Dr. Sarshar spoke about “The Jewish Boy Dancers of Iran.”
This lecture and slide presentation traced the history of boy dancers in Iran, their role in Iranian entertainment, and the forces that led to their disappearance. It also touched on the history of male homosexuality in Iran, art history, and photography.
About our speaker:
Dr. Houman M. Sarshar is co-editor of three volumes of The Contemporary History of Iranian Jews. Other publications include Esther’s Children: A Portrait of Iranian Jews (2002); The Jews of Iran: The History, Religion, and Culture of a Community in the Islamic World (2014); and numerous articles on modern Persian literature. Dr. Sarshar is the founder of the Kimia Foundation, a culture foundation dedicated to promoting the art, culture, and history of Iran.
The Leon and Alice F. Newton Family Lecture in Jewish Studies was established by the children of Leon and Alice F. Newton, honoring both their father, an alumnus of what was then called the School of Management, and their mother. For close to thirty years, the Newton Lecture Fund has brought eminent scholars of Jewish Studies to lecture on our campus. Past speakers have included Ruth Calderon, Hilary Putnam, Arthur Green, Ruth Wisse, and Susannah Heschel.