The Music and Poetry of the Jews of Iran

Sunday, December 22

USA 12:00 pm PT / 3:00 pm ET

UK 8:00 pm / France 9:00 pm / Israel 10:00 pm

The talk will last approximately 90 minutes

About this talk

Jews and Persians: two cultures known for their music and poetry. From hazzanut and klezmer to dastgah and motrebi, and from Psalms and piyyutim to ghazals and robaiyat, these two peoples have been linked through their common love for poetry, and for the musical expression of that poetry. So what about the Jews of Iran? Was their music similar to other Jewish communities? Was it more Iranian or Jewish? Did they participate in greater society, or were they isolated from the music and poetry around them? And what can we learn about the Jews of Iran through their music? We will explore these questions and more in this class about the music and poetry of the Jews of Iran.

About Alan

Alan Niku is a filmmaker, writer, and scholar of Mizrahi culture from San Luis Obispo, California, based in Los Angeles. A native speaker of Persian, he spends his time learning related Jewish languages, deciphering Judeo-Persian manuscripts, and interviewing community members about their stories. He is also a musician and an amateur chef, teaches history and Jewish heritage at various levels, and seeks to educate the world about the underrepresented cultures of the Middle East through his writing and films.


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You will be asked to select one of these options:

General admission - $18

Supported admission - $9

Sponsor this talk - $36

With your contribution, you will also be donating to The HUC-JIR Jewish Language Project.  Its mission includes a recent focus on the Jewish Languages of Iran, actively taking steps to prevent the extinction of over a dozen Iranian Jewish languages and with them, the heritage and stories they contain.