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Shymkent’s mikveh and the community’s ritual life
Shymkent’s first mikveh opened in July 2024. A report on its creation traces the small community’s development and the distances that shaped its everyday life.
Published
This is a translation. The original is Русский. Language review: not performed by a native speaker.
On 9 July 2024, Shymkent’s Jewish community opened the city’s first mikveh, a place for ritual immersion in Jewish tradition. 1
The family who moved to Shymkent
Rabbi Mordechai Morozov and his wife Shoshana moved to Shymkent in 2018 to develop Chabad’s work there. The report lists prayers, adult classes and other Jewish programmes. The author of the 2024 publication estimated the local community at more than two hundred people. 1
Why a dedicated facility mattered
Before the mikveh opened, the nearest alternatives, according to the report, were in Tashkent and Almaty. The author writes that the journey to Tashkent took about two hours and required crossing a border. Almaty’s facilities were considerably farther away. 1
Two years before the opening
According to Chabad.org, work on the mikveh began in 2022 and took about two years. The article mentions a grant, donations and contributions from people in the community network. 1
According to the source, residents, community representatives and guests gathered for the opening. 1
Fragments for distribution
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Миква в Шымкенте
Русский ·key fact
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Семья Морозовых и миква в Шымкенте
Русский ·key fact