Updated: 8 сентября, 2026 10:54 дп
At a time when many Jewish communities in Europe and various parts of the world are facing a dark wave of antisemitism, an island of common sense exists in Azerbaijan.
Jnews.az reports that these views were expressed by Rabbi Zamir Isayev, head of the Baku Sephardi Jewish Religious Community, in a special interview on the «Central Edition» program hosted by Yaakov Grudka on Israel’s KAN television channel. He spoke about the flourishing of Jewish life in the country where he lives and the preparations for the upcoming autumn holidays.
“We have started the Selichot of the month of Elul, and like all communities in the diaspora, we are preparing for Rosh Hashanah,” Zamir Isayev said.
According to him, in July of last year alone, more than 17,000 Israeli tourists came to Baku, and according to estimates, this figure exceeded 20,000 in August.
Currently, on the eve of the autumn holidays, the local community is preparing to welcome large crowds.
“We expect many people to participate in the holidays and prayers,” the rabbi noted.
Zamir Isayev added that three synagogues operate in the city of Baku alone, and they are expected to be filled with Jews from the local community as well as numerous Israelis present in the area.
2>Azerbaijan: “Zero antisemitism”
The most interesting moment of the interview was related to the sense of personal safety. Zamir Isayev noted that, unlike in many countries, Jewish and Israeli tourists do not feel in any danger in Azerbaijan.
“We feel no danger here, especially the local Jewish community. Tourists who come to Baku and enjoy our beautiful city speak Hebrew freely outside. Azerbaijan is safe primarily because there is no antisemitism,” Rabbi Zamir Isayev emphasized.
According to him, in developed European countries, Israeli tourists are currently forced to hide their identity, whereas in Azerbaijan, the reality is completely the opposite.
2>Diplomatic mission
Zamir Isayev noted that the country pursues an independent foreign policy and is free from pressure from other countries. At the same time, Azerbaijan maintains a strong strategic alliance with all friendly and brotherly countries. It even tries to play a bridging role to improve relations between certain countries.
He participated in a special global forum (G50) organized by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem. At the forum, leaders of Jewish communities from various parts of the world came together to discuss the common problems currently faced by the Jewish people.
