Dr. Tudor Parfitt is a Distinguished University Professor and the President Yitzhak Navon Professor of Sephardic-Mizrahi Studies at FIU. He began his distinguished academic career with a PhD from the University of Oxford, focusing on the history of Jews in Palestine and their relations with Muslim neighbors. Dr Nathan Devir, an intrepid traveler in Africa, former IDF officer and  professor at the University of Utah will reflect on Tudor Parfitt’s work on the fringes of the Jewish world. Dr. Parfitt is a pioneering scholar known for his research on marginalized Jewish communities. His work explores Judaizing movements and the Jewish presence in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, often examining communities on the fringes of mainstream Jewish identity. He has extensively studied groups such as the Lemba in southern Africa and the Bnei Menashe in India, both of which claim descent from ancient Israelites. Dr. Parfitt’s research sheds light on how these communities maintain and reinterpret Jewish traditions, challenging conventional boundaries of Jewishness. His groundbreaking work offers new insights into the diversity of Jewish identity around the world. Join us for this event as we explore Dr. Parfitt’s fascinating scholarly work.

Guest Speaker

Dr. Nathan P. Devir is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Utah, where he has taught since 2011. He also directs the Middle East Studies Program and the Religious Studies Program. Dr. Devir's research focuses on emerging Jewish communities in Africa and Asia, culminating in his 2017 monograph, “New Children of Israel: Emerging Jewish Communities in an Era of Globalization.” He regularly publishes on Jewish identity, migration, and religious transformation.