Spring Equinox Festival: A Celebration of Persian Heritage and Culture During Purim and Nowruz

This Purim spiel for children and families will feature Jewish actress and filmmaker Dylan Seders Hoffman (Yiddish Mean Girls, The Sorceress).

Author Esther Amini will read selections from her book Concealed, which details her life growing up in a Persian-Jewish household in Queens in the 1960s.

The US Backgammon Federation will offer lessons in Backgammon (a two-player board game that dates back nearly 5,000 years to Mesopotamia and Persia) and run a Backgammon tournament.

Attendees can try authentic Persian food for Nowruz and Purim while looking out at the beautiful views of New York Harbor.

Max Bijaoui will play music for the whole family to dance!

In this engaging session, participants will explore the beauty of Persian dance. All ages are welcome and no dance experience is needed.

The new podcast The Nightingale of Iran, hosted by Danielle and Galeet Dardashti, tells the story of their father and grandfather, two well-known Iranian-Jewish singers who left the country at the height of their fame. Danielle and Galeet will be in conversation with human rights activist Marjan Keypour.

Educators from Pardis for Children will lead children and families in activities to learn about Nowruz.

Author Esther Amini will read selections from her book Concealed, which details her life growing up in a Persian-Jewish household in Queens in the 1960s.

Rahmanian's Feathers of Fire is a cinematic shadow play for all ages. The play unfolds an action-packed magical tale of star-crossed lovers from the 10th-century Persian epic Shahnameh (‘The Book of Kings’), Zaul and Rudabeh, who triumph at the end against all odds. Rahmanian's graphics, derived from the visual tradition of the region, are rendered as puppets, costumes, masks, scenography and digital animation, all of which come to life in a “live animation” shadow casting technique perfected by shadow master Larry Reed on a cinema-size screen. The play features an original score by the acclaimed musical team, Loga Ramin Torkian & Azam Ali.

Tania came to this country during the diaspora of Iranian Revolution 1979. She began piano at 8 and started composing at age 11 under Maghdokt Monnesabian (Tehran Conservatory). There is often a euphoric reaction when listeners engage with Tania’s music. She leads a syncretic movement, combining Persian classical music with contemporary idioms. What people always say is that despite the modernity “you could still hear our music. It’s there, just updated.” She preserves this old sound by running it through a kaleidoscope; it would continue to change but still be recognizable. She has performed in venues as Carnegie Hall and Weil Hall. She develops people’s ear for Persian musicality. She understands the self-preservation of her ethnicity in a new land - America.

NoRuz Ensemble
Ali Bello- violin I
Skye Steele violin II
Christopher Hoffman - cello
Phillip Mayer - percussion
Arieh Aghajani - santour
Katayoon Mousavi - vocal Soprano
Majid Khosrow Shahi - vocal Alto
and
Maryam Arvanaghi - pianist
Tania Eshaghoff-Friedberg - composer, pianist