Circassians in Israel

Circassians in Israel

Circassian men in traditional cloths in Kfar Kama
Total population
~4,000[citation needed]
Regions with significant populations
Kfar Kama Rehaniya
Languages
Hebrew, Adyghe language, Russian[citation needed]
Religion
Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Adyghe people

The Circassians in Israel refers to the Adyghe community who live in Israel.

The Circassians in Israel are moderate Sunni Muslims, they tend to put an emphasis on the separation between their religion and their nationality.^{[citation needed]} Israel has about 4,000 Circassians, who are mainly centered in two villages of Kfar Kama and Rehaniya.

Background and history

The Circassians arrived in the Middle East after they were expelled from their homeland in the northern Caucasus. The Circassians, who fought during the long period (see the Russian-Circassian War) wherein the Russians captured the northern Caucasus, were massacred and expelled by Czarist Russia from the Caucasus. The Ottoman Empire, which saw the Circassians as experienced fighters, absorbed them in their territory and settled them in sparsely populated areas, including the Galilee ^[1].

The Circassians exiles established the village Rehaniya in 1873, and the village of Kfar Kama in 1876 ^[2].

The Israeli Circassians have had good relations with the Jewish community in Israel since the beginning of the Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel, thanks to the common language they had with the First Aliyah immigrants from Russia who settled in the Galilee.^{[citation needed]} The Circassian community in Israel helped the illegal immigration (Ha'apala) of Jews from Lebanon into Mandate Palestine and fought on the Israeli side of the War of Independence.

As is the case with the Israeli Jews and the Israeli Druze population groups living in the state of Israel (except for the Israeli Druze population living on the Golan Heights), since 1958 all male Circassians (at their leader's request) must complete the Israeli mandatory military service upon reaching the age of majority, while females do not^[3]. Many Circassians in Israel are employed in the Israeli security forces, including in the Israeli Border Police, the Israeli Defence Forces, the Israeli Police and the Israeli Prison Service. The percentage of the army recruits among the Circassian community in Israel is particularly high.

Nowadays, the Circassian community in Israel is well integrated into Israeli society, speak Adyghe and Russian (in addition to learning Hebrew, Arabic and English in elementary school), while cultivating their unique heritage and culture ^[4].

Notable Israeli Circassians

See also: Category:Israeli Circassians.

Gallery

• 

  The entrance to the Circassian village of Kfar Kama in the Lower Galilee

• 

  The Circassian village of Rehaniya in the Upper Galilee

• 

  The mosque in Kfar Kama

• 

  The site of the abandoned Circassian village which was established in 1860 by Circassians from Bulgaria and was eventually abandoned due to to the spread of Malaria

• 

  Circassian men in traditional cloths in Kfar Kama

References

1. ^ The Circassians in Israel
2. ^ Circassians (in Rihania and Kfar-Kama)
3. ^ [1]
4. ^ Circassians in Israel

See also

• Circassian diaspora
• Adyghe people
• Israelis
• Kfar Kama
• Rehaniya