BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 25. A commemorative event marking May 28, Azerbaijan’s Independence Day, was held in New York, Trend reports.
The event was organized by Yakov Abramov, head of the Azerbaijani Jewish Community in New York and the Cultural Center of Caucasian Jews in America.
According to the Azerbaijani Jewish Community in New York, the celebration took place in the theater hall of the Davidzon Radio. It was attended by members of the Azerbaijani and Jewish diasporas, public figures, and New York residents interested in Azerbaijan’s history and culture.
Guests included Rashad Eyvazov, First Secretary of the Azerbaijani Embassy in the United States; Tale Aliyev and Elchin Bakhshaliyev, representatives of Azerbaijan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations; and Rafael Niktalov, editor-in-chief of the Bukharian Times.
The official program opened with the national anthems of Azerbaijan and the United States.
Yakov Abramov later presented a congratulatory proclamation from the State of New York’s leadership marking Azerbaijan’s Independence Day to Rashad Eyvazov.
Farid Akhundov, a member of an Azerbaijani youth organization in New York and the event’s host, gave a brief overview of Azerbaijan’s independence history and highlighted the importance of sovereign statehood.
Yegana Salman, an Azerbaijani diaspora activist based in Israel, vice president of the AzIz Association, and head of the Azerbaijani Cultural Center in Israel, also addressed the audience and extended holiday greetings. She presented her book “The Flourishing of Azerbaijani Judaism.”
The book provides encyclopedic information on prominent Jewish figures who served in public roles and civic life in Azerbaijan during the leadership of national leader Heydar Aliyev. It also highlights Azerbaijan’s long-standing traditions of tolerance and the Jewish community’s role in the country’s socio-political and cultural life.
Following the presentation, attendees watched the documentary “The Paths of Our Love” by Azerbaijani director Rufat Asadov. The film was produced by the Sholumi Center, with Shaul Siman-Tov credited as screenwriter and producer.
The documentary explores friendly and tolerant relations between the peoples of Azerbaijan and Israel. It portrays multicultural coexistence in Azerbaijan and tells the love story of Mikhail and Yegana Salman, who come from different ethnic backgrounds.
The film also highlights diaspora life in Israel, attachment to the homeland, and cultural ties as central themes.
