Zor & More SsPpEeCcIiAaLl EeDdIiTtIiOoNn

Transcription

1 Mah Bahman/Spandarmad YZ 1380 Zor & More Special Edition, July-2011 Aa PpUuBbLlIiCcAaTtIiOoNn OoFf TtHhEe ZzOoRrOoAaSsTtRrIiAaNn AaSsSsOoCcIiAaTtIiOoNn OoFf FfLlOoRrIiDdAa We really do believe that, if we work together as one, following the simple yet priceless tenets of our faith- Humata, Hukhta, Hvarshta, we can move mountains. Z A F is a non-profit organization; IRS code 501(c) (3); tax ID # E IN Donations are Tax-deductible. We are a member of the F E Z A N A (Federation of the Zoroastrian Associations of North America) In This Issue 2. Youth Congress -Vancouver, Opening Jashan; Direction, Explanation & Participation ; by Ervad Soli Dastur 4. Youth Congress Experience, by Dustyn Shroff (ZAF) 5. Youth Congress Experience, by Khushnuma Driver (ZAF) 6. ZAF Sponsors Navar of a Young Man In Mumbai: (Account by Ervad Soli Dastur) 7. Annual Muktaad Prayers 7. New Year Pateti Celebration 8. Gaara Raffle 8. Exhibit Booth at A.I.A. Event 9. Our Donoras, Spomsors, & List of Members 10.Fali Chithis Scholarship for Zarathushtri Students 10. Educational DVD - Persepolis Recreated - & Luncheon Get to Gather 10. All Florida Zoroastrian Religious Class 11. ZAF - Project: Food for Needy Parsis in Gujarat, India 11. ZAF - Community News 12. Calendar of Events Special Edition This Special Edition of Zor & More is issued to commemorate very special youth oriented events. At the opening of the World Zoroastrian Youth Congress held this month in Vancouver, with 850 persons present, our Ervad Soli Dastur led an interactive Jashan, with simultaneous English explanation, performed by young Zoroastrian Mobeds including the first ever lady Mobed from Tehran attending the Congress. Young adults from ZAF; Dustyn Shroff and Khushnuma Driver also attended. A reflection of their positive experience is also presented herewith. The Congress Theme was: United We Stand: Building Bridges Across Oceans Speaking of youth and Building Bridges Across the Ocean, ZAF is proud to sponsor the Navar of a young Parsi- Zarathushtri, Zubin Pochkhanavala of Pune, India, that was completed on May 27 th. Our congratulations to Zubin and our sincere thanks to Solibhai Dastur for organizing the event and the ZAF community for the support. Presenting Zor & More SsPpEeCcIiAaLl EeDdIiTtIiOoNn With Saal Mubarak - Best Wishes for the New Year To The Community Sincerely, a ZAF Family Pg. 1 of 12 Zor & More, Special Edition, July-2011

2 World Zoroastrian Youth Congress: Jashan Presentation 7/1/2011 By Ervad Soli P. Dastur, Ph.D. United We Stand: Building Bridges Across Oceans This theme was chosen to represent the importance of uniting Zarathushtri youth around the world in order to create new relationships, and foster existing ones. Background: At the FEZANA AGM held by the Ontario Zoroastrian Cultural Foundation (OZCF), Toronto, May 2010, I was requested by Zain Mavalvala, the Chairman of the upcoming World Zoroastrian Youth Congress (WZYC) in Vancouver, 7/1 7/5/2011, to make an interactive Jashan Presentation using young Zoroastrian Mobeds attending the Congress, giving a 45 minute explanation of the Jashan ceremony, prayers and English translations. I gave a similar presentation at the North American youth Congress in Miami in December I accepted this request with thanks and gratitude and that started a wonderful experience for my wife Jo Ann and me to attend this Congress and to prepare an informative, interactive explanation of some of the prayers of our beautiful Jashan Ceremony using the young Mobeds from Australia, Iran, and North America; a total of 13; including Mobed Ramin Shahzadi and his wife, the newly ordained Mobedyar Parva Namiranian. This was the first time a lady Mobedyar participated in such a Jashan presentation in North America! Participation: As the time for the WZYC approached, it was necessary to find out from Zain and his wife Shiraz Italia, in charge of the WZYC opening Ceremony, the parameters for the presentation. Zain wanted to announce this all over the world so that all of the young Mobeds attending the WZYC could participate in the presentation. Under the auspices of NAMC (North American Mobed Council), its president Ervad Kobad Zarolia and Zain constructed the invitation letter which was sent to almost 300 Mobeds all over the world! Sarosh Collector, the Adult Zoroastrian Class Teacher of Houston ZAH, was very helpful to give us the names and s of six out of the total 13 young Mobeds from Houston association ZAH alone. Communication: I started to communicate with all the young Mobeds and their parents to give them an overview of what will be covered in the Jashan Presentation and what will be expected from them. This involved preparation of a lengthy WORD document covering the whole presentation, including all the selected prayer paras, their English translation, the Flower Ceremony, the role of Zoti (lead Mobed) and the Raathwi (his helper), etc. and sending it to all Mobeds and their parents so they know what to prepare. C reating an Understanding of the Jashan: In order to put all together in 45 minutes, a Herculean task, it was necessary to cut out many beautiful prayers and select very few paras from each of the three parts of the Jashan in the final PPT, which contained six prayers for the whole audience and 12 prayers for a select group of young attendees who recited the translation first followed by the Mobeds reciting the prayers. In order to help the Mobeds recite the selected prayers, a 58 page ring binder was prepared for them so they could recite the required prayers without looking into any of their prayer books and follow the Flower Ritual step by step. On Thursday 6/30/2011, we had a meeting of all the Mobeds in the evening and the booklets were distributed to them for easy reference. Our religious implements, Barsom (a bundle of metal wires bound together by metal chains) resting on Mah Ruys (two tripod like implements with semi-circular openings to rest the Barsom on them), that are used in all of our higher Zoroastrian inner liturgies, were used on this occasion Theme to demonstrate Unity and Building Bridges. Barsom as a symbol of Bridge Builders! The four Zoroastrian creeds words! Pg. 2 of 12 Zor & More, Special Edition, July-2011

