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People group profile · PG024256

The Bukharic Jews of Kazakhstan

The Bukharic Jews of Kazakhstan, numbering about 2,200 people, are Unengaged and Unreached. They are a historic Jewish ethnoreligious community of Central Asia, especially Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. They traditionally speak Bukhori (Judeo-Tajik), a Jewish Persian language, and maintain distinctive cultural traditions within Judaism.

They are a diaspora people in the Jews people cluster of the Jewish Peoples. Their primary religion is Judaism, and they primarily speak Bukharic.

Pray for the Bukharic JewsPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Bukharic Jews people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite: Jew, Bukharic

Fast facts

Country
Kazakhstan
Population
2,200
Affinity group
Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
People cluster
Jews
Primary language
Bukharic (bhh)
Primary religion
Judaism
Strategic Progress Index
Unengaged and Unreached
Evangelical
No Known Evangelicals
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
Central Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Bukharic Jews are Unengaged and Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, and there has been no reported church planting activity in the past two years. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist No
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Bukharic Jews

  • Pray that God would send workers to this people group
  • Begin sowing the gospel and seek out people of peace
  • Plant the first churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice

Primary religion

Judaism

95% adherents

Primary language

Bukharic · Indo-European family

70% speak Bukharic

Gospel resources in Bukharic

  • Bible available
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings not available
  • Audio resources not available
  • Bible stories available

Films

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Bukharic Jews

  1. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.
  2. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  3. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  4. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.

Download a prayer guide

Jew, Bukharan in other countries

The same people (ROP3 104244) is reported in 3 other countries.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
Bukharic JewsIsrael94,500Engaged yet Unreached
Bukharic JewsUnited States60,500Engaged yet Unreached
Bukharic JewsKyrgyzstan550Unengaged and Unreached

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