Persian Girl Podcast Persian Girl Podcast

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 Jewish history around ten years ago in hopes of preserving it, joins Millie in discussing his findings on translating...

In this episode, Millie speaks 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 they discuss the connections between a free Iran and the fight against Hamas/the Islamic Republic's terrorist proxies, authentic vs. inauthentic activism, what's next for Persian Jews, and Matthew's families unique migration story. Fo...

Zoei Cohen, a spiritual guide and teacher, offers her perspective on Esther's transformation from orphan to Queen in the Persian empire by taking a closer look at the original Hebrew text to capture the nuances often lost in translation to other languages. She simultaneously derives a radically positive interpretation of the story and relates it in ways of how we should live today. Intro music: Aramaic Lesson by HULAULAMore about Zoei Support the Show.

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 establish a decree to slay all the Jews in the empire, Esther throws a series of feasts for the King and eventuall...

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 surroundi...

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 exile outside of Iran, the current revolution, and the real Spider Killer's family's response to the controversial ...