Jewish-Muslim Interrelations

Jews were an integral part of Muslim civilization in the Middle East, North Africa, Iberia, and beyond from its origins until the mid-20th century. Integration and symbiosis were more common and enduring than episodes of tension and persecution. This collaboration between the Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program and the Center for Jewish Studies on Jewish-Muslim Interrelations explores this rich history with renowned scholars of Jewish and Islamic studies.

Power and Vulnerability in Middle Eastern and North African Jewish History

Tuesday, April 28, 2026 | 4-5:30pm | Sever 213 | RSVP Here

Jessica Marglin, Visiting Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University

Jessica Marglin talk

The Star of David and the Cedar Tree: Arab-Jewish Relations at the American University of Beirut (1900-1950)

Thursday, April 10, 2025 | 5:30-7pm | Thompson Room, Barker Center, 12 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 | RSVP Here

Caroline Kahlenberg, Assistant Professor, History and Middle Eastern & South Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Virginia

Jessica Marglin talk

Sultan Suleiman as King Solomon and Zahir al-Umar as Ahasuerus: The Ottoman Arab Culture of Palestinian Jews, 1517-1799

Thursday, May 2, 2024 | 5-6:30pm | Room 110 (Thompson Room), Barker Center 

Orit Bashkin, Mabel Greene Myers Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History, University of Chicago

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Orit Bashkin lecture

A Talk on Jewish Muslims: How Christians Imagined Islam as the Enemy

Tuesday,  November 12, 2024 | 4-5:30pm | Cader Room, Swartz Hall, Harvard Divinity School

David Freidenreich, Pulver Family Professor of Jewish Studies, Colby College

Co-sponsor: Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School

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Freidenreich book talk