By Erin Levi
In a landmark moment for the Bukharian Jewish community, educator and community leader Manashe Khaimov has become the first Bukharian recipient of the Pomegranate Prize, a prestigious honor awarded by The Covenant Foundation.
The prize, launched in 2011, recognizes emerging Jewish educators who are making an extraordinary impact in their fields. Each recipient is awarded funding and welcomed into a national network of peers and mentors, ensuring their innovations in Jewish education can flourish and reach wider audiences. This year marked a milestone: The Covenant Foundation doubled the number of annual awards, granting the Pomegranate Prize to ten honorees during a ceremony at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York on Tuesday.
“The ten remarkable professionals selected for this year’s Prize represent ten distinctly unique settings in which high quality and exciting Jewish education and engagement is happening,” said Deborah S. Meyer, Chair of the Board of The Covenant Foundation. “It is thrilling to see how the field continues to grow and evolve with such bright promise.”
A Trailblazer for Bukharian Jewry
For Bukharian Jews, the recognition of Manashe Khaimov is a milestone decades in the making. Born in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and raised in the traditions of Bukharian, Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Russian-speaking Jewry, Khaimov has dedicated his career to preserving and sharing the heritage of a community that has often been overlooked in mainstream Jewish education.
He is the founder, CEO, and lead educator of SAMi: Sephardic American Mizrachi Initiative, an organization that brings Sephardic and Mizrahi voices into the broader Jewish narrative. He also serves as a Queens College Adjunct Professor and lecturer specializing in Bukharian Jewish history and culture, and as the founding director of the Bukharian Jewish Union, a network for young professionals.
Khaimov’s leadership roles have spanned national organizations such as Hillel International, JIMENA, and UJA-Federation of NY. His accolades include the Queens Impact Award, The Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36,” recognition as Bukharian Jewish Congress’s Person of the Year in both 2020 and 2021, the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship, and the Wexner Field Fellowship. He holds an MSW from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College and a BA in Marketing and Corporate Communication from Baruch College. He lives in Hollywood, FL.
“I am humbled and honored to receive the Pomegranate Prize, a historic moment as the first Bukharian Jew to be recognized in this way,” Khaimov tells the Bukharian Times. “For me, this award is a tribute to the resilience of my community, from the streets of Samarkand to the campuses across America where Sephardic and Mizrahi students are building their Jewish future. Through SAMi and our heritage trips to Uzbekistan, I see how young people connect deeply to their roots and proudly carry them forward. This is more than recognition—it is a call to continue the sacred work of Jewish education, ensuring that our stories, traditions, and voices will inspire generations to come.”
His colleagues in Jewish education echoed this sentiment. “Manashe Khaimov is reshaping Jewish education by amplifying Sephardic and Mizrahi voices and bridging generational and cultural gaps. His creativity, vision, and deep commitment make him a true leader in the field,” shared Igal Kotler, Director of Jewish Education at COJECO and last year’s Pomegranate Prize recipient.
SAMi Board of Director Rozeeta Mavashev gushed, “I have had the privilege of witnessing Manashe transform ideas into movements that have grown into what SAMi is today. His heart, creativity and relentless dedication to community make him the embodiment of what the Covenant Pomegranate Prize celebrates.” Continuing, she added, “Manashe is not only an educator, he is a changemaker and trailblazer, shaping the future leadership of Sephardi and Mizrahi communities, especially the emerging Bukharian leaders of today. A true role model and source of inspiration, he strengthens young voices now and lays the foundation for a vibrant future to come.”
For Khaimov, the Pomegranate Prize is more than a personal honor—it is a collective achievement. His win shines a spotlight on the vibrant contributions of Bukharian Jewry to American Jewish life and ensures that the next generation will encounter a fuller, more inclusive vision of Jewish identity.
Expanding the Circle
Alongside Khaimov, nine other recipients of the 2025 Pomegranate Prize reflect the breadth and creativity of Jewish education today, from Torah study to environmental stewardship, from inclusive classrooms to arts and spirituality:
Rabbi Tali Adler, a faculty member at The Hadar Institute in New York, is known for her engaging approach to Talmud, Tanach, and Jewish commentary. She teaches college students and adult learners, while also mentoring participants in Hadar’s Advanced Kollel program. Adler received rabbinic ordination (s’michah) from Yeshiva Maharat as a Wexner Graduate Fellow and holds a BA in Jewish Studies and Political Science from Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women, where she completed a thesis on menstrual purity laws and Spanish Crypto-Jewish women in early modern Spain. Her experience spans institutions such as Harvard Hillel, Drisha, and BBYO, and she has provided pastoral care as a chaplain intern at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
Tali Cohen Carrus, based in Sharon, Massachusetts, is a leader in accessible Jewish education. As senior director of programs at Gateways: Access to Jewish Education, she oversees specialized Hebrew school and b’nei mitzvah programs for children whose needs are not met elsewhere. Trained as both a special educator and play therapist, she has dedicated her career to ensuring Jewish learning is inclusive for every child.
