First Bukharian Wins Prestigious Jewish Award
by Erin Levi (first published in Bukharian Times #1232
Pomegranate Prize Recipient 2025
In a landmark moment for the Bukharian Jewish community, educator and community leader Manashe Khaimov has become the first Bukharian recipient of the Pomegranate Prize, a prestigious honor awarded by The Covenant Foundation.
The prize, launched in 2011, recognizes emerging Jewish educators who are making an extraordinary impact in their fields. Each recipient is awarded funding and welcomed into a national network of peers and mentors, ensuring their innovations in Jewish education can flourish and reach wider audiences. This year marked a milestone: The Covenant Foundation doubled the number of annual awards, granting the Pomegranate Prize to ten honorees during a ceremony at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York on Tuesday.
“The ten remarkable professionals selected for this year’s Prize represent ten distinctly unique settings in which high quality and exciting Jewish education and engagement is happening,” said Deborah S. Meyer, Chair of the Board of The Covenant Foundation. “It is thrilling to see how the field continues to grow and evolve with such bright promise.”
A Trailblazer for Bukharian Jewry
For Bukharian Jews, the recognition of Manashe Khaimov is a milestone decades in the making. Born in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, and raised in the traditions of Bukharian, Sephardic, Mizrahi, and Russian-speaking Jewry, Khaimov has dedicated his career to preserving and sharing the heritage of a community that has often been overlooked in mainstream Jewish education.
He is the founder, CEO, and lead educator of SAMi: Sephardic American Mizrachi Initiative, an organization that brings Sephardic and Mizrahi voices into the broader Jewish narrative. He also serves as a Queens College Adjunct Professor and lecturer specializing in Bukharian Jewish history and culture, and as the founding director of the Bukharian Jewish Union, a network for young professionals.
Khaimov’s leadership roles have spanned national organizations such as Hillel International, JIMENA, and UJA-Federation of NY. His accolades include the Queens Impact Award, The Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36,” recognition as Bukharian Jewish Congress’s Person of the Year in both 2020 and 2021, the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship, and the Wexner Field Fellowship. He holds an MSW from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College and a BA in Marketing and Corporate Communication from Baruch College. He lives in Hollywood, FL.
from left: Manashe and Noam Khaimov
“I am humbled and honored to receive the Pomegranate Prize, a historic moment as the first Bukharian Jew to be recognized in this way,” Khaimov tells the Bukharian Times. “For me, this award is a tribute to the resilience of my community, from the streets of Samarkand to the campuses across America where Sephardic and Mizrahi students are building their Jewish future. Through SAMi and our heritage trips to Uzbekistan, I see how young people connect deeply to their roots and proudly carry them forward. This is more than recognition—it is a call to continue the sacred work of Jewish education, ensuring that our stories, traditions, and voices will inspire generations to come.”
His colleagues in Jewish education echoed this sentiment. “Manashe Khaimov is reshaping Jewish education by amplifying Sephardic and Mizrahi voices and bridging generational and cultural gaps. His creativity, vision, and deep commitment make him a true leader in the field,” shared Igal Kotler, Director of Jewish Education at COJECO and last year’s Pomegranate Prize recipient.
SAMi Board of Director Rozeeta Mavashev gushed, “I have had the privilege of witnessing Manashe transform ideas into movements that have grown into what SAMi is today. His heart, creativity and relentless dedication to community make him the embodiment of what the Covenant Pomegranate Prize celebrates.” Continuing, she added, “Manashe is not only an educator, he is a changemaker and trailblazer, shaping the future leadership of Sephardi and Mizrahi communities, especially the emerging Bukharian leaders of today. A true role model and source of inspiration, he strengthens young voices now and lays the foundation for a vibrant future to come.”
from left: Violeta Khaimov, Manashe Khaimov, and Diana Khaimov
For Khaimov, the Pomegranate Prize is more than a personal honor—it is a collective achievement. His win shines a spotlight on the vibrant contributions of Bukharian Jewry to American Jewish life and ensures that the next generation will encounter a fuller, more inclusive vision of Jewish identity.
Alongside Khaimov, nine other recipients of the 2025 Pomegranate Prize reflect the breadth and creativity of Jewish education today, from Torah study to environmental stewardship, from inclusive classrooms to arts and spirituality.
“We were overwhelmed by the influx of applications we received this year,” said Joni Blinderman, Executive Director of The Covenant Foundation. He noted that the decision to double the number of recipients this year was a response to “the stress on our educators during this acutely difficult moment in our collective lives,” emphasizing that this “thrilling” expansion is meant to provide “support, community, and strength.”
from left: Noam and Manashe Khaimov, Deborah S. Meyer: Board Chair, Joni Blinderman, Executive Director of the Covenant Foundation
The Covenant Foundation, established by the Crown Family Philanthropies, has long championed innovative approaches to Jewish education, supporting programs that span classrooms, camps, community centers, and cultural institutions.
The Pomegranate Prize in particular symbolizes growth and potential: the pomegranate, with its many seeds, has been a Jewish symbol of abundance and new beginnings for centuries. For our community, Manashe Khaimov’s achievement as the first Bukharian winner of this prestigious honor represents a seed of its own—one that promises to deepen understanding, visibility, and pride for generations to come.
from left: Abrash and Marina Khaimov (Manashe’s parents)
