From Mugham to Jazz: How Azerbaijan Became a World Music Powerhouse
Azerbaijani music is a rich and multi-layered heritage that holds a unique place in world culture. Shaped by both ancient Eastern traditions and modern global musical processes, it has preserved its distinct identity. One of the main features of Azerbaijani music is its deep emotional expressiveness, its tradition of improvisation, and its close connection with […]
‘Samarkand’ Opens in Paris
The Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in France, joined by a delegation from the Migration Agency under the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan, attended the opening ceremony of Samarkand, a new Uzbek cuisine restaurant in Paris’s 17th arrondissement. The diplomatic presence at the launch signals growing cultural ties between Uzbekistan and France, and reflects […]
THROWS, TAKEDOWNS, AND TORAH: A NEW PROGRAM BRINGS JUDO-ISM TO BUKHARIAN TEENS
On Wednesday evenings, a group of Bukharian Jewish teenagers can be found on the lower level of the BJCC learning how to fall safely, execute throws, and earn their next belt. Then they sit down for pizza and a Torah lesson. The program, Torah & Judo, is a new initiative from Rabbi David Shushan, founder […]
Faith-Based Schools and Houses of Worship Gather for Security Resource Workshop
On April 16, 2026, roughly 30 community leaders, school administrators, and faith organization representatives gathered at Young Israel of Hillcrest for a State Resource Workshop on safety and funding for non-public schools, faith-based institutions, and nonprofits — a meeting that, as it turned out, couldn’t have been better timed. The event was organized by Assemblywoman […]
Mayor Mamdani’s War on Jewish New York
On Mamdani’s first day as Mayor of New York City, home to approximately 1 million Jewish people, he revoked the City’s use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism. The definition states: “Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of […]
WHAT SHOSTAKOVICH HID IN HIS MUSIC, FINALLY IN ENGLISH
A landmark work of musicology has arrived in English translation more than 25 years after its original Russian publication. Shostakovich and the Jews?, written by the late scholar Vladimir Zak and translated by his son Alexander, was released this month through Morgan James Publishing. First published in Russian in 1997, the book examines a question […]
Nektalov on Air in “Aires”
For thirty minutes on a Buenos Aires radio program, two communities that rarely share the same airspace finally found a common frequency. Rafael Nektalov, editor-in-chief of the Bukharian Times, joined Radio Jai’s hosts to speak—in English—about a Jewish world most Argentinians have never heard of. As someone who speaks Spanish but not Russian, I could […]
Uzbek Blogger Gives Daniel Radcliffe “10 Reasons to Visit Uzbekistan”
Uzbek blogger Otabek Mahkamov shared a personal and enthusiastic account of meeting British actor Daniel Radcliffe in New York—his fifth encounter with the star best known as Harry Potter. “Today in New York, I met my favorite actor Daniel Radcliffe for the fifth time,” Mahkamov wrote in his Facebook post, adding that the actor “is […]
Lag BaOmer: The Fire that Teaches Us to See Every Jew
There are days on the Jewish calendar that are not just dates, but gateways—gateways into a deeper understanding of life, of the soul, and of what it truly means to be a Jew. Lag BaOmer is one of those days. At first glance, it seems almost ordinary. It is not a biblical holiday, there is […]
Khalti Bakhsh: The Green Plov That Taught Me What Forgiveness Tastes Like
Some dishes travel. They cross borders, change names, pick up spices along the way. Others don’t. Bakhsh never left. It stayed right where it began, in Bukharian Jewish homes. Sure, we’ve adopted plenty from our neighbors. We share Plov with the Uzbeks. Shurbo with the Tajiks. Bread, salads, even desserts. A whole table built on […]