Merik Rubinov
On August 14, Rafael Nektalov, coordinator of the Congress of Bukharian Jews of the USA and Canada, and Semyon Aronbayev, a theater and documentary film director, met with representatives of the Mission of Uzbekistan to the UN—H.E. Ambassador Ulugbek Lapasov and his assistant Rustam Rustamov.
At the meeting, they discussed the development of people-to-people diplomacy and the holding of joint events dedicated to the 33rd anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan, this coming September 1, 2025.
Rafael Nektalov expressed his great gratitude to the Mission of Uzbekistan to the UN and the Consulate General of Uzbekistan in New York for their constant cooperation and support, which they provide to their compatriots in the United States and to the Bukharian Jewish community.
«I want to note that recently, after the pandemic, tourist trips to Uzbekistan have become more active. It is gratifying to note that there are many young people among them, those who were born in America and are interested in the hometowns of their parents and ancestors,» said Nektalov.
He also shared that in early September, he, along with the president of the Moshe Kalontarov Foundation, Marik Moshiyakh Kalontarov, and Semyon Aronbayev, will travel to Uzbekistan to hold events dedicated to the 230th anniversary of the birth and the 200th anniversary of the death of the founder of the Kalontarov family, Ilyovu Abulkhayra. These events will take place in Samarkand and Shakhrisabz on September 7.
On September 8 and 9, Rafael Nektalov will participate in an international conference that will be held at Sam GU and organized by Israeli scientific centers: Bar-Ilan University in cooperation with the Dahan Center — Jewish Community in the East and West. The topic of the conference is «On the Silk Road. The Heritage of Bukharian Jews in Central Asia Throughout the Generations.»
«My report will be called ‘Bridges of Culture and People’s Diplomacy’ and will be dedicated to the role of Bukharian Jews in the formation and development of national culture, art, as well as inter-community relations and joint projects of the Uzbek diaspora in the USA,» said Nektalov.
Rafael Nektalov also introduced director Semyon Aronbayev (Sam Aro), who has conceived an interesting project dedicated to the life and work of the chief rabbi of Samarkand and Central Asia, Avraham Ulamo Aronbayev.
«I have long had the idea of creating a film about my unique ancestor, the founder of the Aronbayev family, Rabbi Avrom Ulomo. His educational activities in Central Asia were in demand by three religious denominations and were officially approved by the authorities of the Bukharian Emirate and Tsarist Russia. It is impossible to make a full-fledged, realistic picture of a legendary personality whose fate and career, over the course of two centuries, have become overgrown with fantastic memories of contemporaries and have come down to us in the form of parables, folk tales, and oral stories,» said Aronbayev.
“The Congress of Bukharian Jews of the USA and Canada appealed to Consul General Jamol Sharapov, and he sent our letters to collect reliable information about Rabbi Avrom Ulomo in his homeland, which is necessary for the development of the future film script. For this, an official permit is needed to work in the National Archives of the Republic of Uzbekistan, which is located in Tashkent.”
Mr. Ulugbek Lapasov listened with great interest to Rafael Nektalov and Semyon Aronbayev, assuring the latter that this problem is solvable and that he will soon receive an official response. He also expressed his gratitude to the Congress of Bukharian Jews of the USA and Canada, as well as the leadership of the Center of Bukharian Jews and the editorial board of The Bukharian Times newspaper, who are doing a lot in this direction.
As he was leaving, Mr. Lapasov also congratulated Rafael Nektalov on his birthday and wished him health and success in the great and noble work he is doing to strengthen bridges of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of the United States and Uzbekistan.
Photos by the author
This was translated from
Russian into English