Bukharan Jews in the Soviet Union

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The Jews of Central Asia, known as "Bukharan Jews," have a rich and complex history, with communities now dispersed worldwide. Following the Soviet Union's collapse, a significant exodus occurred, leading many Bukharan Jews to Israel, the United States, and, to a lesser extent, Europe. This migration has led to the near disappearance of Bukharan Jewish life in Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. However, mobility among this group predates the Soviet era, with a Bukharan Jewish quarter established in Jerusalem by the late 19th century. Jews from Afghanistan, Iran, and the Emirate of Bukhara settled in Russian Turkestan, where they became vital traders connecting Asian and European markets. In the 1920s and early 1930s, approximately four thousand Bukharan Jews fled the Soviet Union to Palestine via Afghanistan and Iran. Legal emigration began in the 1970s and surged in the late 1980s, while internal mobility remained high, with many relocating within Soviet Central Asia to establish new communities. This study, based on autobiographical accounts from Central Asia, Europe, and Israel, explores the unique experiences and migrations of this diaspora, providing insights into their diverse lifeworlds. The oral histories presented serve as a corrective to oversimplified narratives, enhancing our understanding of Soviet and Central Asian history and society.