Emigration of the Bukharan Jews
By: David Chramiec (996690479)
Introduction/ History
The Bukharan Jews are a branch of the Jewish people originating from Central Asia. For more than two thousand years they have known this region as their home and they have been a minority here the entire time. Some myths suggest elaborate accounts for their presence here, one being that they are supposedly the descendants of Israelites who did not find their way back home from Babylonian captivity. The Bukharan Jews are essentially Iranian in terms of genetics, language, and culture. Their closest relatives in these lands would be the Tajiks whom they share almost all aspects of life with, except of course religion. The language they speak is Bukhori which is simply the Tajik branch of the Persian language reinforced with certain Hebrew linguistic traces. The two languages are only really different in the alphabets they use; common Tajik uses the standard Farsi script while Bukhori uses the Hebrew alphabet. Culturally these two are similarly consistent. You can examine their fashion, their cuisine, their habits, and their hobbies; all are identical.[1]
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Bukharan_Jews_(before_1899).jpg
(picture of Bukharan Jews before 1899)
Ideally it would seem that these Jews fit all the characteristics of their region and should therefore have lived in peace with their fellow neighbours. However, we know this not to be the case as the Bukharan Jews have by no means harmoniously co-existed with their fellow man. The Jews get their name from the city of Bukhara in modern day Uzbekistan. Several hundred years ago Bukhara was a self-governing Emirate and was also known to possibly have the highest proportion of Jews in the entire Central Asian landscape. Therefore, scholars assigned to these Jews the title of Bukharan, and have been using it ever since. Jewish persecution in Bukhara stems back further than Emirati times and really is first properly examined in the 16th century. During this period Bukhara is known as the Khanate of Bukhara and is ruled by Uzbek nomads. This is the period in time where Bukhara is occupied and dominated by a truly experienced regime. The Uzbeks warded off Mongol and Arab forces, also establishing Islamic fundamentalism in the state.[2]
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Prokudin-Gorskii-19.jpg
(Mohammed Alim Khan (1880–1944), the last Emir of Bukhara.)
Under this Muslim society Jews were not treated equally with the Muslim majority. All Jews were treated as dhimmis (people of the book), signifying their religious kin, and forced to follow the obligations which followed this title. They had to live in their own Jewish-only town settlements, they were required to pay a jizya tax over a recurring pattern of time, and they were even forced to wear on their clothes markers signifying their religious background. Even the Jews who converted to Islam were give a demeaning name, anusim, and ridiculed in society. Well into the future life like this continued and the Jews seemed to be permanently stricken with this curse of theirs, at times it even escalated into violence and murder. In 1917 Jewish Bukharan life dramatically changed due to the beginning of Soviet influence in the region. Bukhara was incorporated into a Socialist Republic and the Jews were no longer identified by the government by their ethnicity. The U.S.S.R. began labelling individuals by the Republic they live in instead of the ethnicity they occupy; this significantly improved the Jewish living standard.[3]
http://www1.yadvashem.org/remembrance/yom_hazicaron/images/4789_.jpg
(picture of mandatory Jewish badges)
Finally we have a time where Jews can live wherever they choose, work for the government, attend any school, etc. More synagogues were established and Russian was introduced as the lingua franca of the nation, Jews were becoming totally assimilated. Unfortunately, persecution was not altogether void. The Jews held onto their common culture and did not want to allow it to wash away. They continued to live obvious Jewish lives and this did not associate well with the general xenophobia the rest of the nation held pertaining to them. Violence, abuse, and general hostility continued to occur to them until the collapse of the Soviet Union. It is for these reasons Jewish emigration out of Bukhara and Central Asia started to develop when it did, as we will see in the next section. Presently speaking Jewish life is dead in Central Asia; almost all of the Jews have emigrated. It is really a shame that a land with so much Jewish antiquity only has approximately a hundred Bukharan Jews left. The global population of Bukharan Jews is a couple hundred thousand.
