Jewish Traces in Unexpected Places: Shalom Aleichem in Tbilisi, Georgia

This week we welcome Shabbat with a version of Shalom Aleichem from Georgia. No, not the home of Jimmy Carter or the Atlanta Falcons. 

We're talking about the country that was formerly part of the Soviet Union and is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. 

Georgia and Israel have had diplomatic, commercial and cultural ties for 25 years. Georgia has an embassy in Tel Aviv and Israel has an embassy in Tbilisi. There are 120,000 Georgian Jews living in Israel, as well as 13,000 in Georgia.

Cultural exchanges are coordinated through the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business. Last month a concert at Israeli House in Tbilisi included Georgian singer Kristi Japaridze singing Shalom Aleichem. 

Enjoy and Shabbat shalom!

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