Episode 4 - Ashkenormalization The Nightingale of Iran

On his way from Iran to America, where he planned to study architecture in college, Danielle and Galeet’s father Farid spent the summer in Israel. While walking down a Tel Aviv street one day, a man recognized him from Iranian TV and invited him to sing at an event that week. The night Farid sang, a family of visiting Americans heard him, and it changed the course of his entire life. Once he arrived in the United States, a new pursuit pulled Farid further and further away from his Iranian identity.


Co-creators / Co-executive producers - Danielle Dardashti and Galeet Dardashti


The Nightingale of Iran - nightingaleofiran.com 


Presented by The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, a publication of 70 Faces Media


Host - Danielle Dardashti


Writer / Director / Senior Producer - Danielle Dardashti


Producer / Musical Director / Subject Matter Expert - Galeet Dardashti


Audio Editors / Sound Designers - Rebecca Seidel and Zachary Goldberg


Story Editor - Rider Alsop


Story Consultant - Asal Ehsanipour


Composer of Theme Song - Galeet Dardashti: “Melekh” from her album Monajat, featuring Younes Dardashti (with Shanir Blumenkranz, Max ZT, Zafer Tawil, Philip Mayer)


In Episode 4, Ashkenormalization, we had conversations with: Sheila Dardashti, Farid Dardashti, and Ruth Abusch-Magder.


Thank you to our sponsors:


-Jewish Writers’ Initiative Digital Storytellers Lab / Maimonides Fund


-Common Era


-Younes and Soraya Nazarian Family Foundation


-The Himan Brown Charitable Trust


-Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History


-UCLA Mickey Katz Endowed Chair in Jewish Music


-Be’chol Lashon (fiscal sponsor)


Dedication: This is for you Dadders!!! We love you (and Mommy) so much!!!! xox


We are so grateful for: our extraordinary husbands, Roni Sarig and Mason Weisz, who have contributed in countless ways big and small; Danielle’s amazing kids, Uri Dardashti Sarig and Raquel Dardashti Sarig, who lent their talents in story editing, sound capture, episode cover art design, and more; and Galeet’s kids -Yaniv and Adin–for being such incredible humans.


There are so many people we want to thank for their love, guidance, support, and inspiration on this project: Houri & Younes Dardashti, Millie & Louie Heifetz, Michelle Dardashti, Yadid Dardashti, Shahnaze Dardashti, Hamid Dardashti, Louise Motevassel, David Dardashti, Oren Motevassel, Niloo Dardashti, Schelly Dardashti, Jina Aziz-Zadeh, Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz, Dawne Bear Novicoff, Vicki Compter Lefkowitz, Jeni Friedman, Rebecca Friedman, Rebecca Guber, Debbie Kolben, Ami Eden, Caleb Guedes Reed, Sharon Nazarian, Jessamyn Rodriguez, Yonah Schiller, Richard Kay, Mark Kligman, Sarah Lefton, Janine Okmin, Arielle Nissenblatt, Ilana Nevins, Lauren Passell, Habib Partow, Alan Niku, Ruth Abusch-Magder, Julian Voloj, Melina Rosenberg, Lior Sternfeld, Houman Sarshar, Edwin Seroussi, Laura Younai, Rachel Nazarian Ehsagpour, Mohsen Mohammadi, Manucher Bibiyan, Haideh Herbert, Homa Sarshar, Shahla Javdan, Lili Keypour, Nahid Pirnazar, Tarlan Rabizadeh, Evan Mateen, Hasan Sarbakhshian, Sierra Ulrich, David Shofet, Sarah Benor and Hadas Bram.


Intro credits read by: Michelle Dardashti


Cover art design: Ghulam Nabi


Assistants: Courtney Cunningham & Jessica DeWeese


Marketing / PR:  Tink


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