Musical program on Jewish Persian culture set Oct. 29

Anthropologist, composer and performer Dr. Galeet Dardashti will present a musical lecture on Jewish Persian music and culture at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29, at Epworth United Methodist Church in Rehoboth Beach.

This free multifaith program, Persian Music from My Jewish Family Tradition, is sponsored by Seaside Jewish Community and the Jewish Federation of Delaware.

“Epworth looks forward to hosting Dr. Dardashti,” said the Rev. Dr. Vicki Gordy-Stith, Epworth lead pastor.

“Music transcends so many barriers, allowing our hearts to find safe space to reflect on new or different topics. Learning history and spirituality through music will allow us to gain an understanding of Jewish and Persian history and culture, and how it influences faith traditions today. As a Christian pastor, I find that these types of experiences both broaden my depth of knowledge and deepen my love for the Divine,” said Gordy-Stith.

In the program, Dardashti will show the cross-cultural connections between Jews and non-Jews in the Middle East through a presentation of both lecture and music. She explains how Jews arrived in Persia, possibly as early as 586 BC, which led Jewish music to become part of the fabric of Persian culture. She plans to compare the two in the Oct. 29 program.

“I had the opportunity to see Galeet perform in a program sponsored by the Jewish Federations of North America, and thought it would be enjoyable and enlightening to bring her to our community,” said Sara Rosen, event organizer and Seaside board member. “We were delighted when the Jewish Federation of Delaware decided to sponsor Galeet’s visit.”

Rosen also has reached out to several local faith houses that have been working closely with Seaside in multifaith efforts to encourage mutual understanding.

Dardashti is a visiting professor at NYU’s Taub Center for Israel Studies and a musician-in-residence at JCP Downtown in Manhattan. She has a reputation as a trailblazing performer, educator and advocate of Middle Eastern and North African Jewish culture. As a musician, she is the first woman to continue her family’s tradition of distinguished Persian and Jewish musicianship, and she has earned a reputation as one of the most innovative performers of Jewish music today.

She is the founder and leader of the all-woman Middle Eastern Jewish ensemble Divahn – which released its newest album, “Shalhevet,” in March 2020.

She also received a Six Points Fellowship to pursue her multidisciplinary project and nationally acclaimed solo release, “The Naming,” which interprets some of the compelling women of the Bible. 

Dardashti was born into a musical family. Her grandfather, Yona Dardashti, was a famous singer of classical Persian music in Iran, and her Iranian father, who later sang opera, became a cantor in the United States. She has performed throughout the United States and Israel, including significant cantorial work. She holds a doctorate in cultural anthropology and has earned many fellowships for her academic research.

The performance is free, but registration is required. To sign up, go to seasidejewishcommunity.com, click on the calendar, then select Oct. 29. Masks are required. For details, contact Sara Rosen at boysies.rosen@gmail.com.