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Dear �鶹ֱ�� Members and Friends,

I am writing today to ask you to to �鶹ֱ�� before the end of the year. Our members’ and friends’ generosity with both money and time is what makes it possible for �鶹ֱ�� to accomplish its multiple missions of initiating, encouraging, supporting, and disseminating research on, and public understanding of, the history and cultures of the Near East and wider Mediterranean world.

One of our prime methods of getting the word out about this research is our Annual Meeting, held every November. Our 2023 AM was our first hybrid meeting. There were more than 1,000 registrants, with nearly 800 attendees in-person and over 200 more participating virtually. Due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, we needed to change numerous presenters from in-person to virtual at the last minute, and I am grateful to the hard-working �鶹ֱ�� staff who managed that. It was not an easy meeting, but it was successful, with excellent program presenters who represented 35 countries and 6 continents.

�鶹ֱ��’s work increasingly includes expanding the understanding of the importance of cultural heritage and its preservation among peoples who are often in conflict. As one of our collaborators in Niger recently put it “We have an obligation to create awareness, to teach the local political figures and religious leaders, who would hopefully teach others, to pass the message, from village, to town, to city, therefore reducing destruction to our cultural heritage, helping locals understand the utility of their heritage and its importance for our history and identity.” A big part of this process is fostering collaborations and friendships across borders and between peoples.

In this time of war, which has ripped much of the world in which we work apart and fueled growing fires of Islamophobia and Antisemitism worldwide, �鶹ֱ��’s work is more important than ever. Please give to �鶹ֱ�� today.

With all best wishes for a better New Year,

Sharon Herbert
�鶹ֱ�� President