Purim for Juhuri (Judeo-Tat) Speakers

Some people claim that Jews of the Eastern Caucasus are descendants of Esther and Mordechai. Whether this is true or not, Purim traditions seem to be deeply rooted in the culture of this community.

Names related to this holiday used to be popular among community members. Along with the traditional names Istir (Esther), Hǝdǝso (Hadassah), and Mǝrdǝxǝj (Mordechai), two additional feminine names were used: Istirǝmǝlkǝ (Esther ha-Malka) and Purim itself!

The holiday has a different name in Juhuri: Homunui or Homunu (perhaps derived from Haman).

And the delicious halva-like sweet prepared especially for this holiday is called hǝdisǝ or hǝsido (doesn’t it sound like Hadassah?)

Şorǝ Homunui gǝrdo! Happy Purim!

For more about Juhuri (Judeo-Tat), visit https://www.jewishlanguages.org/judeo-tat-juhuri.


haggadah Section: Commentary / Readings
Source: Jewish Language Project