Intertwined Worlds: Judaism & Islam in Historical Perspectives
A series of six talks cosponsored by The Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies, The Middle East and North African Studies Program, Northwestern University Libraries, The Program in Comparative Literary Studies, and cosponsored and supported by The Alumnae of Northwestern University:
1) Thursday, November 5, 2026
"Solomon Ibn Gabirol on the Worship of Non-Jews (and of Animals)*"
Jonathan Decter, Edmond J. Safra Professor in Sephardic Studies in the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, Brandeis University
12:15 - 1:45pm
Harris Hall, Room 108
1881 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, Il 60208
Lunch will be provided. Register here by Oct. 30
The Jewish poet and philosopher Solomon Ibn Gabirol held a unique perspective on “those who worship other than” God whereby all non-Jews, whether wittingly or unwittingly, direct their worship toward the one God. However, this resulted not from an enlightened religious tolerance but rather was a natural consequence of the author’s ontological system, which also accepted that animals worship God.
*This talk is also part of the Medieval Colloquium series.
2) Thursday, November 19, 2026
"Beyond Bricks and Mortar: Synagogues and Jewish Life and Heritage in Cairo"
Yoram Meital, Professor of Middle East Studies, Ben-Gurion University
5:00 - 6:30pm
Kresge Hall, Room 1-515
1880 Campus Dr., Evanston, IL 60208
Register here by Nov. 18
Amid ongoing war and geopolitical upheaval in the Middle East, it's crucial to note that this hasn't always been the prevailing situation. Egypt's Jewish community, once numbering over 80,000 in 1947, now consists of only a few remaining members. Cairo's twelve surviving synagogues stand as enduring storytellers of the social, cultural, and religious shifts that have shaped Egyptian society and its Jewish community since the late 19th century. Through their architecture, locations, and activities, these synagogues offer profound insights into the development of modern Jewish sociocultural identity among Cairo's Sephardi, Ashkenazi, and Karaite communities. They also mirror broader changes in Egypt over recent years. Despite the dwindling Jewish population, there's a growing interest in preserving Jewish heritage. This renewed focus on heritage conservation is intricately linked with contemporary debates regarding Egyptian society, including its historical and evolving identity. Egyptians converse about the Jewish past, along with that of other minorities, to support their diverse views about the current social fabric and political dynamics in Egypt.
3) Monday, January 25, 2027
"Translation in a Conflict Zone"
Yehuda Shnhav, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Tel Aviv University
12:00 - 1:30pm
Zoom Only
Registration link coming soon
4) Monday, February 1, 2027
"Jewish and Muslim Reflections on the Human Lifespan"
Jessica Andruss, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Virginia
5:00 - 6:30pm
Location TBA
Register here by Jan. 31
The human lifespan was a subject of shared interest among the Jewish and Muslim thinkers of the medieval Islamic world. What is the purpose of successive life stages, from gestation and birth through death and resurrection, and all the stages in between? How is the duration of each individual life determined? Jewish and Muslim scholars addressed such questions in their biblical and qurʾanic commentaries and their philosophical writings, often drawing upon their knowledge of the Greek medical tradition and their own life experience. This talk explores the intertwined worlds of Jewish and Muslim intellectual history by examining intersecting discourses about the stages of life and the transitions from one developmental stage to the next.
5) Thursday, April 8, 2027
"Iberians in Exile: Sources and Methods for the Study of Sephardic-Andalusian Relations in the Maghreb*"
Marta Dominguez Diaz, Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies, University of St. Gallen
5:00 - 6:30pm
Loation TBA
Register here by Apr. 7
The talk will introduce the challenges and opportunities presented by the use of hitherto underutilized sources for the study of communities of Iberian origin that settled in the Maghreb after their expulsion from the Iberian Peninsula. It will explore the ways in which these communities are represented in the sources, what these materials can tell us about their social history, and the types of relations they built both among themselves and vis-à-vis the wider society. I will discuss the possibilities that emerge when different types of sources are analyzed comparatively, adopting a transregional and multilingual approach that integrates materials from Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, while also considering the wider Mediterranean networks connecting these communities with other regions, including Turkey, Italy, Spain, and France. Particular attention will be paid to how these diverse and multilingual sources can help us reconstruct Hispano-Maghribi culture and Sephardic-Andalusian networks, as well as the complex worlds and relationships in which these communities were embedded.
*This talk is also cosponsored by The Department of Anthropology
6) Wednesday, May 26, 2027
"Recording History: Jews, Muslims, and Music across Twentieth-Century North Africa"
Christopher Silver, McGill University
5:00 - 6:30pm
Location TBA
Register here by May 25
In Recording History, Christopher Silver provides the first history of the music scene and recording industry across twentieth century Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. In doing so, he offers striking insights into Jewish-Muslim relations through the rhythms that animated them. For more than six decades, thousands of phonograph records constructed from shellac flowed across North African borders. The sounds embedded in their grooves were shaped in significant part by Jewish musicians, who gave voice to a changing world around them. Their popular songs broadcast on radio, performed in concert, and circulated on disc carried with them the power to delight audiences, stir national sentiments, and frustrate French colonial authorities. In asking what North Africa once sounded like, Silver introduces the music of a pivotal era––one which still resonates into our present.