From Bishkek To The World:  The Enduring Light Of Alexander Mashkevich (1954–2025)

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The Jewish world mourns the loss of Alexander Antonovich Mashkevich — a visionary philanthropist, unifier of Jewish communities across continents, and tireless advocate for Torah, memory, and peoplehood. Born in 1954 in Frunze (now Bishkek), Kyrgyz SSR, and passing away suddenly in London on March 22, his life’s journey reflected a remarkable fusion of scholarship, leadership, and neshamah — soul.

 

From Soviet Scholarship to Global Influence

Born to a Lithuanian Jewish father and a Belarusian Jewish mother, both survivors of the turmoil of World War II, Alexander Mashkevich excelled academically. He earned a doctorate in philology and became, at just 27, the youngest candidate of sciences in the Soviet Union. As Dean of the Philological Faculty at the Bishkek Pedagogical Institute, his early career was steeped in education.

With the winds of perestroika, Mashkevich transitioned into the world of business. Alongside partners Patokh Chodiev and Alijan Ibragimov, he co-founded the Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC), which grew into a global leader in mining and natural resources. His success not only transformed Kazakhstan’s economy but allowed him to channel influence into meaningful, enduring change for the Jewish people.

 

A Torchbearer for Jewish Communities

In 2000, Mashkevich founded the Kazakhstan Jewish Congress. Two years later, he became the founding president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), bringing together communities from the former Soviet Union, Central Asia, and as far afield as Albania and New Zealand.

Under his leadership, synagogues were built, yeshivot established, and communal infrastructure restored. He reminded the world that no Jewish community is too small, too distant, or too forgotten to deserve connection, dignity, and support.

 

Champion of Holocaust Remembrance

Among Mashkevich’s most meaningful endeavors was Holocaust education and memory preservation. He played a central role in the creation of the Besa Museum in Tirana, Albania, which honors Albanians who saved Jews during the Holocaust under the sacred code of besa — a solemn oath of protection.

He also funded Holocaust commemorations and educational programming throughout Eurasia, ensuring that the Shoah’s lessons would resonate across generations, especially in communities where historical memory risked fading.

 

Meeting Torah Giants and Global Leaders

Throughout his life, Mashkevich built strong relationships with Torah luminaries and religious figures worldwide. He was closely connected to Israel’s Chief Rabbis, including Rav Yitzchak Yosef and Rav David Lau. In 2002, he welcomed Haifa’s Chief Rabbi She’ar-Yashuv Cohen to Kazakhstan, affirming the spiritual direction of the growing EAJC.

He was also a patron of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, supporting Jewish life in Muslim countries and advancing religious dialogue. His interactions spanned faiths and nations — from Pope Francis to senior imams, from business tycoons to heads of state, including Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Mashkevich firmly believed that every human being should have a place to pray. His philanthropy extended to restoring synagogues, churches, and mosques — an embodiment of the Torah’s value of darchei shalom, the pursuit of peace.

 

Queens’ Quiet Connection to His Legacy

Though his personal visits to New York’s Queens borough are not widely recorded, Mashkevich’s influence is unmistakably felt within its diverse Jewish population. Queens is home to thousands of Jews from Central Asia, Russia, and the Caucasus — regions where his efforts revitalized Jewish identity.

The synagogues and yeshivot he supported helped shape the Jewish journeys of many who would later settle in Forest Hills, Rego Park, and Kew Gardens. His work was especially honored by the Beth Gavriel Center of New York, a spiritual and communal home for the Bukharian community. In a heartfelt tribute, the center’s leadership shared:

“Marked by the Creator and gifted as a talented businessman, Alexander Antonovich consistently dedicated substantial personal resources to the development of vital social projects in various countries, including yeshivos and synagogues. Alongside his wife Lara, he built a home rooted in love, raising daughters and delighting in his grandchildren. The Board of Directors of Beth Gavriel will forever hold the memory of this irreplaceable man in their hearts.”

— Ilya Koptiev (President), Simkha Alishaev (Vice President), Rabbi Emanuel Shimonov

The La’Maalot Foundation, which continues the legacy of Rav Yitzchak Zilber zt"l, also expressed deep appreciation. Representatives Zhora Iskhakov and Gary Sadikov noted:

“Alexander Mashkevich was a partner in preserving the soul of Jewish life in the former Soviet Union. His vision aligned with that of Rav Zilber zt"l — that no Jew be forgotten, no community left behind. His memory is a blessing not only to those who knew him, but to generations yet to come.”

 

A Life of Legacy
 and Heart

Despite his towering presence in business, communal, and interfaith spheres, Alexander Mashkevich was, above all, a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Together with his beloved wife Larisa, he raised two daughters, Anna and Alla, and took immense pride in his grandchildren.

His sudden passing leaves a great void — but his legacy lives on in the communities he uplifted, the voices he amplified, and the Torah values he carried from the Soviet steppe to the world stage.

As we approach Zman Cheiruteinu, the Festival of Freedom, we remember a man who gave others the freedom to dream, to build, and to belong. May the memory of Alexander Antonovich Mashkevich be a zechut for klal Yisrael, and may his light continue to shine through the generations.