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

In this episode, Natalie visits Millie in Paris and they discuss their time there together; operating a two women brothel, having no internet, and being stuck at a rave until 6 am. In the second half of the episode they discuss the importance of solitary experiences and cultivating your own life before joining another's. 

PGP revisits the subject of cheshm (which they first talked about exactly two years prior to this episode, entitled "I don't dood esfand, I dood hookah"). In this new episode they discuss the more nuanced forms of the belief in cheshm (evil eye) and how it is ingrained in Persian society; from the way people deliver news and when they do, how they accept compliments and give compliments, saliva and the third eye,  using cheshm as an excuse to create theatrics around their life, and whether positive affirmations is a form of cheshm or if Persian men practice/believe in cheshm just as much as Persian women. 

*THE M IN CHESHM IS SILENT, DON'T COME AFTER US

Intro song: Hasood-Dariush 

In this episode PGP features two voice submissions from their listeners regarding their experience dating outside their culture. One submission features a Persian girl's experience with dating someone not Persian and another submission features an Italian girl's experience dating a Persian guy.

Intro song: 
Ahvaz - Makan Ashgvari

Chekhabareh? Another episode with an unhinged anonymous Persian girl. Discussing the difference in sexual encounters with men from Iran vs western men, the millennial's frustration with the lack of effort in flirting these days and generally loss of intimacy, how the life of religious taliban members resembles the present day fuccboy, men who think they deserve immediate sex as a reward for being "honest" about not wanting anything serious, being judged for having too many sexual partners when being single for extensive periods of time, and why Persian women are so damn horny. 

Intro song: Ghermez-Poobon ft Rudebeny

Photo: Taliban members in Bayman Province via Twitter 

Salut, salam.  Cette semaine, een hafteh, PGP discusses wedding etiquette drama--ENCORE, and answers a listeners question regarding marrying outside of your religion. En particulier, they get into how one can be raised not by their parents values, but the values of the city/town in which they grew up (sounds like a classic case of ahberoo), reclaiming khanoom, what the real reasons are for Persian families being against their daughters marrying outside their religion,  and what to do when you are in that situation.

Sorry for the repeat song, Millie needs an external hard drive to download new bangers for you guys. 

For those who don't know: Azize Delami - Mansour 

Natalie and Millie return with a special guest, Naomi Larbi, model and writer + childhood friend of Millie's, to answer some questions sent in by listeners during their hiatus. They discuss what is considered "normal" when dating a Persian girl, specifically when it comes to expectations of money, gifts, chivalry, dowry, etc. In this episode they give not only a Persian take on these topics but also an Eastern European one. Stay tuned to the end to hear Millie and Naomi's history of their friendship/BHHS tea and Millie's traveling tips. 

Intro song : Barbara Pravi - Saute

Do beaten horses in fact ever die?  Millie and Natalie attempted to discuss their being uninvited from a comedy show for their Jewishness when Al Jazeera asked them to record comments for the news channel's documentary on comedian Noam Shuster (see S1 E13).  They then follow how the media orchestrates the never-ending Israeli-Palestinian conflicts on behalf of larger powers financing the proxy war (in the name of each's plights and passions, of course!) and why Recho Omondi felt obliged to somehow re-cancel Leandra Medine, a sadistic spectacle promptly picked up by the so-called fashion media (e.g. NY Mag's The Cut.) She is recancelled, she is recancelled indeed! 

Intro music: 

Mustafa Sandal - Kalmadı

PGP interviews rapper Shaheen Samadi and singer Arla Fandi to discuss their new music video "Atoosa" and the struggles of beauty standards for Persian women. 

https://www.instagram.com/shaheen.samadi/

https://www.instagram.com/arla.fandi/

PGP has an anonymous Persian Girl come on to discuss the experience of marrying an Indian man. "Niloofar" talks about how she met her fiance and the way her parents have received the Indian culture, getting complaints that she's "too into" the Indian culture, how it's easier as a Persian American to receive an American into their culture as opposed to another rich culture, the way in which not being surrounded by other Persians influenced her conception and relationship towards it. She also shares what her engagement party in Mumbai was like, how she's teaching her parents by leading by example instead of "gar"ing with them every time they clash, and what her Persian-Indian wedding ceremony will encompass. 

Millie's brother Adlee, professional gossip and aspirational vh1 commentator, returns on the podcast. They slander Bill and Melinda Gates and give a Persian take on their divorce. Later Adlee and PGP ponder what is contemporary Persian-ness; how each Persian family establishes their own set of laws of what Honor means to them and spill some tea. They dive deep into the meaning of the bizarre question that is often posed to them at parties: "what are you doing here?" and what's behind the behavior of a woman whose idea of being a woman is a male-directed performance, and furthermore the developmental years of women/how their relationship with their mother and the amount of women they were surrounded by affected their identity.