FEZANA JOURNAL FEZANA PAIZ 1376 AY 3745 ZRE VOL. 21, NO. 3 FALL 2007 G FALL 2007 FALL JOURNAL Mah Meher-Avan-Adar 1376 AY (F) Mah Ardibehest-Khordad-Tir 1377 AY (Sh) Mah Khordad-Tir-Amardad 1377 AY (K) THE ORAL HISTORY PROJECT Zarathushti youth launch project to document heritage Also Inside: IMPACT: XIV North American Zoroastrian Congress New Book “Where Are We Coming From” by Jamshid Pishdadi Meher Pavri, Crowned Miss Canada-India Beauty Queen PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF ZOROASTRIAN ASSOCIATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF ZOROASTRIAN ASSOCIATIONS OF NORTH AMERICA Vol 21 No 3 Fall 2007 Paiz 1376 AY - 3745 ZRE President Rustom Kevala, Ph.D. www.fezana.org Editor in Chief:Dolly Dastoor 2 EDITORIAL [email protected] Dolly Dastoor Technical Assistan: Coomi Gazdar Consultant Editor:Lylah M. Alphonse, Rustom Kevala [email protected] 4 Financial Report Graphic & Layout:Shahrokh Khanizadeh, www.khanizadeh.info Cover design: Feroza Fitch, Lexicon Critically Speaking Graphics, [email protected] 8 Columnists:Hoshang Shroff [email protected] Homi Davier: [email protected] Shazneen Rabadi Gandhi [email protected] Congress Fereshteh Khatibi: [email protected] 14 Behram Panthaki: [email protected] Behram Pastakia [email protected] Mahrukh Motafram [email protected] Nikan Khatibi [email protected] Oral History Copy editors: 38 R Mehta, J Udvadia & V Canteenwalla Subscription Managers: Kershaw Khumbatta [email protected] Arnavaz Sethna [email protected] Winter 2007: Preservation of manuscripts 86 Humanitarian Choice for Zarthushtis Guest Editor Homi Dhalla 88 In the News Spring 2008: Bringing Religion into Medicine 99 Interfaith /Interalia Guest editor Nikan Khatibi 104 Page from NAMC Summer 2008 Living with Challenges Guest editors 107Youthfully Speaking The Critical Care Committee 114 Farsi Section 116Sunday Story 119 Personal Profile Photo on cover: 121 Milestone 126 WZCC 130 Betwen the cover Courtesy Armaity and Framroze Patel , NJ Jalejar and Rodabeh Taraporvala (right), Opinions expressed in the FEZANA Journal do not necessarily reflect the grandparents of Armaity, views of FEZANA or members of this publication's editorial board. and Jalajar’s brother Kaikobad with wife Dina Published at Regal Press, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (left), outside family FEZANA Journal Vo 21 No 3 ISBN 1068-2376 home in Tarapore (USPS 021-495) published quarterly by FEZANA 5750 S. Jackson St Hinsdale Il 60521-5109. Periodical postage rate is paid at Oakbrook, IL 60523 and at additional mailing offices. Annual subscription $15 (US) ; $20 (Canada); $30 (surface) and $50 (air) for other countries; details on subscription Form. POSTMASTER: send changes to Fezana Journal, 8787 W. Airport Blvd. Houston, TX 77071 1 FEZANA JOURNAL – Fall 2007 A word from the Editor Dolly Dastoor The role of FEZANA in the Diaspora The FEZANA Welfare committee has started a Sponsorship program to support the education goals of How did the 14th North American Zoroastrian Mobed’s children. The chairs Congress, Toronto, impact us in North America, of the welfare committee write individually and collectively? This issue of the FEZANA “Our mobeds deserve our full Journal reports on the presentations made at the support, … we will have a congress; in addition you will read reflections of people cadre of learned professional young and old as to how it impacted them. But how did mobeds ready to serve our the congress impact us collectively, organizationally? community in North America Did it make us more aware of the role we, as the North and across the globe with American Zarathushti society, should play in the pride and distinction”. Diaspora? Did it make us more aware of our The FEZANA Journal responsibility in the Diaspora towards other members starts with this issue a of our community? section (PAGE FROM The congress brought together community leaders NAMC) showcasing the from several countries and hearing of the political activities, writings and turmoil of Parsi Politics in Mumbai, and the socio- achievements of Mobeds of economic problems faced by our communities in India North America, with Ervad and Iran made us acutely aware not only of our good Brigadier Behram M fortune in North America, but also of our responsibility Panthaki as the editor. We towards our community in the rest of the world . feel our mobeds deserve the respect and recognition The Zarathushti community in India is particularly for the unflinching and unconditional service they confronted with a number of issues that has been the render to the community. bases for their fragmentations. In the midst of the So the question of impact raised at the 14th N turmoil of these disputes, disagreements and grand American Congress can be seen in, our slowly building standing of people with their personal agenda, the poor a community without borders, by showing leadership in elderly Mobeds who have served the community and assuming our role in the Diaspora, in