Full Name: Kyrgyz Republic
Local Name: Kyrgyz Respublikasy
Capital: Bishkek
Languages: Kirghiz (Kyrgyz), Russian
Currency: 1 Kyrgyzstani som (KGS) = 100 tyiyn
Independence: 31 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Total Area: 198,500 sq km
Comparative area: slightly smaller than South Dakota
Borders: China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan
General Population: 4,665,000
Jewish Population: 4,500
Life Expectancy: male 59.45 years, female 68.3 years
Background
Most Jews in this predominantly Muslim republic live in Bishkek. The Jewish population of today descends from two major ethnic backgrounds. The Bukharan Jews have lived in the region for several centuries, while the Ashkenazim mostly fled to Kyrgyzstan during World War II. The two groups tend to remain separate from one another.
Jewish Life
The Menorah Society of Jewish Culture is the major focus of Jewish activity. There was no Jewish community to speak of before the collapse of Communism. Most of the Ashkenazi Jews of Kyrgyzstan are Jewish primarily in the ethnic sense. Consequently, religious activity is negligible. There is an Ashkenazi synagogue in Bishkek, and also several small Bukharan prayer houses there and in some of the towns of the Ferghana Valley. Although there is no rabbi in Bishkek, the chief rabbi of Kazakhstan oversees the Jewish community and its religious needs. The capital also has a Jewish library and a Jewish dance and theater troupe. There is a Jewish day school in Bishkek, and also a Sunday school. Maccabi organizes sporting activities for youth. An Aish HaTorah learning center is in operation, and the Israeli Open University is very active.
Israel
Israel and Kyrgyzstan maintain full diplomatic relations. Israel is represented by its
ambassador in Alma Ata, Kazakhstan.
Aliya: Since 1989, 5,000 Kyrgyz Jews have emigrated to Israel.
UCSJ Work
The UCSJ provides antisemitism documentation to assist Jews in Kyrgyzstan. To receive materials or find more information regarding UCSJ's research documentation, please contact Nikolai Butkevich at nbutkevich@ucsj.com or call
(202) 775-9770 ext.12.
To learn about Human Rights issues in Kyrgyzstan, see the following link:
HRW World Report 1999
http://www.hrw.org/hrw/worldreport99
Related Links
Information provided by the following websites:
Duke University's Center for Slavic, Eurasian and East European Studies
<(http://www.duke.edu/web/CSEEES)
Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS
(http://www.fjc.ru)
Jewish Communities of the World
(http://virtualjerusalem.com/communities/wjcbook)
More on Kyrgyzstan
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