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The Judaic Studies program at George Mason University invites you to a very special evening of music and history. Trio Sefardi performs traditional songs of the Sephardim. They will bring their music to our campus on April 3 at 7:00 p.m. in the Johnson Center Cinema (park in Mason Pond Parking deck or Shenandoah Parking Deck). Tickets are free but required. Register here: Trio Sefardi Concert Tickets, Sun, Apr 3, 2022 at 7:00 PM | Eventbrite Trio Sefardi's repertoire draws on the song traditions of Sephardic communities from the former Yugoslavia, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, and North Africa, with a special emphasis on traditional and original songs they learned from their mentor, Bosnian-born singer/composer and 2002 National Heritage awardee Flory Jagoda. The trio has performed extensively at prestigious East Coast concert venues, festivals, synagogues, and Jewish community centers. Members of the trio are Susan Gaeta, lead vocals, guitar; Tina Chancey, back-up vocals, viola da gamba, Renaissance violin, Pontic lyra, rebec; and Howard Bass, lute, guitar. The members combine Susan’s extensive experience with jazz and folk music, Tina and Howard’s early music background, and the influence and inspiration that Susan and Howard derived from fifteen years of working and touring extensively with Flory Jagoda. Trio Sefardi programs provide audiences with an opportunity to hear songs sung in Judeo-Espanyol (commonly known as Ladino) that have been passed down through the generations as well as newer songs composed by Flory that celebrate the memory of now-lost communities of the Balkans. These songs and this heritage survived despite the expulsion of the Jews from Spain and despite the Nazi-era persecution that forced Flory and many others to flee their homelands. I hope you can join us for a celebration of this remarkable music and its miraculous preservation. And please help us publicize this great event by passing this invitation along to anyone in your circles. Best wishes, John Turner Chair, Religious Studies Department Please note: Registration for this event implies agreement to follow all University COVID-19 related guidelines. As of March 8, all individuals must complete Mason COVID Health✓™ (https://www.gmu.edu/mason-covid-health-check) and receive a “green light” status on the day of the event. Individuals registered for this event will receive an update on COVID-19 protocols prior to the event.

As George Mason University recognizes 50 years as an independent university, the College of Humanities reflects on how it has been an important part of Mason from the very start.

Maria Dakake, associate professor in religious studies, and co-investigator Martin Nguyen of Fairfield University, in partnership with Mason's Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies, have been awarded a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation for their project, “Islamic Moral Theology in Conversation with the Future” (IMTF).

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The Parallel Pandemic Project (PPP) is an effort to document and understand when and how the paths of the United States and Pakistan converge and diverge over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.