Sasha Kopp Hass serves as senior director of education and engagement at ElevatEd, a national initiative supporting Jewish early childhood educators. With a background at The Jewish Education Project and Central Synagogue’s May Family Nursery School, she has long advocated for play-based Jewish learning. Her work empowers teachers across the country to create joyful, meaningful classroom environments that strengthen Jewish identity from the earliest years.
Menuchah Schuman Hirschman, garden educator at GrowTorah in Teaneck, New Jersey, brings Torah study outdoors. She designs lessons that intertwine Jewish texts with environmental stewardship, helping children connect tradition to nature. With master’s degrees in Jewish education and advanced Tanach studies, she also teaches at the Zeman Religious School and is part of a new wave of educators integrating sustainability into Jewish learning.
Lexi Kohanski, director of online learning at The Torah Studio in New York, is a pioneering trans Jewish educator. She authored “Be Whole: A Halakhic Approach to Gender and Transition,” a groundbreaking framework that treats gender transition as a sacred Jewish process. Kohanski is widely sought after as a teacher and speaker, addressing communities across the U.S. and abroad on trans Torah and inclusive Jewish practice.
Rabbi Kendell Pinkney, based in Brooklyn, combines rabbinic leadership with artistic creativity. He serves as rabbinic educator and artist-in-residence at Reboot, a Jewish arts and culture nonprofit, and founded The Workshop, a fellowship for BIPOC-Jewish artists. Pinkney’s work bridges faith and performance, and he has received recognition from Opera America and Theater J for expanding Jewish storytelling through theater and music.
Rebecca Schisler, of Oakland, California, is a core faculty member at the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. She directs its Shevet Young Adult Program and teaches Jewish mindfulness nationally, drawing on her experience with Wilderness Torah, Eden Village Camp, and Stanford University’s School of Medicine. A rabbinical student at ALEPH, Schisler is dedicated to making Jewish spiritual practice accessible, embodied, and relevant to contemporary life.
Rabbi Yali Szulanski, director of youth and family engagement at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale in New York, is committed to fostering resilience and empathy in Jewish teens. She also serves as a guidance counselor and social-emotional learning specialist at SAR Academy. Szulanski founded initiatives such as The “I Am” Project and The Neshima Initiative, which bring mindfulness and emotional wellness practices to schools and camps nationwide.
Rabbi Dave Yedid, founding rabbi of Base Denver, has built a home-based Jewish community for young adults in Colorado’s capital. Together with his husband, he welcomes participants into immersive Jewish experiences that combine hospitality, learning, and spiritual exploration. Trained at The Jewish Theological Seminary and Camp Ramah in the Rockies, Yedid is part of a new generation of rabbis reimagining grassroots Jewish life.
“We were overwhelmed by the influx of applications we received this year,” said Joni Blinderman, Executive Director of The Covenant Foundation. He noted that the decision to double the number of recipients this year was a response to “the stress on our educators during this acutely difficult moment in our collective lives,” emphasizing that this “thrilling” expansion is meant to provide “support, community, and strength.”
Beyond the Ceremony
The awards event also featured a panel with Rabbi Tamara Cohen, filmmaker Tiffany Shlain, and psychologist Dr. Betsy Stone, who discussed how neuroscience, Jewish tradition, and adolescent development can shape more meaningful b’mitzvah experiences. Musical guests, Sacred Sparks, added a celebratory note to the morning.
A Growing Legacy
The Covenant Foundation, established by the Crown Family Philanthropies, has long championed innovative approaches to Jewish education, supporting programs that span classrooms, camps, community centers, and cultural institutions. The Pomegranate Prize in particular symbolizes growth and potential: the pomegranate, with its many seeds, has been a Jewish symbol of abundance and new beginnings for centuries.
For our community, Manashe Khaimov’s achievement as the first Bukharian winner of this prestigious honor represents a seed of its own—one that promises to deepen understanding, visibility, and pride for generations to come.