The community has chosen a leader with experience, vision, and heart.
On July 6, 2025, the long-awaited elections for the Board of Directors and president of the Bukharian Jewish Community Center (BJCC) took place. On this day, Forest Hills once again became the epicenter of activity for the largest Bukharian Jewish diaspora outside of Israel.
After the votes were tallied, Boris Matatov emerged victorious with a significant majority. Matatov is a man with an impeccable reputation, a successful businessman, an experienced public figure, and a generous philanthropist. The second and third places were taken by two other highly respected community members, Hiski Mierov and Albert Ilayev, who will serve as BJCC vice-presidents.
So, who is the new president of the BJCC? Boris Abramovich Matatov was born in 1952 in the city of Katta-Kurgan, Uzbekistan. He graduated from the Faculty of Economics at the Kuibyshev Samarkand Cooperative Institute. In 1991, he repatriated to Israel, and two years later, he moved to the United States, immediately becoming an active participant in the life of New York’s Bukharian Jewish community. Soon, his energy and dedication made him a recognized figure, a leader whose voice is heard.
He heads Odelia, a renowned jewelry company in the industry. However, more importantly, Matatov’s name has long been associated with charity, spiritual development, and support for cultural initiatives.
Since 2007, he has been continuously elected as vice-president of the Bukharian Jewish Community Center, serving the community faithfully and diligently. He has been an active participant in international congresses of the World Congress of Bukharian Jews in Jerusalem, Moscow, and Dubai. He founded and was the first president of the Eduard Nektalov Charitable Foundation and played a key role in establishing the «Katta-Kurgan» Jewish cemetery fund.
Boris Matatov pays special attention to educational issues, consistently supporting the Jewish Institute of Queens and assisting yeshivas, theater and music groups, as well as Bukharian Jewish newspapers and magazines in New York. He is always there to strengthen identity, preserve traditions, and invest his heart.
The Bukharian Jewish Center in Forest Hills, founded in 1963 by Ilyusha Issakharkhan and his associates, was the first structure of its kind and scale in the West. It was here that the movement originated, from which a powerful community grew, uniting tens of thousands of Bukharian Jews in America.
According to the organization’s charter, the Board of Directors rotates and elections for president are held every two years. Throughout the years, respected leaders have headed the Center, including Rakhmin Borukhov, Khanan Benjamini, Alex Yakubov, Boris Kandov, Simkha Alishaev, and Leon Nektalov.
After the election results were announced, outgoing president Leon Nektalov (2019-2025) warmly congratulated Boris Matatov and highly praised his work as vice-president. These words resonated as a passing of the torch from one experienced leader to another.
Hiski Mierov expressed special gratitude to the BJCC president for his tremendous work in attracting many young leaders to the Board of Directors, thereby ensuring continuity between generations and community unity. He was the one who initiated this trend.
In his speech of gratitude, Boris Matatov thanked everyone for their trust and emphasized: «Only through collective efforts, with a unified goal and an open heart, can we move forward. The time has come for renewal and consolidation – our community deserves it.»
Below is the list of the new
members of the Board of Directors of the Bukharian Jewish Community Center:
1. Boris Matatov (President)
2. Hiski Mierov (Vice-President)
3. Albert Ilyayev (Vice-President)
4. Michael Aharonov
5. Abraham Borukhov
6. Rabbi Yitzchak Wolowik
7. David Davydov
8. Michael Zavulunov
9. Stanislav Zavulunov
10. Rabbi Zalman Zvolunov
11. Roman Matatov
12. David Nektalov
13. Leon Nektalov
14. David Pinkhasov
15. Iosif Khaimov
16. Ustaev Asher
17. Mikhail Yusupov
A detailed interview with the new president, Boris Matatov, will be published in one of the upcoming issues of the newspaper.
Rafael Nektalov
Photos by Merik Rubinov
This was translated from Russian into English with minor changes.