Les juifs de Buhara [ou la permanence d'une communauté]

In: Cahiers du monde russe et soviétique, Volume 27, Issue 1, p. 111-123

Abstract

Catherine Poujol, The Bukharan Jews or the permanence of a community.
The present-day study of the specific group constituted by the Jews of Bukhara would certainly help to understand the nationalities' problem in the Soviet Central Asia. The Jews of Bukhara represent the only non-Muslim community that remained in this region after its conquest by the Arabs in the eighth century and that played a rather important part - often concealed - in the problems originating from contacts between Russians and Muslims since the nineteenth century and especially since the colonization of Turkestan. Although R. Loewenthal considers that they are completely assimilated, the Jews of Bukhara seem on the contrary, in the light of recent observations, to have remained solidly attached to their faith and their tradition, which goes to demonstrate the permanent character of this community.