On September 29, 2025, the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS), in partnership with Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization and supported by the Muslim American Leadership Alliance (MALA) and the American Sephardi Federation (ASF), convened the international conference “Jews and the Persianate World: Politics, Culture, and Historical Ties” at Georgetown University. The event was followed by “Rumi Night in Washington: Celebrating Our Shared Humanity.” Four panels framed the program, covering Jewish–Persian relations in antiquity, Judeo-Islamic traditions, Israel–Iran conflict, and the reimagining of Khorasan.

The conference opened with welcoming remarks by Professor Ori Z. Soltes of Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization and by AISS Director-General Davood Moradian. Professor Soltes situated the event within Georgetown’s academic tradition of interfaith dialogue, stressing the need for historical inquiry that bridges ancient, medieval, and modern contexts. Moradian linked the gathering to AISS’s past research on Afghanistan’s religious minorities and reflected on the displacement of Afghanistan’s last Jew as a reminder that the fate of religious minorities is bound to the fate of the country as a whole.

Jack Abraham offered a personal testimony on Mizrahi identity and the Afghan Jewish legacy. He described how Afghan Jews played central roles in Herat, Kabul, and other cities through commerce, philanthropy, and civic life. He stressed resilience as the core ethic of Afghan Jews, recalling that “we survived because we fixed the world and moved forward,” and underlined how memory continues to connect dispersed Afghan Jews to the Persianate world.

The first panel, titled “Ancient Wisdom & Mutuality – Jewish–Persian Relations in Antiquity” moderated by Omar Sharifi, the first panel explored Jewish life under Persian empires. Gad Barnea presented documentary evidence from Elephantine and Qumran that illustrated integration and hybrid practices under the Achaemenids. Parvaneh Pourshariati traced Jewish communities along the Parthian Road and their political alliances during the Sasanian era. Michael Rubin provided modern reflections, arguing that Persian–Jewish civilizational ties remain embedded in memory despite later erasures.

The second panel, titled “The Triangle – Islam, Judaism & the Persianate World” moderated by Omar Sadr, this session examined theological and cultural intersections. Mustafa Akyol highlighted commonalities between Judaism and Islam, particularly shared concepts of divine law and leadership. Presentations traced the contributions of Bukharan Jewish musicians to Central Asian classical music and described Iranian Jewish mysticism influenced by Sufi traditions. Testimonies from Mashhad emphasized both persecution and long continuity of Jewish presence in Iran.

The third panel, titled “Israel & the Islamic Republic of Iran – Unpacking the Implications of the 12-Day War,” moderated by Zainab Al Suwaij, the third panel addressed the recent Israel–Iran conflict. Alex Vatanka and Arash Azizi described Iran’s political consensus on confrontation and its growing isolation. Ambassador Dennis Ross analyzed Israel’s preemptive strikes, which degraded Iran’s missile and nuclear infrastructure and recalibrated deterrence. Sarit Zehavi, speaking from Israel, detailed operational aspects of the conflict and Hezbollah’s decision not to intervene.

The fourth Panel, titled “Dawn of Khorasan – Reclaiming & Reimagining the Future” moderated by Kalid Loul, the final panel returned to heritage and identity. Jason Guberman contrasted extremist uses of Khorasan with its authentic legacy as a crossroads of knowledge and presented Diarna’s digital preservation of Jewish sites. Ambassador Sayed Tayeb Jawad recalled Kabul’s lost cosmopolitanism and argued for depoliticized citizenship and equal rights. Roya Hakakian reflected on the Iranian Jewish experience, stressing that equality requires recognition of difference rather than assimilation.

Professor Ori Z. Soltes closed the day by invoking Rumi’s metaphor: “The lamps are different, but the light is the same.” He argued that pluralism requires more than tolerance; it requires active embrace of difference within a shared civic ethic. Mystical traditions, whether Jewish or Muslim, show how identity can be sustained alongside universal values of justice and compassion. His reflections framed the day’s discussions within the broader challenge of rebuilding pluralism in the Persianate world.

The conference showed how Jewish experience in the Persianate world was central yet vulnerable to erasure whenever religion was politicized and law undermined. The discussions underscored that pluralism cannot be assumed but must be deliberately protected through institutions, equal citizenship, and the preservation of memory. The panels framed not solutions but questions that remain urgent for Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia: whether conditions for pluralism can once again be secured.