On Sunday, November 9th at 11:30 a.m., Professor Ira Spar will present “Travels on the Silk Road: Camels, Caravans, Oases, Merchants, Monuments and Textiles.”
In May 2025, Ira Spar spent 19 days touring and exploring the oases cities of Uzbekistan. In this lecture he will describe Sogdians, Jews and Buddhists who travelled the ancient paths of the fabled Silk Road that connected China to Rome with descriptions of the oasis cities and cultures in Uzbekistan where many settled. He will also show hats and textiles.
This presentation is part of Temple Israel & JCC’s Temple Talk series. It is in person only and will not be online. Admission is free and everyone is invited.
Dr. Ira Spar has been a professor of Ancient History at Ramapo College of New Jersey since 1973 and he was also Research Assyriologist at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for many years. He is a long-time member of Temple Israel.
TIJCC is an egalitarian Conservative congregation that offers multiple pathways into the Jewish experience, as well as a variety of cultural, social and educational programs, for those who wish to participate in an evolving and vibrant Jewish community in Northern New Jersey. Service schedules and more information are available at www.synagogue.org