A noticeable protest was expressed during an International forum on culture and national identification "Crimean local cultures and their role in Ukraine's future". This was done by a board member of the Crimean society of Krymchaks Igor Achkinazi and chairman of the Society of Crimean Karaims Vladimir Orneli. They got offended by the report "Jewish nations of Crimea (Ashkenazi, Krymchaks and Karaims)", which referred their national groups to the Jewish nation. Different approaches towards identification of these ethnic groups have, till now, existed at the level of scientific discussions and personal stances. This protest testifies to the existence of an anti-Jewish component in Krymchanks' and Karaims' consciousness.

Nobody doubts their Jewish origin as well as their professing a certain variety of Judaism. Crimean Hebrews assimilated with Khazars, Kipchaks (Polovtsy), other Turkic nations. By the XIII century part of Crimean Jews had lost Yiddish and adopted the Turkic language remaining loyal to a rabbinic religion. This later led to the formation of an ethno-linguistic group now called Krymchaks. The first of known to us spiritual leaders of this nation was Abraham Krymsky who lived in mid - XIV century. His name is included into the list of prominent representatives of the Krymchak community they remember in a Saturday's prayer. It is part of "Kafa's makhzor". A.Krymsky headed the orthodox community. In 1358 he wrote a treatise "Sfat kha emet" ("True word") under the influence of works by an outstanding Jewish doctor and philosopher M.Maimonid. In the XIV - XVI centuries Krymchaks resided mainly in Kafa.

During the subsequent century the waves of immigration of different Jewish ethno-confessional groups - Ashkenazim, Sefards, Hurdzhi (Caucasian Jews) Mizrakhi (Jews from Persia) - poured into rabbinic communities. In mid - XVII century appeared a "Collection of prayers and liturgical songs Krymchaks performed in the Krymchak language". Its author was, probably, Moisei Mevorakh (Maorakh). Krymchak liturgy of the early XVIII century was based on it.

Krymchaks have always been considered Jews unlike Karaims, who managed to get rid of traditional anti-Jews restrictions. Karaims didn't recognize Talmud. Christian clergy considered them not dangerous since Torah is also part of the Christian Bible whereas Talmud, in their opinion, is a heresy. In the Russian empire and USSR Karaims tried to move away from discriminated Jews. Nowadays this issue seems to have no political significance. That's why such sharp demarche couldn't but be surprising. Jews, as it is known, have assimilated, to a varying extent, the cultures of peoples surrounding them in every country. This has led to the emergence of different ethnic groups of Jews. But neither Moroccan, nor Bokhran or Yemen or other parishioners of synagogues have ever rejected their belonging to Jews. That's why a phenomenon manifested by I. Achkinazi and V.Ormeli on behalf of their fellows-tribesmen needs to be studied. If this position reflects mentality of these ethnic groups, then Jews should develop their own attitude to relatives ancestry unknown. Probably, some corresponding changes should be made in the Israeli Law on return. Since we won't consider ours those who disregard us.