Bukharan Jews got their name from the Uzbek city of Bukhara, which once had a large community. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union many have moved to the United States or to Israel.
Background
The Bukharan Jews trace their ancestry to an Israelite tribe that never came back from the Babylonian captivity after exile in the 7th century BCE. In Central Asia, they survived for centuries subject to many conquering influences. The community was essentially cut off from the rest of the Jewish world for more than 2,000 years and managed to survive in the face of countless odds. They are considered one of the oldest ethno-religious group of Central Asia and over the years they have developed their own distinct culture.
Most Bukharan Jews lived in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, while a small number lived in Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kirgiziya and some other parts of the former USSR. In Uzbekistan, the largest concentrations were in Samarkand, Tashkent (the capital), Bukhara and Kokand. In Tajikistan they similarly mainly concentrated in the capital, Dushanbe.
Name and language
The term "Bukharan" was coined by European travelers who visited Central Asia around the 16th century. Since most of the Jewish community at the time lived under the Emir of Bukhara, they came to be known as Bukharan Jews. They regarded themselves as "Isro'il" and "Yahudi."
Bukharan Jews used Persian language to communicate among themselves and later developed "Bukhori", a distinct dialect of the Tajiki-Persian language with certain linguistic traces of Hebrew language. This language provided easier communication with their neighboring communities and was used for all cultural and educational life among the Jews. It was used widely until the area was "russified" by the Russians and the dissemination of "religious" information was halted. Almost all Bukharan Jews today speak Russian language.
History
The Bukharan community in Central Asia had periods of prospering, as well as periods of repression. With the establishment of the Silk Road between China and the West in the 2nd century BCE that lasted well into the 16th century, many Jews flocked to Central Asia and played a great role in its development. After their exile from Eretz Israel in 135, they came under the Persian Empire, as they prospered and spread through the area. However, around the 5th century, they were persecuted and famous Jewish academies in Babylon (See Mishnah) were closed, while many Jews were killed and expelled. Under Arab conquest, Jews had to pay special taxes, dress differently and were repressed in many ways. (See Dhimmi)
The Mongol invasion in the 13th century also hit hard on Jews of Central Asia. In the beginning of the 16th century the area was invaded and conquered by nomadic Uzbek tribes who established strict observance of Islam and religious fundamentalism. Confined to city quarters, they were denied basic rights and many were forced to convert to Islam. By the middle of the 18th century practically all of Bukharan Jews lived in Bukharan Emirate . In 1843 Bukharan Jews collected 10,000 silver tan'ga and purchased land in Samarkand, known as Makhallai Yakhudion.
In 1793, a Sefardi Jew named Haham Yosef ben Moshe Maimon traveled to Bukhara and found the local Jews in very a poor condition, and decided to settle there. He became a spiritual leader and changed the Persian religious tradition to Sephardic tradition. In the middle of the 19th century Bukharan Jews began to return to the Land of Israel. Land on which they had settled was called the Bukharan quarter (Sh'hunat Buhori) in Jerusalem, which still exists.
In 1865 Russian troops took over Tashkent, and there was a large influx of Jews to the newly created Turkestan Region. From 1876 to 1916, dozens of Bukharan Jews held prestigious jobs and some have prospered. Jews were free to practice Judaism.
Under the Soviet rule
With the establishment of Soviet rule on the territory in 1917, Jewish life seriously deteriorated. Throughout 1920s and 1930s thousands of Jews, fleeing atheism, confiscation of property, arrests and repressions, escaped to Palestine, often by foot. World War II brought over a million Jewish refugees from the European USSR and Eastern Europe through Uzbekistan.
After 1991
With disintegration of the USSR and foundation of the independent Republic of Uzbekistan in 1991, there was an abrupt growth of nationalism, chauvinism and xenophobia in Uzbek public consciousness, rapid revival of Islam caused a sudden increase in the level of emigration of Jews (both Bukharan and Ashkenazi). For the next two decades, about 100,000 immigrated to Israel, other 50,000 to the USA (mainly Queens, New York) and about 2,000 still remain in Uzbekistan.
Nowadays, Bukharan Jews are mostly concentrated in the US (New York, Arizona, Atlanta, Denver, San Diego), as well as Israel, Austria, Russia, and Uzbekistan. The 108th Street, known as "Bukharan Broadway", is filled with Bukharan restaurants and gift shops. They have formed a tight-knit enclave.
Culture and Cuisine
Bukharan cuisine consists mainly of shish kabobs of chicken, beef or lamb. Pilaf is a very popular rice dish that contains carrots and is often topped with beef or lamb. Bukharans have two main types of bread. One is called Non, which is a circular bread topped with black sesame seeds and the other is called Noni Toki, which is hubcap matzoh, a leposhka, similar to the bagels developed in Europe.
The Bukharans have a distinct music called Shashmaqam, which is an ensemble of stringed instruments, infused with Central Asian rhythms, Muslim melodies, Russian accents, notes of klezmer, and even a few Spanish chords. They had their own dress code, similar but different from other cultures living in Central Asia. On weddings today, one can still observe the bride and the close relatives put on the traditional kaftan and the richly-embroidered fur-lined hats and dance.
The Bukharans are proud of their Jewish heritage. Although their presence in Central Asia has dissipated, they continue to impress others around them with their pride and vibrancy all over the world.
