Upcoming Events December 18, 2005 Rumi Day, Celebration of Light    Dr. Andrew Vidich is an educator, author, international speaker and  editor of more than four books. He has been the coeditor of two interfaith journals including "Kindred Spirits" and the "Journal of Love, Peace and Compassion."    TAMIR is an actress, poet and playwright, author and performer of three one-woman shows “In the Land of Israel” and “I Belong Elsewhere.” Her CD of devotional readings “Poetry on Prayer” is an interfaith celebration of the human spirit.   SABA ensemble plays Persian classical music - Newly founded yet well-versed SABA ensemble performs Rumi poems on music. SABA’s musicians include, Arieh Aghajani on santoor, Shahryar Krourri on tombak and daf, Maziar Khoshsima on tar and setar, and singer Majid Khosroshahi.  Tickets $20 at the door Kids under 15 free Refreshments served Date: Sunday December 18 Time: 3 to 6 PM Place: Melville Marriot Long Island 1350 Old Walt Whitman Rd Melville, NY 11747-3012 Tel: 631-793-9928 Click for direction. Map of 1350 Walt Whitman Rd Melville, NY 11747-3012

Upcoming Events

   Sufi Circle invites you to join us to celebrate Rumi’s union with his Beloved on Sunday December 18 at 3:00 PM  at Marriot Hotel, Melville. 

   In this program:
   Dr. Andrew Vidich, an author and teacher on Sufism and meditation enlightens us about Rumi. TAMIR, an actress, author and producer recites Rumi’s ecstatic poems with the accomplished Iranian musician and composer Amir Vahab’s live Persian music

   Rumi, the 13th century Persian mystic poet, the best selling poet in America, has been called “axis of Love.”  
   
   Maulana Jalal-ul-Din RUMI (1207-1273) was born in Balkh, Persia and died in Konya, Turkey. R.A.Nicholson called him “the greatest mystical poet of any age.” His spiritual and literary influence is so pervasive in the East that his name is often prefaced by the reverential term “Maulana” (our Master). He composed over 70,000 verses of poetry of divine love and ecstatic illumination. He was a pillar of Islam and a sober scholar until he met a wandering wild dervish – Shams of Tabriz and was transformed into an enraptured lover of God; traveling from knowledge to vision.

“Love has everyone by the ear
dragging us back by secret ways,
the one who secretly hears this is senseless.”

    He reached a rare level of intimacy with the Beloved. His poetry is an enthusiastic torrent of spontaneous outpouring. Ecstatic love poetry rooted in the divine with its endless permutations of longing, union, separation and intoxication. We can only hold up our cupped hands in humble supplication and become drenched with the dizzying fragrance of his gifts. The variety and sheer number of his cannon has become essential reading for modern day seekers and lovers.
                                                                                                                     

    Dr. Andrew Vidich - Andrew is a Ph.D. in Comparative Religion with a specialization in Sufi Studies. Taught and lectured on Sufism, Islam and Meditation. Author of several books on modern mysticism, among them Love is A Secret: the Mystic Quest for Divine Love and The Spiritual Path: Anthology of Writings of Sant Kirpal Singh. Founding member of the Interfaith Council of New York, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting interfaith understanding through cultural programs and conferences.

    TAMIR - TAMIR is an actress, poet and playwright, author and performer of three one-woman shows “In the Land of Israel” and “I Belong Elsewhere.” Her CD of devotional readings “Poetry on Prayer” is an interfaith celebration of the human spirit. Some of her roles are: Maria Callas, Medea, Bernarda Alba and Leah in the “Dybbuk.” Her new play “Next!” is a humorous and poignant monodrama about the audition process. She also wrote “The Way of the Heart” as a play for four women about dying consciously and the struggle of letting go, which incorporates some of these verses, stories and music as well as dance and whirling.

   Amir Vahab - Amir is a widely acclaimed and accomplished Iranian musician and composer. He plays tanbur, setar, tar, ney and daf and sings in the traditional Persian style. He composed music for theatre and film and appeared in Iranian television and radio in the US. He formed the Soroosh (Messenger Angel) Ensemble, which performs folklore music of Iran and draws from Kurdish, Turkish and Lurish traditions and mystical Sufi music. He has six albums for many of which he is the composer, singer and player. His aim is to draw the listener’s attention to the spiritual dimension of existence.

                                                              

Tickets $20 at the door. Kids under 15 free                                              

Click for direction.
Map of 1350 Walt Whitman Rd Melville, NY 11747-3012, US