Saba Soomkeh, Ph.D. -
THE SUNNI AND SHIA DIVIDE
Saudi Arabia and Iran: Their proxy wars and its affect on America

3rd in the SPARC Educational Speaker Series at
Harry's Plaza Cafe, Ranchero Room
Suggested donation: $10
RSVP to sbSPARC@gmail.com
*Space is limited. Feel free to extend this invitation to others and request their RSVP.
**No-host bar. Arrive early to place your drink order.

A little about Saba Soomekh, Ph.D.
Dr. Saba Soomekh is the Associate Director of Research at UCLA’s Leve Center for Jewish Studies. She teaches Religious Studies, Middle Eastern History and Women’s Studies courses. She received her BA in Religious Studies from the University of California, Berkeley, her Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, and her Ph.D. in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dr. Soomekh teaches and writes extensively on World Religions, Women and Religion, and the geo-politics of the Middle East. She is the editor of the book Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews in America (Purdue University Press, 2016) and the author of the book From the Shahs to Los Angeles: Three Generations of Iranian Jewish Women between Religion and Culture (SUNY Press, 2012). Her book was awarded the Gold Medal in the 2013 Independent Publisher Book Award in the Religion category. Dr. Soomekh is also a member of the city of Los Angeles’ Human Resource Commission where she is involved in numerous interfaith and intercultural projects. She is a consultant for numerous schools in Los Angeles focusing on creating honest dialogue about cultural issues.

Dr. Soomekh was the Exhibition Coordinator of the exhibition at the Fowler Museum at UCLA entitled: Light and Shadows: The Story of Iranian Jews. She was a consultant and participant for PBS’ documentary “Iranian Americans,” which aired on PBS on Dec. 18, 2012. She was also featured in an NPR story on Iranian Jews in America , and the Times of Israel wrote a piece on her entitled “Iranian Scholar Breaks Stereotypes While Studying Them”