The Musical Legacy of Iranian Jews

What does the music of Iran's ancient Jewish community reveal about a tradition shaped by more than two and a half millennia on the Silk Road? In this two-session program, Alan Niku explores the musical heritage of Iranian Jews: from the liturgical chants and piyyutim of Persian synagogues to the secular songs and instrumental traditions that flourished in cities like Esfahan, Shiraz, and Tehran. We'll trace how Persian classical music, including the modal system known as dastgah, intertwined with Jewish religious practice over centuries, and how Iranian Jewish music has continued to evolve in diaspora communities from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv. Along the way, we'll listen to recordings of master vocalists, encounter Persian Jewish folk songs, and consider how one of the world's oldest Jewish communities has carried its musical identity forward into the present.