Dateline Jerusalem – My U.S. passport was about to expire in a few days. I schlepped to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to get it renewed.  While in the neighborhood, afterwards a couple of friends and I had lunch at a Bukharian restaurant in Yafo, the ancient port city called Jaffa in English. Usually it associated with Tel Aviv as Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Yafo is a suburb of southern Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean Sea. Originally, Tel Aviv was a suburb of Yafo.  It is one of the oldest cities in the world and is often mentioned in relation to biblical stories.  It has been said that the city was named after Japheth, one of the sons of Noah.  Yafo is supposed to be the port from which Jonah left before being swallowed by the whale. It is the port through which King Solomon imported cedars from Tyre to build the First Temple. 

It is thought that Bukharian Jews may be descended from one of the Lost Tribes of Israel, the Tribe of Issachar, because the last name of Issachoff is very common.  When the Northern Israelite and Judean kingdoms were destroyed, many of the exiled Jews settled in the Persian Empire during the 8th century BCE. They made the city of Bukhara their home.  The Bukharian Jewish community call themselves “Isro'il” or “Yahudi,” which translates to Israelites.  Their language is Bukhori, also known as Judeo-Tajik, a dialect of Tajik and Persian languages mixed with Hebrew.  The elderly still speak Bukhori, but the younger generation mainly speak Russian.  Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the area of Bukhara is now known as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.  There are less than 1000 Jews in Uzbekistan, none in Tajikistan since Islamic fundamentalism has pervaded the area. Most fled to Israel, some to the U.S. and Canada.

News to Me

Before coming to Israel, I had never heard of the Jews of Bukhara. I had never even heard of the country, Emirate of Bukhara.  Although their cuisine is served throughout Israel, most Bukharians live in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and Jerusalem. They are close-knit families.  In Bukharian Jewish culture, adult children only leave home to begin their own family. Usually, parents must approve the choice of their child's spouse. These traditions are slowly melting away.

The restaurant we went to for lunch was elegant yet inexpensive. In the marbled area of several sinks in which we washed our hands before eating, we were given individual thick white hand towels embroidered in gold with the restaurant's name.  We all had our own personal towel to dry our hands.  No paper towels for this restaurant.  The menu was only in Hebrew, but my friends translated for me. I was hoping for only Bukharian food on the menu. It seemed more Israeli than anything else, but with delicious subtle Bukharian seasoning.  Bukharian cuisine uses spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, pepper and a little bit of hot chili for oomph. The business lunch included loaves of freshly baked bread and several assorted salads and homemade hummus. There was a choice of two skewers of shish kabobs of either spiced ground beef, cubes of seasoned chicken, or cubes of seasoned beef. If not into kabobs, ther chicken schnitzel.

Included in the business lunch was a choice of assorted side dishes like rice, potatoes, roasted tomatoes, and other vegetables, and a cold drink.  Besides shish kabob dishes, Bukharian cuisine is known for its rice dishes. They are often made with chicken, herbs, onion, garlic, peppers and vegetables, all abiding by religious dietary restrictions. Other broiled or grilled lamb, beef and chicken dishes, noodles and/or rice, and vegetables are menu options.  Sambusa, pastries filled with meat, are similar to Indian Samosa. Chick peas, sesame seeds, and cilantro add flavor to Bukharian food. 

The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv is where U.S. citizens can get passports issued or renewed. I used to renew by mail but because I waited to the last minute to renew my passport this time, I traveled to Tel Aviv to apply in person.  I arrived not long after the doors opened, so I beat the crowds.  The doors and walls were of thick steel and even the bathrooms doors were thick steel. It was like being in a bank vault.

I was wearing a sheitel (wig) instead of my usual head covering of a snood or scarf or hat.  A glance at my photo did not reveal that it was a wig.  But I guess in person I looked wiggy because I was given a form whereby I had to attest to my head covering being for “religious or cosmetic” purposes. It was the first time I ever had to sign such a document.  I wonder if my passport will reflect a head covering, like driver’s licenses refer to a need for corrective lenses. An interesting experience.

L'hitraot.  Shachar