Quiz: How Well Do You Know Bukharian Jewish History and Culture?

Test your knowledge of Bukharian Jewish history and culture. Answers appear at the end; each question is grounded in published sources listed below.

1. The name “Bukharian” most directly recalls which historical polity?
   A) The Khazar Khaganate
   B) The Emirate of Bukhara
   C) The Crimean Khanate
   D) The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
2. Bukhori, the traditional communal language, is best described as:
   A) A Germanic Yiddish dialect
   B) A Persian/Tajik dialect with Hebrew influence
   C) Modern Hebrew only
   D) Ottoman Turkish
3. Which rice dish is known for its green color from herbs such as cilantro and dill?
   A) Osh palov
   B) Bakhsh
   C) Manti
   D) Samsa
4. Osh sovo is traditionally associated with which Jewish practice?
   A) Fasting on Tisha B’Av
   B) Slow cooking overnight for Shabbat lunch
   C) Passover matzah baking
   D) Hanukkah oil frying only
5. Which Queens commercial corridor has often been nicknamed “Bukharian Broadway”?
   A) Broadway in Astoria
   B) 108th Street in Forest Hills
   C) Fifth Avenue in Manhattan
   D) Main Street in Flushing only
6. Aron Aronov is widely known in the community for founding which institution?
   A) A professional soccer club
   B) The Bukharian Jewish Museum collection
   C) The New York Stock Exchange
   D) A Hollywood film studio
7. After the Soviet collapse, the largest Bukharian populations outside Central Asia concentrated especially in:
   A) Only Argentina
   B) Israel and the United States (notably Queens)
   C) Only Japan
   D) Only South Africa

Answers

1. B — Emirate of Bukhara (Forward).
2. B — Persian/Tajik dialect with Hebrew influence (Forward; Brick Underground).
3. B — Bakhsh (Nosher / My Jewish Learning).
4. B — Shabbat overnight cooking (Nosher).
5. B — 108th Street, Forest Hills (Brick Underground).
6. B — Bukharian Jewish Museum (Forward).
7. B — Israel and the U.S., especially Queens (Brick Underground; Wikipedia background on Israel population).

Sources: Forward; Nosher; Brick Underground. Image: Adam Jones / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.