Namus’ in the Soviet Caucasus: Growing up and ‘Traditional Modernity’ among Kavkazi (Mountain) Jews

Abstract

This article discusses adolescences and educational processes among the Caucasian (‘Mountain’) Jews during the late Soviet period. Based on a combined anthropo- logical and social- history research I describe and analyze how the world of Caucasian Jews’ children and youth were shaped in relation to several content worlds: the traditional worlds of Caucasian Jews (Juhuro); the Soviet-communist world which was also the main mediator of modernization; and the immediate social and cultural surrounding, shared by several local groups, mostly Muslims. The traditional socialization patterns of Caucasian Jews stresses the importance of the extended family, stressed hierarchy and seniority related to age. Juhuro (Caucasian Jews) socialization highlighted codes of honor and respect connected to the term ‘Namus’ – a behavioral code regarding the right way to behave, inner consciousness, and several prohibitions – especially in gender relations. At the same time, the Soviet state educational system, both formal and informal, stressed modern values and highlighted Soviet communist ideology. Soviet educational system introduced a de-facto new status of adolescence- while traditionally there was much less moratorium period between childhood and adulthood among Caucasian ‘Mountain’ Jews (and other Caucasian groups). While these content-worlds and educational approaches seems to be in tension or even contradictions, I will argue that in practice there were mechanisms that allowed a great dill of complementary between them. Soviet modernization and socialization were transmitted– andmediated– by educational agents who were themselves members of the traditional groups of Caucasus. The outcome were several version of what I call ‘traditional modernity’, with various manifestations in the different communities of Caucasian ‘Mountain’ Jews, which got different shapes in relations to location (towns/ villages etc) and the characteristics of the local surroundings. The understanding of these patterns is important not only for historical studies, but also for educators who cope with current educational challenges in the different diasporas of Caucasian ‘Mountain’ Jews nowadays.