Dr. STEPHEN M. BERK

Dr. Berk set for four-part lecture series at Agudat Achim: Iran to be focus

SCHENECTADY–Congregation Agudat Achim will host a four-part lecture series, “From Cyrus the Great to the Ayatollahs,” presented by Dr. Stephen M. Berk, the Henry and Sally Schaffer Professor of Holocaust and Jewish studies at Union College in Schenectady. The lectures will be held on four consecutive Thursdays, Sept. 17 through Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at Agudat Achim Synagogue, 2117 Union St., Schenectady. Each lecture may be attended individually.

Tracing more than 2,500 years of Iranian history, the series will explore the rise of the Persian Empire, the development of Shiite Islam, the Pahlavi monarchy, the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and the story of Iran’s Jewish community. The series, according to organizers, aims to provide historical context for one of the world’s most influential and often misunderstood nations.

The lectures will be: Sept. 17: The Glory of Persia and the Coming of Islam, Sept. 24: Shiite Islam and the First Revolution, Oct. 1: Reza Shah, His Son, and America’s Original Sin in Iran and on Oct. 8: A Tale of Two Ayatollahs.

Berk, known for combining rigorous scholarship with engaging storytelling, has lectured throughout the United States and Canada on Jewish history, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, Russia, and the Middle East.

Advance registration for the complete series is $72 or $20 per lecture, At the door the complete series will be $80. Sponsorship opportunities are also available and include admission to the lecture series as well as an invitation to a reception with Dr. Berk.

Information and registration may be obtained by calling Congregation Agudat Achim at 518-393-9211, Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., or e-mailing admin@agudatachim.org.