Houri Dardashti had long dreamed of moving to Israel from Iran. Eventually, she and her radio star husband Younes made the move. But Younes felt like an outsider in Israel. For a decade, he flew back to Iran to do concerts and sing on the radio. But when the Islamic Revolution happened, Younes could never return to Iran, and he was erased from Iranian history.

Episode 5 - Savta’s Dream

It was a golden age for Jews in Iran. In the 1950s, a religious Jew – Younes Dardashti – became a national celebrity, singing at the Shah’s palace and on the radio. In the 1960s, his son Farid became a teen idol on TV. They were beloved by Iranian Muslims. But at the height of their fame, they left the country. It has always been a mystery to our host Danielle Dardashti and her sister Galeet – Why did their family leave Iran? Now, in a documentary podcast series, the sisters reveal painful secrets unspoken for generations. The Nightingale of Iran is a story that will resonate with outsiders everywhere.

Music

Religion & Spirituality

Other

Spirituality

Christianity

Buddhism

Hinduism

Judaism

Islam

Music History

One of the first events to celebrate the release of The Nightingale of Iran was with Danielle and Galeet's home town crowd, at Bet Am Shalom Synagogue in New York on March 19, 2024. The conversation was moderated by Philissa Cramer, the editor in chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The event was organized by: Lisa Goldberg, Laura Solomon, Felicia Lebewohl Rosen, Liz Haas Edersheim, and Danielle Thomas. For more Nightingale bonus content and to support our work, please visit www.nightingaleofiran.com.

Bonus Pod #4 - New York Launch

Danielle and Galeet speak with Drora and Dalya on this episode of the Reclaiming Identity podcast. They discuss growing up un-Persian, discovering their family’s story, and the personal impact of The Nightingale of Iran podcast.

Bonus Pod #3 - Reclaiming Identity

Danielle and Galeet were recently interviewed on Can We Talk?, the podcast of the Jewish Women’s Archive. We loved our conversation with Nahanni Rous and so we are sharing it with you here today.

Bonus Pod #2 - Can We Talk?

Thank you for listening to The Nightingale of Iran! All six episodes are out now. For those of you who have finished listening to our series, today we are sharing something a little different. This is an episode of History Daily, a podcast with new episodes every weekday. Each episode of History Daily focuses on a particular day in history and the human stories behind what happened. We’ve picked an episode about the day in 1979 when the Shah fled the Iranian Revolution. It’s 20 minutes long and we think it adds great context for our show. If you like what you hear, you can find other episodes of History Daily wherever you listen to podcasts.Subscribe to the Nightingale of Iran newsletter here.

Bonus Pod #1 - History Daily

Growing up, Danielle didn’t know many families like hers in mainstream Jewish America. These days, there’s growing awareness about the diversity of the Jewish experience.

Episode 5 - Savta’s Dream

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