About The AskBobo Dictionary

Why was there a need for an online dictionary? Bukharian Jews, for many years, living in the territory of the modern Central Asian republics (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan) created the language (Bukhory). However in 1940, the Soviet government officially closed all schools which were conducted in the Bukhory language; they also forbade the printing of mass media and books. Thankfully the Bukhory language is still around today because of the elder generation’s prominent use of it as a means of communication. After all this time, youth who have lived in this free world for some time have begun to show interest in their roots and in the creative heritage left behind by their ancestors. They have began to aspire to master the Bukhory language their elders worked so hard to keep intact.  This online dictionary is revolutionary as it has hit internet the realization of the importance of maintaining a historic language. Finally, an online dictionary serves a wide range of people because of its relatively easy access from the internet and mobile phones rather the book, itself.

Manashe Khaimov, Innovator, Jewish Educator, and Community Leader

Manashe Khaimov is a passionate community leader. Manashe’s idea of creating the website AskBobo represents his commitment to preserve Bukharian Jewish culture, heritage, and language for many years to come.  M. Khaimov has collaborated with Bukharian Jewish educators, scholars, philosophers and historians to allow the community to access Bukharian language at their fingertips.  AskBobo website is available to everyone who is willing to learn.

Dictionary Contributors:

Kimyagarov Amnun, Ph.D.

President of the American office of the International Academy on development of technologies (IATE), the Inventor of the USSR, and an Excellent pupil of invention and rationalization of Uzbekistan. He published more than 150 works of scientific and methodical character from which 13 are recognized as inventions. In the USA, he published many books, one of which is the English-Russian-Bukharian Jewish Dictionary, (2010).

Chana Tolmas, Ph.D.

Chana Tolmas was born in Dushanbe. She graduated from the Pedagogical Institute in 1981, majoring in Faculty of Foreign Languages. ​​She immigrated to Israel in 1989. She continued her education by enrolling in graduate courses in higher teaching at the Leningrad State University (1984-86). Chana Tolmas is also a graduate student of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan (1986). In 1990, she began doctoral studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Under the guidanceof Professor Michael Sand, she worked on her thesis “Anthroponomy of Bukharian Jews”. In 2002, she received her Doctorate of Philosophy. Chana is also an accomplished editor, she reviews and translates published books on the history, culture, and folklore of Bukharian Jews. One of which Phrasebook: Bukharian Jewish – English – Hebrew, and published a book with the help of Center for the Study of Jewish Communities of Iran, Afghanistan and Bukhara “AVA”.

Kimyagarova Zoya, Philologist.

A teacher of English; she has worked as the coordinator on the “Jewish Enrichment and Culture Program”. She is the author of methodical development on Jewish behavior and education.