Bukharan Jews in the 20th century

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The Jews of Central Asia, known as Bukharan Jews, have a rich and complex history that has only recently garnered scholarly attention, particularly as their numbers dwindled in the region. This volume, a collaboration between Humboldt and Tel Aviv universities, is the first in a series exploring this diaspora's history, language, anthropology, demography, and identity during a transformative century that culminated in their mass exodus from Central Asia. The twelve studies are organized into five parts, employing two methodological approaches. The first three parts focus on traditional historical analysis using new archival sources. Part 1 highlights the early Soviet Period, with Yefim Yakubov discussing the abolition of Tsarist persecution, Zeev Levin surveying favorable Soviet policies, and Lutz Rzehak examining efforts to develop a literary language. Part 2 addresses the disillusionment of the post-Stalin era, with Yaakov Ro’i exploring religious life and Mark Tolts analyzing demographic trends. Part 3 shifts focus to those who fled Soviet Central Asia, with Sara Koplik detailing their fates and Albert Kaganovitch surveying global Bukharan Jewish communities. The final two parts employ an interview-centered approach, blending oral history and anthropology. In Part 4, Ingeborg Baldauf analyzes Gulag memoirs, while Thomas Loy examines the literary contributions of Mordekhay Bachayev. Part 5 features autobiographical narrat