Rabbi Yosef ben Moshe Mammon (Maimon) Maravi (1741 – 7 December 1822) is the spiritual leader credited with helping strengthen religious observance and introducing the Sephardic liturgy to the Bukharian Jewish community.
It was during his search for funds in 1793 that Rabbi Mammon arrived in Bukhara, and chose to stay, in order to strengthen Judaism within the local Jewish population.
The community's physical isolation from major centers of Jewish learning was a result of the Bukhara Emirate's policy of closed borders, intended to avoid involvement in the Great Game.
[3] Early 19th century travelers to Bukhara, including missionary Joseph Wolff, a Hebrew Christian, described in detail the impact of Yosef Mammon on the culture and religion of the Bukharian Jews.
[citation needed] Another distant descendant, Iosef Yusupov,[4] has worked as an artistic director and conceptual designer for the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Sochi, Russia.