Jerusalem, 24 November, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Thirty-seven-year-old Mira Shamayeva, a Jewish mother of four from Baku, Azerbaijan, had long dreamed of visiting Israel. For years, the idea felt distant and unattainable. This week, that changed. Mira is now among the first Azerbaijani participants in Momentum — a global movement that brings Jewish mothers from around the world on an immersive, values-driven journey to Israel.
In exclusive conversations with The Press Service of Israel, Mira, the organizers of the delegation, and an international relations expert shed light on the cultural and strategic significance of this new bridge between Israel and the Azerbaijani Jewish community.
Speaking through a Russian translator, Mira described the profound effect of the experience.
“I come from a traditional Jewish home, but this delegation awakened something in me,” she said. “I want to hold Shabbat dinners, to pass this on to my children,” she said during a tour of Masada, the Judean desert fortress where Jewish rebels made their final stand against Rome two millennia ago.
Founded in 2009, Momentum brings together Jewish mothers for an eight-day educational journey through Israel. Momentum, a Maryland-based nonprofit that empowers women as Jewish leaders in their families and communities, strengthening identity, engagement, and the connection to Israel. It has brought more than 25,000 women so far.
This year’s 200-woman delegation includes first-ever representation from Azerbaijan: 11 women, joining participants from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova.
According to Anna Vainer, Momentum’s Associate Director of Programs and Partnerships for Europe & Asia, this step is crucial for strengthening ties between Israel and small or emerging Jewish communities.
“A Jewish community that is connected to Israel is a Jewish community that works for Israel–especially in times when the country needs support and legitimacy,” Vainer told TPS.
“It starts with individual involvement of women, who carry the responsibility of raising the next generation of the community.”
But community identity is only one part of a much larger geopolitical picture.
“Israel and Azerbaijan already share strategic and economic cooperation,” Professor Benny Miller told TPS-IL. Miller is a leading international relations scholar and Director of the National Security Studies Center at the University of Haifa.
“Israel purchases Azerbaijani oil, and there are Israeli security exports to Azerbaijan — a neighbor of Iran, which both countries view as a threat,” he explained.
Miller added that Azerbaijan’s longstanding tolerance toward its Jewish community makes grassroots initiatives like Momentum an important stabilizing factor.
“A Jewish community supportive of Israel strengthens the partnership between the countries. Community ties reinforce state ties — just as we see on a much larger scale with the U.S. Jewish community,” Miller said.
Such ties matter even more now, as Azerbaijan appears to be backing away on its earlier consideration to send troops to Gaza under U.S.. President Donald Trump’s plan to rebuild the Strip and disarm Hamas after two years of war with Israel.
But for Mira, the implications of the trip extend far beyond diplomacy and strategy.
“I want my family and community to know everything about Israel, I want them to come and see everything,” she said. “And I know the responsibility is on me.”
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