We will explore important parts of Bukharian Jewish culture, the Bukharian language (also known as Judeo-Tajik or Bukhori), life cycle events and traditional clothing. We will look at fascinating artifacts and traditional clothing from the Bukharian Jewish Heritage Museum and talk about their importance and how they differ from the local community in Uzbekistan.

About the Speaker
Manashe Khaimov is a fourth generation community organizer, serial entrepreneur, and social innovator who builds and consults organizations on Jewish diversity.

At his previous role as a Director of Community Engagement and Development at Queens College Hillel, he focused on building a real diverse Jewish community, creating Sepharadi and Mizrahi Leadership pipeline while expanding Sephardi and Mizrahi student life programs at five CUNY Hillel campuses. Manashe sat on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee at Hillel International and served as a facilitator of the Mizrahi and Sephardi Hillel Professionals resource group.

Currently, Manashe is an Adjunct Professor in Jewish Studies, with a specialty in the History and Culture of the Central Asian Jews at Queens College. He is the founding president of SAMi Sephardic American Mizrahi Initiative that focuses on the Leadership Development of under-served Jewish communities on college campuses. Manashe sits on the National Sephardic Advisory Committee at JIMENA. In 2021 Manashe was appointed by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz as a member of the Jewish Advisory Council. Manashe also just accepted a position with Moishe House as their new Eastern Community Manager.

Manashe is founder of the Bukharian Jewish Union, an organization for the young professionals in their 20’s and 30’s, the founder of AskBobo.org, the only Bukharian online dictionary and the founder of The Jewish Silk Road Tours ™ an initiative that helps to introduce NYers and tourists from around the world to the diversity of NYC.