On
February 28th, 2024, the Bukharian Jewish Women (BJW) Book Club celebrated its
second anniversary. Irina Aronov had the initial idea of creating this club,
and she and I have co-led the book club together ever since. We started as a
group of 10 people, attending a Zoom meeting to discuss the book we read.
Later, we have found a permanent home for our Book club at the Bukharian Jewish
Community Center. Director, Iosif Khaimov graciously provided a space for us
recognizing the need to support women led community initiatives. These
in-person meet-ups, grew into friendships and a sense of belonging. Our book
club began to include other activities such as museum outings, lectures, art
classes, Broadway shows, and movie nights.
We have
read 30 books together. Initially, focusing on Jewish books, our first book was
Alice Hoffman's "The Dovekeeper," which created a thirst for learning
more about our rich history, heritage, and people. The narratives of other
books that we read have offered a profound understanding of the struggles faced
by Jewish leaders and illuminated the triumphs and tribulations of our
homeland, Israel. Our reading list boasts notable works such as Leon Uris's
"Exodus," Francine Klagsburn's "Lioness – Golda Meir and the
Nation of Israel," Sarit Yishai Levi's "The Beauty Queen of
Jerusalem," Naomi Ragеn's
"Jephte’s Daughter," Eshkol Nevo's "Three Floors Up," Noah
Tishby's "Israel," Maggie Anton's "Rav Hisda’s Daughter,"
and many more. This thirst for Jewish knowledge resulted in a request to hold
additional zoom session focusing on Jewish learning and discussions. For the
past year I have held 30-min zoom on Tuesdays discussing teachings of Rabbi
Saks and Rabbi Telushkin, ranging from ethics to the weekly Torah portion and
these zoom sessions were a welcome addition to our book club. I believe that
through learning, we can influence our families and even our nation to be
kinder and better.
Beyond exploring our history and Jewishness, we have dedicated time to personal
growth through self-help literature. Titles like John Gottman and Julie
Schwartz Gottman's "The Love Prescription," Emily Nagoski's
"Come As You Are," Gary Chapman "The 5 Love Languages,"
Beatrice Chestnut's "The Enneagram," and Thomas Erikson's
"Surrounded by Idiots" have enriched our lives, fostering improved
communication, self-awareness, and a stronger sense of community.
Recently,
recognizing the importance of diversity, we decided to read books about other
cultures. One such book that we recently read was by Gregory David Roberts's
voluminous "Shantaram," which has broadened our perspectives. While
opinions on this captivating yet intense book varied among our members, the
discussions underscored the richness that diversity brings to our understanding
of the world.
In the
past two years, our BJW Book Club has transformed into a community of leaders.
Every member now contributes actively, suggesting books, organizing events, and
sharing responsibilities. This collective involvement is not only inspiring but
also essential to our continued growth. As we look ahead, envisioning the
celebration of our book club's bat mitzvah in the next decade, we aspire to
attract more bright Bukharian Jewish women eager to embrace life, learn, and
grow together. The journey so far has been remarkable, and we anticipate many
more chapters filled with shared discoveries, discussions, and the joy of
lifelong learning.
Elana Yuabov
