Persian Girl Podcast

Oct 15 2024 96 ep. 59 mins 485
Persian Girl Podcast artwork

Sharing voices from the Persian diaspora and beyond. Originally founded in 2019 by Millie Efraim and Natalie Sanandaji, with the intention to share the experience of Persian-American life. The podcast has now expanded to exploring the historical and cultural background of Jews and other minorities of Iran. 

  Society & Culture  History  Religion & Spirituality
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Nature, resilience, and the sukkah as a medium: Interview with Jonathan York

Oct 15 2024 37 mins  
In this episode, I speak with Jonathan York, attorney and artist, at the Skirball center (apologies for any real life sound) to discuss The Sukkah Project, his exhibition at the Skirball Center in LA, opening October 8-November 3. The exhibition is the latest in a 6 year exploration, The Sukkah Project, where he has explored the Sukkah as an artistic medium. We also discuss his fir

Exploring the world of Jewish food in Iran with Tannaz Sassooni

Sep 17 2024 46 mins  
In this episode, I speak with food writer Tannaz Sassooni who is compiling recipes (one grandmother at a time) to create a cookbook of Jewish food from different cities in Iran. Tannaz sheds light on the history of Jewish-Iranian recipes, unique background behind Kashi dishes from her family's origins, and her family's migration story from Iran to America. Keep up with Tannaz's foo

Interview with Danielle and Galeet Dardashti on the Nightingale of Iran

Aug 26 2024 49 mins  
In this episode, Danielle and Galeet Dardashti return to discuss the ending of their documentary podcast series the Nightingale of Iran, which explores and uncovers the life of their grandfather, Younes Dardashti, a famous Jewish singer in Iran. We discuss the tapes their family recorded starting from the 1950s that were used throughout the series, the reception of their podcast, t

Judeo Persian Literature with Alan Niku Pt. 2

Jun 21 2024 58 mins  
Alan Niku returns to the podcast to discuss another selection of Judeo-Persian writers, including poets, philosophers, and biblical commentators such as Emrānī, Baba'i ben Lotf, and Simantov Melamed. Their exploration of these writers raises questions about how Jews engaged with Sufism as Islamic rulership in Persia intensified, leading to forced conversions and massacres of mino

Judeo Persian Literature with Alan Niku

May 13 2024 71 mins  
Judeo-Persian literature (Modern Persian written in Hebrew characters) is likely the largest untapped group within Jewish and Persian vernacular texts. Manuscripts are scattered worldwide, found in the bottoms of drawers in people's homes and some in libraries, yet they remain untranslated and largely inaccessible.Alan Niku, a filmmaker and writer who began researching Persian Jewi

Interview with Matthew Nouriel: connecting Iran and Israel

Apr 21 2024 47 mins  
In this episode, I speak with Matthew Nouriel (sometimes known as The Empress Mizrahi) an activist, content creator, and drag queen from the Persian Jewish diaspora. Matthew is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Iranians, Jews and the state of Israel. Together we discuss the connections between a free Iran and the fight against Hamas/the Islamic Republic's terrorist proxies, authentic

Reflections on Queen Esther with Maxine Divon

Mar 19 2024 40 mins  
In this episode, Maxine (from episode 3 Ancestral Healing) returns to reflect on the lessons from the Book of Esther/Purim from the Torah, which revolves around a Jewish woman in Persia named Esther who becomes Queen in the Persian Empire (5th BCE) and hides her Jewishness in order to survive. When Esther's uncle Mordecai, discovers that an official in court, Haman, has a plan to e

Reclaiming Motreb: The Dardashti Family Legacy

Feb 29 2024 54 mins  
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 fa

Zar Amir Ebrahimi: Holy Spider, Life in Exile, and Iran

Feb 12 2024 37 mins  
Archival episode from November 25, 2022In 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

Ancestral Healing

Feb 01 2024 87 mins  
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