Meeting our host family and .04%

Today I will meet my host family. Per the Peace Corps, for safety reasons, I will not be able to share where they are located on my blog. I am very excited to meet them and I’ve heard they are very excited to meet us. We’ve started to learn a few cultural norms (take shoes off when you enter the house, most homes have summer showers located outside, many families eat on the floor and you best be careful not to put your feet on the tablecloth!). I’ve also started my Russian lessons. I will be learning that language instead of Kyrgyz.

On July 8th we arrived in Kyrgyzstan. Angela calculated that from the time we left the hotel in New Jersey to the moment we arrived at our hotel, we had been traveling for 36 hours straight. It was uneventful, which in this case, is not a bad thing.

But it was an emotional day.

On the flight from Turkey to Kyrgyzstan I sat next to a Host Country National (HCN) whose name unfortunately I’ve forgotten. He had already made friends with a few other volunteers and we immediately struck up a conversation when he took his seat. His English was basic but we were still able to discuss his children, trade vocabulary, why I was not married and eventually my religion. I told him I was Jewish.

He didn’t recognize the religion so he asked “Catholic?”
I replied “No, Jewish.”
“Protestant?”
“No, we came before the Christians. Do you know Israel?”
“Evangelical? Baptist?”
Once again I said “no” then asked his religion. He replied Muslim. So I drew the symbol of each of our religions – Star of David, the cross and a crescent moon – and that registered. The conversation soon tailed off and he took an interest in the couple sitting opposite from him.

A few minutes later HCN says very excitedly. “You know high holy day? People go to Tel Aviv for symposium. You contact 2 weeks after.”

What?!?! What people? What symposium? In Tel Aviv? In Kyrgyzstan? I told him I didn’t understand so he turns away again and speaks rapidly in Russian to the couple again and HCN hands me a business card.

I don’t know if it was my travel weariness, fear of isolation, leaving home or just lack of sleep but the moment I saw the menorah in the top left corner of the card the tears came up and wouldn’t stop. My reaction took me completely by surprise. I was crying so hard I couldn’t speak. Even now I’m getting misty. Poor HCN was so confused. Once I calmed down I explained what a wonderful thing he had done, that my tears were tears of joy and I was extremely thankful. I don’t know if he quite got it.

There are 5 million people in Kyrgyzstan. I’ve read only 2000 identify as Jews. That’s .04%. And this wonderful man introduced me 2 of the 2000. The couple I met work for the Jewish Culture Society of Kyrgyzstan. They invited me to visit their community and while they will not be in town for the High Holy Days we’ve already discussed Pesach. While I’m writing this I have not had a chance to visit their website but here it is http://www.hesed.kg. They also said if I need anything, to call.

What angels. What a small world.

I told Peace Corps staff about my new acquaintances and my hopes of connecting with the Jewish community. They are very supportive and glad that I made the contact.