Welcome to ethNYcity
The 2019 Global Cities Index ranked NYC as the world’s top global city. At a time when technology has connected the entire world, New York’s large and diverse immigrant population coupled with its global influence make Metro New York one of the most strategic places at the most strategic time in history to “make disciples of all nations.” Consider this…
- If the members of unreached people groups living in Metro New York were collectively counted as a city, they would form the second largest city in the United States.
- There are over 2 million Jews in Metro New York, which makes up the 2nd largest Jewish population of any metropolitan area in the world.
- There are over one million Muslims in the New York City area (see this blog series for a breakdown). Based on figures from a Pew Religious Landscape Study in 2014, 23% of Muslims in the United States live in the New York metropolitan area.
- Over 500,000 Hindus live in Metro New York with little gospel witness.
- Metro New York is home to some of the best universities in the US including Columbia University and NYU. Over 70,000 international students and scholars, many from unreached people groups and least evangelized countries, study here every year.
- There are 800,000 Chinese living in Metro New York–the largest number of Chinese in the Western Hemisphere.
- Queens is the most ethnically diverse county in the US and half of the people in Queens were born in another country. Around 60-65% of NYC is foreign-born or children of foreign-born.
- Approximately 800 languages are spoken in NYC making it one of, if not the most, linguistically diverse cities in the world. Over 48% of New York residents speak a language other than English in their homes.
- NYC serves as the American hub for East Asians, South Asians, West Africans, Caribbeans, South Americans, Russians, and others.
Trends indicate that by the year 2030 over 75% of the world’s population will live in major cities. Because cities are the influential centers, the effect of ministry to unreached people groups residing in these cities goes beyond the borders of the city into the world. The world’s demographics continue to change as people groups migrate and move into foreign international cities. Many of these people represent the influential thinkers and policy makers of their nations and networks. This gives us a wonderful opportunity to reach people with the gospel who can have a powerful voice to their own people and in their native lands. Enter into ethNYcity and enter into God’s plan for the world!
People Group of the Day
Bukharan Jews in Metro New York
Place of Origin: Uzbekistan (primarily Tashkent, Bukhara, and Samarkand); Tajikistan (Dushanbe); Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzst
Location in Metro New York: Queens (Forest Hills, Rego Park, Lefrak City)
Population in Metro New York: 50,000 (Community Estimate)
Population in New York City:
Primary Religion: Judaism (Sephardic)
Secondary Religion:
Status of Christian Witness: Less than 2% evangelical. Some evangelical re- sources available, but no active church planting within the past two years.
Primary Languages: Russian, Bukhori, English
Significant Notes:
- By far the most visible Bukharan adherent to Orthodox Judaism is Lubavitcher Lev Leviev, a diamond cutter who is one of the world's wealthiest Jews and biggest philanthropists, donating millions to Chabad Lubavitch and Bukharan causes.
- Many Bukharan Jews are more comfortable in Russian than they are Bukhori, which leads people to confuse them with "Russian Jews."
- The language of Bukhori is having a small revival in Queens, where a Bukharan theater regularly performs plays in Bukhori.
How To Pray: Although Queens is the most strategic place in the world to share the gospel with Bukharan Jews, there are only a couple of workers among them. Pray that God would send laborers. Pray for the first church or messianic synagogue to be started among the Bukharan Jews.