our zeal to make the Zarathushti Faith throughout their lives with things happen, to make this world a better place for the dedication are sadly overlooked. To address these community to move forward. We respond with our woes The Parsi Resource Group (PRG), a Public hearts and hands and our pocket books to natural Charitable Trust in Mumbai is promoting the welfare of calamities and to heart wrenching accidents (at the destitute mobeds through 1. Cashless Mobed time of going to press, over US$20,000 have been Mediclaim Insurance Scheme 2. Mobed Pension collected for baby Ushta Confectioner, the burn victim). Scheme 3 Mobed Children Education Scheme. Putting together each issue of the Journal makes The North American Mobeds’ Council (NAMC) has me reflect on our position in the greater global decided to join hands with PRG in the area of community. The FEZANA Journal has been part of the Mediclaim Insurance scheme which covers all health Zarathushti story on this continent and in the shaping of insurance with pre-existing diseases including cancer, the Diaspora. It is committed to a community that is for 724 mobeds, 389 wives and 222 children. INR 30 confident, generous, vigorous. The stories and images lacs is needed to give each family a coverage of INR 2 in this oral history section mostly look back, but they lacs. The NAMC has started a “Healthcare Fund also briefly look forward to the future. We have come a initiative for destitute Mobeds of India”. Dr Ervad Bagli, long way, but we still have a lot more history to make President of NAMC writes “I appeal to you to unite in and record, a lot more Impact to generate. this cause to help change the impoverished lifestyle of those who have helped keep the fires of our faith ablaze, and bestow on them a healthy and comfortable living in the winter of their lives.” Read and Send a gift subscription to family and friends 2 FEZANA JOURNAL — Fall 2007 A Message from the President Generation X - The New Leaders Every generation believes it is going to America. However, the issue of defining who live differently from the previous one (1) . is a Zarathushti is left open to the discretion of Zarathushtis started coming here from India the Associations. FEZANA is enjoined to and Pakistan in the 1960s for post-graduate maintain a liaison with the mobeds of North studies because they wanted better America, who have formed an independent opportunities than were available there at organization called the North American that time. After graduation, they found good Mobeds Council (NAMC). jobs, got married, and settled down to raise The youth now wanted to be heard. families. Immersed in a predominantly Youth congresses and youth camps started in Judeo-Christian environment, but isolated 1987 and quickly became catalysts for from their parents and relatives, the developing Gen-X leadership. FEZANA immigrant Zarathushtis needed contact with provided a budget for youth activities and others of their own culture and religion. The sports meets. This has more than paid for first Zarathushti association was founded in itself, because these activities always Montreal (1967), followed by Vancouver manage to show a surplus at the end of each (1968), Toronto (1971), New York (1973), Los Angeles year. (1974), Chicago (1975), and so on. Another independent organization, The Zarathushtrian The children of this founder generation, born in the Assembly, was founded in 1990 with the aim of spreading 1970s and 1980s, went to the same schools, and the idea of the universality of Zarathushtra’s Gathic experienced many of the same historical events as all the message. The Assembly accepts all who study and accept other American kids of their generation, popularly called the message of Zarathushtra as members. Many ethnic Generation-X. But unlike most of their friends in school, the groups in Asia also claim Zarathushti heritage, and are eager Gen-X Zarathushti kids had to straddle two cultures, Parsi- to learn and even revert back to their ancestral religion. Indian at home, and Judeo-Christian at school. And if their These developments have raised some concerns among parents were intermarried, they experienced two cultures at Parsis in many parts of the world. home too. They excelled in their schools and extra-curricular activities because their parents valued education and set a Yes, today a large percentage of Gen-X are good example of honesty, hard work and perseverance. intermarried; but they and their spouses and children are well accepted in the North American Zarathushti community. The founder generation started studying translations of Thanks to the efforts of the founding generation, they also the prayers and the Gathas. Gatha study groups were know and understand and are able to articulate our religion created. Children’s religious education classes were held to the society in which they live. They are well integrated in every month at peoples’ homes.
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