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In this episode, Millie delves into the history of the Dardashti family with sisters Danielle and Galeet, the creators of the podcast documentary series, "The Nightingale of Iran." Unveiling the captivating saga of their grandfather, Younes Dardashti, a revered religious Jewish singer in 1950s Iran, who graced the Shah's Palace and radio with his melodious voice, alongside their father, Farid Dardashti, a teen idol on Persian television. 

Together, they unravel the complexities surrounding the stigma attached to "motreb" (musician/entertainer) in Persian Jewish culture, shedding light on the cultural dynamics that led their family to depart Iran at the pinnacle of their fame. Reflecting on their upbringing and the disconnect from their Persian heritage despite a lineage steeped in rich history, they explore the notion of selective memory and the profound significance of asking the right questions, culminating in a poignant journey of self-discovery and understanding.

You can find "The Nightingale of Iran" on all streaming platforms:
https://www.nightingaleofiran.com/

Music featured on this episode is from Galeet's album Monajat.
Song details:
Monajat (feat. Younes Dardashti) · Galeet Dardashti 

Archival episode from November 25, 2022

In an independent interview, Millie Efraim speaks with Zar Amir Ebrahimi, lead actress of Holy Spider (winner, Best Actress, Cannes)— the uncompromising film noir (dir. Ali Abbasi) painting the life of a serial killer targeting prostitutes in Mashhad, about how she built her character, Islamic fanaticism vis-à-vis sexual perversion, life in exile outside of Iran, the current revolution, and the real Spider Killer's family's response to the controversial film. Zar also shares fascinating anecdotes from behind the scenes of filming. 

Watch the full interview on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0ciUmyDYyk

In this episode, Maxine Divon shares her personal journey into the self and spirituality for a discussion about the way our ancestral history impacts us. Maxine shares from her personal experience - as a woman in the Persian Jewish community and in the business world -  and from the fields she’s studied including Jungian Psychology, Ancestral Healing, Archetypal Astrology and more recently Kabbalah. Her and Millie unpack various traumas and gifts passed through generations of Persian Jewry, and explore tools for doing this kind of inner work in a self-regulated way, so that everyone is  able to receive the gifts and growth that come from self-inquiry, without reactivating past cycles of wounds.

Mentions:

•  www.MaxineDivon.com or hello@maxinedivon.com
• Rabbi Tirza Firestone - Wounds into Wisdom book
• Caroline Myss - Sacred Contracts book on archetypes
• Terry Real (family pathology quote)

Outline: 

• Introducing Maxine - How we Met, Her Story
• ~7 mins - Persian Jewish story and reclaiming our heritage (Maxine’s 23&Me)
• ~14 mins - What is Ancestral Healing? Rupture & Repair; Ancestral Gifts; Kabbalistic Wisdom; Surviving vs. Thriving
• ~30 mins - Collective healing: introducing Archetypes and the “sister wound”; understanding the trauma vortex; Persian ideas of “ghar” and “aberoo”
• ~50 mins - Carl Jung’s concept of individuation; the ultimate Persian Jewish archetype, Queen Esther!
• ~58 mins - Celebrating the Matriarchs; more on Jungian Individuation vs. Separation; Reframing our Personal Narratives
• ~1:09 Maxine’s Spiritual Journey & Sacred Wound; finding our cosmic light
• ~1:16 Persian Wrap Up ;) & an Invitation to Persian women who want to participate in collective healing; Becoming Butterflies 🦋 

PGP hosts, Millie Efraim and Natalie Sanandaji, bring on historian Debbie Lechtman to discuss the history of Ancient Judea/the Kingdom of Israel, Jewish presence in the land for the last 3000+ years, the events leading up to 1948, and what is at the core of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Debbie is a Jewish, Israeli, and Latina author, educator, content creator, and artist, specializing in Jewish history and antisemitism. She is well-known in Jewish spaces for condensing complex, multilayered, nuanced, and obscure Jewish history topics into more easily accessible education.

For context, this episode was recorded on November 22nd and the introduction was recorded on November 30th.

You can support Debbie's work and find all sources on her website: https://www.rootsmetals.com/pages/about
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/rootsmetals/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rootsmetals
Her most recent blog post: https://www.rootsmetals.com/blogs/news/lies-about-1948

Listen to Natalie's story of surviving the October 7th Massacre:
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6339713888112

Abba Iban Documentary "Israel: A Nation is Born" which Millie refers to footage of Holocaust survivors being rejected at the border of Palestine can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdHQ6NTvq00&list=PLICqGk8IqdAKeCij_HmHPpkI28ckTlwSS

PGP returns after a 9 month hiatus (no, we did not have babies-sorry/motasefaneh). We discuss our time off the podcast and get into the unspoken, yet known standards of what is "appropriate" when attending a Persian wedding as someone who isn't yet married (so is technically single). We give our own thoughts and share what is normally expected from the Persian community. As always we encourage listeners who'd like to share their experiences anonymously or not by sending us a direct message or email to be featured on an episode.

You can find Millie's natural lip oil at tabiatbeauty.com and @tabiatbeauty

Intro Song: Bishtar Bishtar - Hassan Shamaizadeh 

PGP returns for an episode where they're joined by Orna Simkhai and three other Persian mothers. They share the story of how they formed We Do Care: Iranian-American Parents of LGBTQ, a community formed in 2013. Orna and her friends also share advice and discuss their own experience with their children coming out.

More info on We Do Care: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Community/We-Do-Care-Iranian-American-Parents-of-LGBTQ-943104462412560/

In this episode, Persian comic legend Maz Jobrani comes on PGP to discuss his path to standup and his early education and career experiences, and the ways in which it conflicted with his families expectations at the time. He also shares how he breaks the caricatures often imposed on Middle Eastern talent in Hollywood and gives insight to his approach of raising his kids. 

Check out Maz's Podcast: Back To School With Maz Jobrani

Tour Dates

In this episode, Millie, Natalie, and Adlee, a PGP favorite [brother of Millie], discuss the end of elitism, the demoralizing superbowl halftime show and the proliferation of mass culture, St. Valentine, and Persian swinger parties.

PGP answers listener submissions related to interracial relationships and how to bounce back in a relationship when you've been kept a secret and their family dislikes/disapproves of you. They also answer some questions related to physical attributes Persian women are attracted to, what cars they like to drive, and if they bring their boyfriends to their family dinners&parties. Lastly they give advice to a Black Jew whose type is Persian Jewish girls. 

Intro song:
Mary Jane- Arash 

In this episode PGP interviews Leyla Shams from Chai & Conversation, a podcast for learning Persian  she started in 2011. Together they discuss some prevalent themes and quirks in the Persian language, abolishing the Persian goodbye and adopting the Irish exit, what the proper word for "butt" is, and how Leyla is carrying on the Persian language and culture to her half Amrikayee (American) kids.

To learn more about the Chai & Conversation's programs for learning Persian follow this link!
https://www.chaiandconversation.com/?via=persian

Listen to Chai & Conversation on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/learn-persian-with-chai-and-conversation/id409050115

Persian Spongebob:
https://youtu.be/nx1zxMwOTGw

Intro song: Goleh Pooneh-Sattar