Profiles - NY Émigré Communities

 

Émigrés Become B'nai Mitzvah Bukharian Jewish Museum Facing Deadlines, Destitution From Clients to Partners Solidarity Missions to Israel

At the Museum (l-r): Richard Hoagland, Aron Aronov,  Khamrohon Zaripov,  Mark Levin (NCSJ),  Boris Kandov (photo Michael Nemirovsky, AEN)

U.S. AMBASSADOR TO TAJIKISTAN VISITS NEW YORK BUKHARIAN JEWISH COMMUNITY

By Michael Nemirovsky

NEW YORK, January 12 (AEN) - Richard Hoagland, recently appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Tajikistan, visited the Bukharian Jewish community in Queens, New York, on January 9. The visit was organized through the initiative of the U.S. State Department, the New York Jewish Community Relations Council, NCSJ: Advocates on behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States & Eurasia, and the leadership of the USA Congress of Bukharian Jews. Khamrohon Zaripov, Ambassador of Tajikistan to the United States, also participated in the meeting.

The U.S. State Department is well informed about the serious and multi-faceted contacts of the present leadership of Tajikistan with their compatriots, their contribution to the economy, culture and science of the country, which is of strategic importance for the whole Central Asia region. 

Emomali Rahmonov, President of Tajikistan, who has officially visited the USA three times, has always managed to find time to visit this community. Gregory Davidov, an American businessman and philanthropist, originally from Dushanbe, was even awarded a Tajikistan order for his contributions to the country.

The guests met with Yitzchak Yoshua, Chief Bukharian Rabbi for the United States and Canada, Boris Kandov, acting President of the Congress of Bukharian Jews of the USA, and other leaders of the community. The diplomats also visited the construction site of the new Bukharan Jewish Center in Queens, which is supposed to become the largest Bukharan Jewish Community Center in the USA.

With great interest, the guests visited the World Bukharian Jewish Congress Gymnasium, also known as the Lev Leviev Gymnasium, as it is sponsored by Lev Leviev, President of the World Congress of Bukharian Jews and a prominent businessman and philanthropist. The guests were much impressed by the school’s classes and computer labs, and they spoke with the children in four languages: Russian, English, Bukharian and Hebrew.

The participants were also greatly impressed by the unique Bukharian Jewish Community Museum, which presents exhibits of the culture and traditions of Bukharian Jews. Through the tremendous efforts of Museum Director Aron Aronov, and Museum President Yuri Sadikov, the Museum is becoming the greatest spiritual attraction for those wishing to become more familiar with the life of New York’s Jewish ethnic communities. The Museum has already become a research and education center, and today is already successfully fulfilling the tasks of preserving and developing the Jewish heritage of Bukharian Jewry.

Finally, at the luxurious Da Mikelle restaurant, a very friendly discussion took place among the diplomats, activists of the community and its intelligentsia, concerning the future relationship between the two countries.

Translated by Judy Turkeltaub, NCSJ
January 14, 2004