The Jews who survived 2,500 years in isolation

For over 2,000 years, Jews lived in the heart of Central Asia—then vanished from view. Cut off from the wider Jewish world, Bukharian Jews built their own customs, survived forced conversions, and kept their identity alive through food, folklore, and quiet resistance. Today, few remain in Uzbekistan, but their descendants have carried Bukharian traditions to Israel, New York, and beyond.