http://moadoph.gov.au/exhibitions/online/petrov/images/pictures/PTV-i1424_l.jpg
(picture of Soviet propaganda)
Emigration to Israel
The first documented emigrations of Bukharan Jews to Israel transpired in 1862. Israel was of course not known as Israel during this time but the area nonetheless was the leading preference for Bukharan Jews, nay all Jews, to emigrate to. The ‘Holy Land’ has always been viewed in the hearts of Jews as a piece of their common culture; with the announcement of a Jewish state in the near future, it is sensible to think the state would experience a surge in immigration. Most of these Jews settled in the Jerusalem however many more made the cities of Haifa, Jaffa, Safed, and Tiberias their home. Immediately following their arrival, the Bukharan Jewish community began to significantly add to their cities.[4] Men like Alishoye Yahudo financed the construction of numerous synagogues, community centres, and nursing homes throughout Israel as a means of paying alms to their new homeland. The Bukharan quarters of Israel continued to expand and urbanize in this sense, becoming ever so friendly and appreciative towards new migrants.[5]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62WJW4-Wfn0
(part 1/3 of a video celebrating Bukharan Jews in Jerusalem)
As we fast track in time to the 1930s we can see tangible evidence of this fact through examples such as the Tel-Aviv Bet Olim Absorption Center, built by one Morduhai Fuzailov.[6] Facilities like these were constructed for the purpose of increasing Bukharan immigration. Jews would stay there rent-free and would be provided with food and personal necessities. Temporary shelters controlled and monitored the constant influx of Bukharan Jews. Another significant name was Mamon Hudoidatov. This man greatly improved Bukharan life in Israel by commercializing the agriculture sector. He started and developed his own farm and taught locals his methods on efficiently maximizing crop and livestock production.[7] This may not seem substantially noteworthy but it opened up a whole new mindset for the Bukharan Jewish community. Over the next ten or so years Bukharan Jews all around the nation began operating vocational schools for various trades. Alongside agriculture, schools for training in mechanics, jewellery design, and business began to surface and flourish. In only a few decades the original poor Bukharan community of Israel had transformed into an educated and successful society with a bright future ahead of them.
Israel’s current modern day Bukharan population has truly evolved and blossomed. Of the worlds couple hundred thousand Bukharan Jews; about half of them permanently reside in Israel. Many of them are wealthy businessmen, doctors, lawyers, etc. They have even played a significant role in the nation’s politics through government affiliated occupations. One of the most famous Israeli Bukharan Jews currently alive falls under this category. Robert Ilatov is a Bukharan Jew originally from Andijan, a city in the present Uzbekistan. He is highly regarded as a respected politician and Knesset member representing the Yisrael Beiteinu party.[8] Overall, the Bukharan community of Israel is the most affluent in the world. Through hard work and care they have successfully transferred their identity from Central Asia over to the Levant. Nowadays numerous community centres, museums, and non-profit organizations offer Bukharan awareness for all who are interested.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Robert_Ilatov_002.jpg
(picture of Robert Ilatov)
Emigration to the U.S.A.
Israel may be the leading destination for Bukharan culture but the United States of America are not far behind. If half of the world’s Bukharan population lives in Israel then it is fair to state that practically 80% of the remaining half resides in the U.S. Bukharan immigrants first began to enter the U.S.A. in between the 1940s and 1950s. By the early 1970s the total number of Bukharan Jews in the country was well into the thousands. Contrary to Israeli patterns, these American newcomers were not all coming from Bukhara and Central Asia.[9] Quite a few were of course, but the majority of them were successful Jews coming from Israel and Europe, who had already left the Silk Road many years ago. Seeing as how the U.S.A. was welcoming such educated migrants, what sort of prospect was this for them? Well the Bukharan population in America may never have reached the size and initiative of its Israeli counter-part, but it undoubtedly made up for it in wealth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaXctiuRhVo
(part 1/3 of a video celebrating Bukharan Jews in NYC)
Bukharan Jews can be found in all 50 states but the most concentrated area is in New York City. The borough of Queens, especially the neighbourhoods of Forest Hills and Rego Park, is the most popular destination. These Jews have become highly Americanized and are hence not as religious as their Israeli brothers. Be that as it may, their secular tendencies do not subtract from their cultural appreciation. These Jews take great pride in their traditions and have systematically proved this with their actions, both past and present. Through public and private donations, these Bukharan Jews have elegantly contributed to a friendlier global environment. Certain organizations such as Bukharan Jews in the USA have as a whole supported their Central Asian roots by donating to fight Islamic Terrorist movements in the region. On the subject of Bukharan Jews in the USA, their Chief Rabbi Itzhak Yehoshua is a very prominent American Bukharan Jew.[10]
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/029xcVb4bQfmS/610x.jpg
(picture of Rabbi Itzhak Yehoshua, on the right)
Overall the American Bukharan community is highly influential for all Bukharan Jews worldwide. Compared to the Israeli community it is presently growing at a faster pace and proving to be just as responsible as its partner in educating the masses. A significant percentage of the educational material published both physically and virtually is done so in the United States of America. Israel may still be the persuading entity in global Bukharan politics, but the U.S.A. is hastily catching up.
