TONIGHT 21 DEC 2021 IS YALDA NIGHT IN IRAN AND I FEEL LONELY HERE IN MIAMI

 YALDA the longest night is celebrated in IRAN where it must have originated while it was Zoroastrian centuries before the Muslim conquest. It is also celebrated in some parts of the Central Asia, dont forget there are Persian speaking countries in that area. Strangely enough the Parsees of India in Bombay /Mumbai would also be celebrating YALDA.

I grew up hearing about IRAN, I do remember Omar Khayyam, Sohrab and Rustom even when I was a child. My desire for Iran grew as I grew. Kuala Lumpur which has given me so many good friends, also gave me an unforgettable moment about IRAN. 

I am sad because here I am, in Miami, with no Persian friends and on this longest night I will be packing my bags to fly to Madrid, Spain. I shed tears for the Iranians which includes some good friends for their long standing difficulties not of their choosing or fault.. and the continuing scourge of the pandemic among other things.. falling tomans pulled down by forces from outside..

I am a Jew and we hear about Queen Esther during one of our traditional holidays, Purim. A friend of mine from Hamadan sent me photos of the tomb of Queen Esther. I would one day like to say our traditional prayer for the dead , the Kaddish at that tomb.

I wish all my IRANIAN friends past and present a happy YALDA.. dressed in Red I will also eat a Pomegranate when the time comes ..

and my deepest wish for us, the Jewish people of the world and Israelis is that our people and the people of Iran become friends. We have so much in common and our union would be an union which would benefit humanity as a whole.

WE LOVE YOU IRAN 

LET THE DARKNESS DISAPPEAR AND LIGHT BLESS US ALL.