On February 11, 2025, the German ambassador to Tajikistan, York Schuegraf, visited the Jewish center, the synagogue of Bukharan Jews in Dushanbe. This was his first visit.
The high guest was met by the chairman of the community, Yuri Yunatanov. He told Ambassador Y. Schuegraf about the life of Jews in Tajikistan, showed ancient Torah scrolls, and spoke about the participation of Bukharan Jews who bravely fought against fascism during World War II. Many of them were awarded medals and orders of the USSR.
The Ambassador presented Yunatanov with a richly illustrated book about Germany, spoke about the interesting life of the revived Jewish community in the country, about the attitude of the state towards those who returned to Germany, which many Jews were forced to leave during the Holocaust, and about the fight against anti-Semitism.
Familiar with the peculiarities of Jewish life, the Ambassador asked how the Sabbath is held in the synagogue and in the community in general?
«Unfortunately, not as actively as before, especially in winter,» Yunatanov replied. «Basically, the community consists of very elderly people, old people, and it is difficult for them to visit the synagogue, and there are practically not so many young people. But Jews often come to us from all over the world, Baruch Hashem! And then we conduct a full-fledged religious service, celebrate Shabbat, other Jewish holidays — as the Bukharan Jews have majestically celebrated it at all times.
The chairman of the community said that in the near future the synagogue, the premises of which were kindly provided in their time by the famous philanthropist, the founder of the «Oriyon» bank Hasan Asadullozoda, will be demolished, as it is located in the area of new buildings.
«But Mr. Asadullozoda assured us that we will have a new room, and there is no reason to worry,» Yunatanov said. «In the near future, we will complete the reconstruction of the Jewish cemetery, and when there is a grand opening, we will definitely invite you, Mr. Ambassador.»
York Schuegraf cordially thanked the chairman of the community, Yuri Yunatanov, and wished him success in its development and preservation of the national heritage.
“My opinion, as chairman of the Jewish community, is this: it seems to me that it is necessary to build a new synagogue, taking into account all the realities and landscape of the country. We will be demolished for the second time. This is incomprehensible, to put it mildly. We need to have our own synagogue for many centuries, as, for example, in Uzbekistan and other countries.”
Unfortunately, the security authorities (!) do not allow us to return the sign to its former place, on which the words «beit knesset» are written in gold letters.
I remember when I was in Shakhrisabz (Uzbekistan) at the opening of the Jewish cemetery after reconstruction, I was struck by its scale and beauty. I was told that Israeli architects and builders were invited for this, who erected a building of a new synagogue on the territory of the cemetery, where a large-scale reconstruction was carried out.
And when I was in Azerbaijan and met with activists of the Jewish community, I was very surprised to learn that the state, represented by the president of the country Ilham Aliyev, provides significant financial assistance to the Jewish community in Baku, as this is a nationwide program to support the spiritual life of national minorities.
I am now in Israel and I see how reverently the Israelis treat their heritage, how they honor and appreciate their ancestors. In my opinion, it is necessary to think now about what to do after they start demolishing our synagogue, and not leave everything to chance. Those Jews who lived in Tajikistan made a huge contribution to the development of this sunny region.
This was translated from Russian into English.
Moshe Sabirov, Tajikistan Correspondent