During WWII, Uzbekistan became a sanctuary for refugees fleeing from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, etc. Jewish refugees established a thriving cultural life there, including Yiddish theater.

Now an article by Mordechai Haimovitz published in the Jerusalem Post describes Uzbekistan's policy of researching and documenting the history of its Jewish community, which has existed in the central Asian nation since the region was crushed by the hooves of Genghis Khan’s horses. This also includes hundreds of thousands of Jews who managed to escape the chains of Germany’s Panzer tanks.

When the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan generously opened its doors to Jews and many others fleeing the Germans. Now the republic is welcoming the public to step into the official Uzbek archives and view the history of its Jewish community for themselves.

The Central State Archive of the Republic of Uzbekistan has been instructed to make information about the lives of Jews during World War II and before available to the public. The archive is also currently in the process of signing an agreement with the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People in Jerusalem, and soon afterward also with Yad Vashem.

You can read the full story at: https://bit.ly/3yYWuuI.