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.