In a sign of warming relations between the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan and its once-large Jewish community, Jews from the Bukhara region have moved six Torah scrolls from Uzbekistan to North America. Jewish leaders say this is the first time the Uzbek government gave permission for such a move. The majority of the community left Uzbekistan in 1992 and 1993, following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and new Bukharan synagogues are proliferating in North America and Israel, according to Boris Kandov, president of the newly formed Congress of Bukharan Jews in the United States and Canada and publisher of a bi-weekly Russian-language paper for Bukharan Jews.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.