Education Minister Gideon Saar was named “man of the year” on Sunday evening at
a ceremony hosted by the Congress of Bukharan Jews, for his contribution to
Jewish education in Israel and in the Diaspora.
“The historical roots of
Bukharan Jews begin back at the time of Babylonian exile and until the
immigration to the State of Israel,” Sa’ar said as he received the
award.
He added that Bukharan Jews have a significant role in building
Jerusalem and also mentioned his descendants of Bukharan origin who immigrated
to Israel some 110 years ago and buried family members on the Mount of
Olives.
“That is the where I extract my strength and belief in our strong
bond and our right to Jerusalem and the land of Israel,” Sa’ar said.