Erich Brauer is an almost unknown figure for Russian historiography. Even in Israel it is only in recent years that the scholars have discovered the rich heritage of this scientist. As ethnologist he started his professional life by studying African tribes and then became the pioneer in studying the Jews of Yemen, Bukhara, Kurdistan and Afghanistan. Brauer was a talented graphic and it helped him to create a unique collection of the images of the Eastern Jews. He repeatedly emphasised that not only unique costumes and rites and customs should be identified, but also the traditions common to different ethnic groups living in a specific region should be studied. Erich Brauer applied his comparative method not only to study the Jewish communities but also to compare them with their Muslim neighbours.