Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Articles written by Simone Saidmehr


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  • Two women race to save Persian Jewish music before it fades

    Simone Saidmehr, Editorial Fellow at the Forward|Apr 10, 2026

    In the 1950s, Younes Dardashti, a Jewish man from Tehran's Jewish ghetto, became one of Iran's most celebrated singers. As the country underwent rapid secularization under the Shah, Jewish communities that had long been pushed to the margins found new opportunities. Dardashti's piercing, unmistakable voice filled Iranian airwaves, exclusive concert halls and the Shah's palace, earning him the title "Nightingale of Iran." Years after Younes Dardashti's death, his granddaughter Galeet is still sin...