done in past centuries, our congregation gathered to celebrate our heritage in confidence and joy.

Weathering centuries of pogroms, blood libels, Nazi massacres, and Soviet rule, the Jewish community of Ukraine has shown incredible resilience.

Before long, shouts of “Happy Chanukah” were ringing out, up and down Main Street.

These songs can uplift the soul to profound heights.

After Israel, nowhere on Earth has more Jewish life packed into one place than New York City.

Famous for its Torah scholarship and as the birthplace of the Chabad movement

Today Hungary is home to approximately 80,000 Jewish people, most of whom are native Hungarian Jews.

Take this quiz to see how well you know the Jewish community of the United Kingdom.

Jewish people have been living in Persia (roughly modern-day Iran) since the second part of the First Temple era.

The current Jewish population of Canada is estimated at almost 400,000, making it the fourth-largest in the world, after Israel, the US, and France.

Famous for its rolling green hills and colorful culture, Ireland has had a Jewish presence for centuries.

Have you visited any of them?

How much do you know about South African Jewry? Take this quiz to find out!

For hundreds of thousands of Jews of all types and stripes, it’s not just a dream—it’s home.

Did you know that China has been home to Jewish communities for centuries?

Yemen was historically home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world.

The UAE is home to a thriving Jewish community, featuring Chabad-sponsored synagogues, summer camps, abundant opportunities for Jewish education, and kosher restaurants.

Virtually cut off from other Jewish centers, the Mountain Jews developed their own way of life.

Once among Europe’s largest and most influential communities, rich with scholarship and synagogues.