The conference in Dubai will be attended by religious leaders, local dignitaries and students from both the Yeshiva University and the Abu Dhabi-based MBZUH.
By Pesach Benson, TPS
Yeshiva University and the Mohammed Bin Zayed University for Humanities will be hosting the United Arab Emirates’s first Jewish studies conference in Dubai on Wednesday.
The conference will be attended by religious leaders, local dignitaries and students from both the New York-based Yeshiva University and the Abu Dhabi-based MBZUH.
The program, titled “Interacting Philosophies, Shared Friendships,” will cover social dynamics, philosophical exchanges and mutual influence between Judaism and Islam, with a particular focus on the medieval scholar Moses Maimonides.
“We are proud to be partnering with academic colleagues and both the Muslim and Jewish communities as we enrich each other through shared learning and strengthened friendship,” said YU’s Rabbi Dr. Stuart Halpern, who is coordinating the program.
Following the conference, scholars will tour the Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith center that fosters dialogue between Christians, Jews and Muslims. The center, which opened in 2019, also houses a synagogue, church and mosque. The scholars will also visit Israeli Ambassador to the UAE Amir Hayek.