Upon walking down the blocks of Rego Park and Forest Hills, one is exposed to a bustling food scene with a multitude of Soviet-like supermarkets such as Gastronom and Netcost, as well as traditional Kosher restaurants known for selling Central Asian and Soviet cuisines with menus that include lagman soup, plov, pirozhki, and samosas.
For a mix as great as this, you can thank its Russian-speaking Central Asian Bukharian Jewish community.
Dayris Garcia, a senior majoring in Russian Culture and Language Studies at Queens College, said, “When visiting the community, I noticed that grandiosity looms on both sides of the street. There weren’t just one or two customized houses, the majority of the houses on the blocks were unique and grand mansions, which is unlike the typical architecture of American houses. I also visited the Forest Hills Gastronom international market and was in an absolute culture shock as I immersed myself in what felt to be the new Soviet Union. What really caught my attention was the unconventionality of the old fashioned Soviet candy wrappers and the CCCP named ice cream.”
There are also a wide array of local Bukharian owned businesses from hair salons, jewellery stores, pharmacies, medical clinics and Bukharian Jewish senior centers. Classic shoemaking shops are operational with many of the shoemakers being seniors that immigrated from the USSR.
The community has a plethora of local Russian-speaking publications and newspapers that first went into print in the post Soviet period, most prominent of which are Druzhba and The Bukharian Times. The papers are free, easily accessible, and can be found at many local businesses, synagogues and restaurants. Both papers cater to residents that possess traditional conservative values and include stories on the community needs, issues, historical pieces, community testimonies, and obituaries dedicated to community members that have passed away.
A contributing writer under the pseudonym of Aleks, for The Bukharian Times, told The Knight News, “If ever I’m asked ‘Are you Bukharian?’, I truly get amused; you won’t hear me give off a simple answer. After all, I’m multicultural. I’m a Tashkenter first, given the city of my birth, and Bukharian last. Ask why? Because I was born in Soviet/Russian Tashkent — far away from all-things Bukharian so rooted in historically-rich Bukhara and enchanting Samarkand.”
Festivity has deep roots in the Bukharian community with weddings having hundreds of guests in attendance and being held at huge venues such as Da Mikelle Illagio, featuring top-notch Bukharian performers. At weddings, there is always a spotlight for Azerbaijani music. Bukharian and Azeri music includes authentic instruments such as doi’ra (a tambourine-like drum), clarinet, Armenian/Azeri duduk (a wood-wind instrument), and yonik (an electric keyboard).
Malika Kalantarova, a prominent entertainer within the community, is known for receiving the USSR’s highest honor of being named the “People’s Artist of USSR” in 1984. Nicknamed the Queen of Tajik and Oriental Dance, Kalantarova rose to fame due to her legendary dancing style and became one of the most famous dancers in the USSR and Central Asia.
Kalantarova currently resides in Queens and told The Knight News, “The community is tight knit and in our community, we have a lot of entertainers who’ve performed everywhere, such as the big theatres of Kremlin. My pseudonym is Malika, a stage name given to me in the Kremlin during the Soviet era, but my Jewish name is Mazol Kalantarova. I am originally from Dushanbe, Tajikistan and my esteemed title is a joy to our community because I am the one among our people who made it to the top with my artistry.”
For those interested in learning about Central Asian Jewish history and diaspora, there is a Bukharian Jewish Museum located at 99th Street in Rego Park filled with unique traditional clothing like joma (a Central Asian robe) and dopi (a type of headwear). The museum also features a collection of cultural artifacts such as a horse drawn carriage, tandyr (a Central Asian clay oven) and tapchan (a traditional Uzbek square-like bench). The museum is available for guests to visit by appointment only.
