New York hosted a warm evening honoring the activists of the women's organization Esther HaMalka, which unites the women of the Bukharian-Jewish community around the ideals of kindness, mutual aid, enlightenment, and the preservation of national traditions. In the cozy hall of a Queens restaurant gathered the women who stood at the organization's beginnings, along with public figures, friends, and longtime contributors to its magazine. The meeting turned into a lively conversation about the path traveled, the people through whose efforts dozens of community initiatives came to life, and plans for the future.
The organization's president, Dr. Zoya Maksumova, reminded those present that the idea of founding Esther HaMalka belonged to one of the community's leaders, Boris Kandov. It was he who saw the need to unite women into an independent public force capable of addressing matters of family, child-rearing, health, charity, and the preservation of Jewish traditions. Having taken the helm, Zoya Maksumova succeeded in turning it into one of the most active community centers of Bukharian Jews in America.
Over the years, hundreds of projects have been carried out under the auspices of Esther HaMalka: charitable drives, medical lectures, creative gatherings, the Woman of the Year and Distinguished Bukharian-Jewish Mother contests, the honoring of large families, educational programs, and events aimed at strengthening the Jewish family.
A special place in this work belongs to the magazine Zhensky Mir (Women's World), which came into being through the initiative of the organization's activists. Recalling those early years, participants at the evening described how, in 1996, funds for the first issue were gathered from the whole community. The magazine's layout was assembled in Zoya Maksumova's Manhattan apartment with the help of her children, Angela and Andrey. It is hard to believe today that that modest community venture grew into a respected publication that has now released 300 issues.
Many of the speakers spoke with gratitude of those who had contributed to the magazine's development. Dr. Zoya Maksumova noted the many years of work put in by editors, managers, and authors, singling out the role of her husband, Boris Kandkhorov, who, in her words, possesses a refined literary taste, as well as the magazine's longtime manager Eleonora Nektalova, thanks to whom the publication maintained its financial stability for many years.
The photograph shows one of the organization's recent events
