Full Name: Republic of Tajikistan
Local Name: Jumhurii Tojikistan
Capital: Dushanbe
Languages: Tajik, Russian
Currency: The Tajikistani ruble (TJR) = 100 tanga
Independence: 9 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Total Area: 143,100 sq km
Comparative Area: slightly smaller than Wisconsin
Borders: Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan
General Population: 5,935,000
Jewish Population: 1,200
Life Expectancy: male 61.35 years, female 67.7 years

Background

Most Tajik Jews live in the capital, but there is also a smaller community in Shakhrisabz. Around half of the republic's Jews have Bukharan origins, while the other half are Ashkenazim who arrived from other areas in the Soviet Union during World War II.

Jewish Life

Thousands of Jews have left the region due to many incidents of violence sparked by the civil war between rival Muslim factions. Most Jewish activity occurs in Dushanbe with a synagogue, schools, and community centers. The rabbi of Tashkent is involved in overseeing the religious needs of this small community. The future in Tajikistan is uncertain, especially for the many elderly and sick people who cannot emigrate.

Israel

Israel and Tajikistan have full diplomatic relations. Israel is represented by its ambassador in Uzbekistan.
Aliya: Since 1989, 10,000 Tajik Jews have emigrated to Israel.

UCSJ Work

The UCSJ provides antisemitism documentation to assist Jews in Tajikistan. 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 Tajikistan, 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)

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