Other Emigrations/ Conclusion
A small yet visible percentage of Bukharan Jews did not emigrate to either Israel or the United States of America. Two different reasons govern the decisions they made: not being able to, and not wanting to. The late 19th and early 20th centuries were not ideal for international travel. Re-locating numerous family members half way around the world was extremely expensive for some. Even if a few trips could be afforded many families did not want to split so they would therefore choose to travel together. Those who could not afford to escape to Israel or the U.S.A. generally did not travel very far. Europe was also out of the question for them seeing as how European nations such as France and the U.K. at the time where not as open to immigrants like the U.S. and Israel were. These less fortunate Jews had to desperately travel to and settle in nearby states such as Afghanistan and India. These voyages were negative in two ways for the most part. For one, the trips themselves were unsanitary causing many travellers to fall sick and even lose their lives. Secondly, these new nations themselves did not offer much safer environments than the ones they had escaped.
Those Jews who were successful businessmen or merchants who could afford to re-locate in Europe where better off and did meet an improvement in their standard of living. Due to their connections and wealth they would be able to acquire foreign travel documents and passports with greater ease. The only problem these Bukharan Jews really faced was their choice in when they emigrated. If they did so before the second world war than they would be in high risk of continued anti-Semitic persecution, as opposed to doing it after the war and improving their quality of life. Though nowhere near the size of Israel or the U.S., the Bukharan populations living in Europe have still produced some influential people. The current First Lady of Iceland, Dorrit Moussaieff, is an example of this.[11]
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2009/07/02/article-1197132-05932A63000005DC-298_468x286.jpg
(Dorrit Moussaieff, First Lady of Iceland)
Central Asia has a rich history of the Bukharan Jews, it is dearly saddening that due to certain events this opus of culture has been washed away. An ever yet so disheartening fact is the clear evidence that none of these nations are trying to rebuild and restore their Jewish relations. There are only a handful of Bukharan Jews left in Central Asia and none of their home states are concerned with them. From 2006-2009 there was not even a single synagogue in all of Tajikistan, a nation the Bukharan Jews share their culture and language with. The Bukharan Jews have pushed on though and emancipated their identity through their Diaspora.
Works Cited
1. 1. Tolmas, Chana. Bukharan Jews: History, Language, Literature, Culture.. 1st. 1. Tel-Aviv: <
2. 2. Tolmas, Chana. Bukharan Jews: History, Language, Literature, Culture.. 1st. 1. Tel-Aviv: <
3. 3. Tolmas, Chana. Bukharan Jews: History, Language, Literature, Culture.. 1st. 1. Tel-Aviv: <
4. 4. R. Benyaminov, Dr. Meyer. Bukharian Jews. 1st. 1. New York: Gross Bros. Printing Co., 1992. 119. Print.
5. 5. R. Benyaminov, Dr. Meyer. Bukharian Jews. 1st. 1. New York: Gross Bros. Printing Co., 1992. 119. Print.
6. 6. R. Benyaminov, Dr. Meyer. Bukharian Jews. 1st. 1. New York: Gross Bros. Printing Co., 1992. 120. Print.
7. 7. R. Benyaminov, Dr. Meyer. Bukharian Jews. 1st. 1. New York: Gross Bros. Printing Co., 1992. 121. Print.
8. 8. http://www.knesset.gov.il/mk/eng/mk_eng.asp?mk_individual_id_t=793
9. 9. Wiesbaden, Dr. Ludwig. Bukharan Jews in the 20th Century: History, Experience, and Narration.. 1st. 1. Germany: Die Deutsche Bibliothek, 2008. 113. Print.
10.10. http://www.boojle.com/?p=chametz
11.11. http://english.forseti.is/TheFirstLady/DorritMoussaieff/
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