Kanisoi Kalon Marks Simchat Torah With Hotoni Banquet for 500+ at Troika

This report was translated from Russian by Bukharian Jewish Post from coverage by The Bukharian Times.

On Oct. 4, 2026, Congregation Kanisoi Kalon at the Bukharian Jewish Community Center in Forest Hills celebrated Simchat Torah with hakafot, a communal Hotoni banquet, and a live online auction, Boris Babaev reported for The Bukharian Times (posted Oct. 8).

Preparations involved multiple minyanim, including those led by Chief Rabbi Baruch Babaev, youth-minyan Rabbi Asher Vaknin, and teen-minyan Rabbi David Shushan. Congregants danced with Torah scrolls in the main sanctuary after completing and immediately restarting the annual reading cycle.

Three congregants were honored as Hatan Torah: Shalom Rakhminov, Rabbi Levi-Yitzchak Zavulunov, and Nathaniel Rafailov. Leadership then hosted more than 500 community members and guests for a festive meal at Restaurant Troika. Rabbi Babaev publicly thanked Rabbi Yitzchak Volovik, center director Joseph Khaimov, president David Nektalov, vice president Hiski Miyerov, and restaurateur Mikhail Zavulunov for organizing the evening and preparing national dishes.

That night Kaykov TV livestreamed a concert and auction of joma robes, mezuzot, newborn pillows, and Judaica artworks, allowing participants in other states and countries to bid. Ensemble Mazaltov under Albert Narkolaev provided music; Narkolaev said appearing each year at Troika is “a true pleasure to rejoice with our people on the day the Torah was given.”

The Forest Hills Hotoni is a separate kehillah celebration from Congregation Beth Bechor’s Briarwood Hotoni covered earlier this week.

Sources: The Bukharian Times (Russian).