Come explore the origins of the ancient community of the Bukharian Jews of Central Asia. Starting in the late 1980s, when communism was collapsing in the Soviet Union, many Bukharian Jews of Central Asia emmigrated from their homeland to Israel and also many to New York City. Thousands of Bukharian Jews settled in the borough of Queens, specifically Rego Park and Forest Hills, bringing their language, food, traditions and customs with them. The area is unofficially named “Regostan” due to the Jewish refugees from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

In Rego Park, there exists a unique museum unlike any other in the world. Aron Aronov, a leader in the Bukharian Jewish Community of New York and Tashkent, Uzbekistan native, founded the Museum of Bukharian Jewish Heritage, the largest museum of the Bukharian Jews in the world. Here you’ll find so many artifacts brought directly from the old country, Uzbekistan (and Tajikistan), clothing, household items, photographs, books, musical instruments and so much more to show how Bukharian Jews lived in Central Asia for millennia. Aronov dedicated all his life and time to the museum and continues to curate and add to the museum each day.

Additionally, the neighborhood is full of synagogues and community centers of Bukharian Jews that are oddly distinct from traditional American synagogues, they are modern and traditional orthodox museums with a more Sephardi-Mizrahi flavor. Russian and Bukharian are the main spoken languages here, but liturgy is done in Hebrew. Nearby the community centers also are Bukharian Jewish supermarkets and meat stores with products and foods that cater to the local Bukharian Jewish community.

Besides the museum, the community centers and synagogues there are an array of kosher and glatt kosher restaurants serving traditional central Asian and Bukharian dishes that are absolutely delicious. Rice pilaf, dumplings, meat pies, shish kabob and other delicious meals are prepared fresh daily. There are a few vegetarian options but Bukharian and Central Asian cuisine is very meat based. The tour will include one one meat or pumpkin savory pastry.

Your guide on this tour is Bobby Nudel-Iskhakov is a polyglot, linguist, and young professional from the Bukharian Jewish community. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, he splits his time between Florida and Queens, New York, the epicenter of the Bukharian Jewish community in North America. Bobby is a Bukharian Jewish culture, language, and history enthusiast, and in his spare time volunteers at the Museum of Bukharian Jewish Heritage in Rego Park, Queens, helping to preserve the unique identity of the Bukharian Jews of Central Asia now living in New York City.