The Afghanistan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS), in collaboration with Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization, is set to hold an academic symposium titled “Jewish Civilization and Persian Heritage” in Washington, D.C., on Monday, September 29.
The event aims to explore the historical and cultural intersections between the Jewish world and the broader Persian civilizational sphere, the AISS said in a statement.
Scholars, educators and cultural figures will examine topics ranging from historical coexistence and literary exchange to diasporic connections and contemporary geopolitical dynamics, according to the announcement.
The symposium will conclude with a cultural program, “Night of Rumi in Washington,” hosted at the Museum of the Bible, celebrating the shared cultural legacies of Jewish and Persian traditions. The evening will include the unveiling of a new research publication, performances of traditional music, calligraphy displays, art exhibitions and a special lecture on Afghanistan’s Ketubah, described as one of the oldest Jewish religious manuscripts.
The AISS said the series of events is intended to deepen public understanding of the “profound and multilayered interactions” between Jewish communities and the Persian cultural world throughout history and into the present.
