Nestled among the mountains of northern Persia and eastern Turkey, untouched for millennia, lived a remote, small community of Jews known as the Nash Didan. The community now lives in Israel and the U.S., where their unique language, Lishan Didan, is facing extinction. Read on for 10 facts about this largely unknown and unique community.
1. Confluence of Three Countries
The Nash Didan Jews made their home in Persian Azerbaijan, a region in northwest Iran and eastern Turkey, just south of today’s Azerbaijan. The largest community lived in the Iranian city of Urmia, with smaller groups in nearby places like Salmas in Iran, and Başkale and Yüksekova (Gavar) in Turkey.
2. The Kurdish Jews Were Their Neighbors
Kurdish Jews are Jews originating from Kurdistan, a historical region stretching across parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. For centuries, Jewish communities thrived in this region, developing a unique culture and rich traditions. The Nash Didan Jews lived alongside this broader Kurdish Jewish community, though they have unique characteristics all their own.
3. Topography Kept Them Separate
The mountains surrounding this region kept the Nash Didan Jews somewhat isolated from other Kurdish Jewish communities. This geographical separation allowed them to develop their own distinctive culture, customs, and dialect.
One interesting difference was in how they made their living. While many Kurdish Jews worked as farmers, the Nash Didan faced restrictions—the local non-Jewish population considered them foreigners and didn't allow them to work the land. So they became skilled merchants and traders instead.
4. They've Been There Since the Fall of the First Temple
When the First Holy Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 423 BCE, the Babylonians exiled the Jewish people to Babylonia. Seventy years later, when the Jews were permitted to return to the Holy Land, not everyone made the journey back. According to Nash Didan tradition, a group of Jews living in the northern part of Babylonia chose to stay where they were—and they became the ancestors of the Nash Didan community.
5. “Nash Didan” Means “Our People”
“Nash Didan” is an Aramaic phrase that translates to “Our People.” This name reminded them that although they lived far from other Jewish communities, they were still very much part of the Jewish people, with a lifestyle and traditions that set them apart from their non-Jewish neighbors.
6. They Have Their Own Language
Back in ancient times, Aramaic was the everyday language of the Assyrian and Babylonian empires. When Arab armies conquered the region in the 7th century CE, they brought Arabic with them. But the local populations—both the Jews and their Christian Assyrian neighbors—continued speaking Aramaic.
Over the centuries, the Jewish community developed their own dialect of Neo-Aramaic, which they called Lishan Didan—Aramaic for “Our Language.” Today there are very few people left who speak Lishan Didan fluently, and unless active efforts are made to preserve it, this ancient dialect may disappear forever.
7. Major Changes Brought Migration
The early 20th century brought tremendous upheaval to the region, with ongoing conflicts between the Ottomans, Armenians, Assyrians, and Kurds. This led many Nash Didan Jews to leave their ancestral homeland and seek safety in neighboring places like Azerbaijan, Turkey, Persia, and Georgia. Some traveled as far as the United States, with Chicago becoming a major center for the community.
In the 1950s, a second major wave of migration occurred. Along with other Kurdish Jewish communities, most remaining Nash Didan Jews moved to the Land of Israel. Today, the majority of Nash Didan Jews live in either Israel or the United States, with another significant group in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
8. They Developed a Delicious Cuisine
Nash Didan women took local recipes and adapted them to fit Jewish dietary laws and Shabbat observance. Many of these delicious dishes are still being prepared today.
For Shabbat, families traditionally prepare shifte—a version of meatballs simmered in a flavorful broth. They eat it piping hot with the broth on Friday night, and then enjoy it again on Shabbat morning served cold without the broth. Other beloved dishes include zhargo (meat and potatoes over white rice), chatachtuma (pasta tossed with yogurt, garlic, and black pepper), and dolmat mishcha (stuffed grape leaves with yogurt sauce)—and of course, the meat and dairy dishes are never eaten together!
9. They Throw Apples at Weddings
The Nash Didan community developed some unique wedding customs. Here's one: the groom would traditionally climb onto the roof of the bride's home and throw apples to the wedding guests below!
10. 15 Shevat Is a Second Purim
The 15th of Shevat is a minor holiday known as the “New Year for Trees.” But the Nash Didan Jews transformed it into something bigger, celebrating it almost like Purim (which comes just under one month later). In addition to eating a variety of fruit, they also exchanged gifts of food with friends and family, gave presents to the needy, and enjoyed a festive meal.
Read: 15 Shevat: What and How
And speaking of Purim, some particularly pious women in the community had a special custom. While most Jews fast for just one day before Purim (known as the Fast of Esther), these devoted women would fast for three full days and nights. They did this to commemorate the three-day fast that Queen Esther and the Jewish people observed in the original Purim story.1
Read: What Is the Fast of Esther?
The author thanks Mr. Michael Demirel for his valuable assistance with this article.
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