3 12 particating young Mobeds worldwide! I also augmented these symbols with the four beautiful words representing the Zoroastrian creeds from our beautiful Kusti Prayer Jasa Me Awanghe Mazda Oh Ahura Mazda! Come to my aid! I stretched their actual meanings and used the following: F raspaayao-khedhraam Bridge Builders, Nidhaasnai-thîshem Peace Makers, Khaetva-dathaam Self Confident, Ashaonîm Righteous! The Presentation gave the meaning of Jashan, its three parts, Dibaache, Kardaas, Aafrins and selected paras from each one of them. For the required interactive involvement of the audience, we started off with the Jasa Me Awanghe Mazda prayer, to be recited by the whole audience (850+ in actual presentation) with the translation and the actual prayer! The Mobeds, Mobedyar and the Coach! The 850+ audience in 2 levels! The coach explaining the ceremony! The Hamaa Zor Greeting! One of the 12 Behdins presenting translation. The Flower Ritual! The Outcome: This was a wonderful site to behold and hear! We then followed it with the famous Hamaa Zor Greeting among all audience which really broke the ice and impressed upon them that they are not going to sleep during this presentation! The 13 Mobeds and Mobedyar did a wonderful job of reciting the selected prayers in unison and the Zoti and Raathwi demonstrated the entire Flower Ceremony perfectly as Professional Mobeds! I stayed at the podium orchestrating the whole presentation using the PPT slides! Due to time restrictions, we had to skip a few slides but the ending was performed by the whole audience reciting the translation and prayers of the last two paras of the last Aafrin ending with the beautiful Humatanaam prayer! From all the comments received, the Jashan Presentation was a great success! Pg. 3 of 12 Zor & More, Special Edition, July-2011

4 World Zoroastrian Youth Congress, Vancouver, BC, Canada, July 1 - July 4 By: Dustyn Shroff (Member ZAF) Sunset on Spanish Beach Opening Ceremony Jashan Friends before heading to the during one of the outings Gala on the final night of the congress Who were there & where?:, organized jointly by the Zoroastrian society of British Columbia (ZSBC) and FEZANA, took place in the beautiful city of Vancouver! The Congress welcomed fellow Zarthustris from countries all over the world such as India, Iran, Australia, the United States and New Zealand just to name a few. We were fortunate enough to have been provided housing on the gorgeous campus of The University of British Columbia. It was a perfect setting for friends to live together and spend time together for the duration of the Congress but was also even better for people to meet, connect, and grow new friendships. At the opening ceremonies, there were over 800 persons! Opening Ceremony & Jashan: The Congress itself began on July 1 st, with the Opening Ceremonies taking place in the Chan Center on the campus of UBC. We were lucky enough to have been a part of the interactive Jashan Ceremony headed by our dear Soli Uncle. The Jashan was beautifully done as Soli Uncle was accompanied by 13 other young priests, including the first ever Zoroastrian female priest! The audience was engaged and of course Soli Uncle stole the show! The opening ceremonies continued on with a few more performances and then a speech from the key note speaker, Fred Sarkari, a motivational speaker and life coach. : The Congress itself was a perfect mix of both educational and social value. Each morning from 9am until about 1pm there were lectures, interactive discussions, and breakout sessions that not only raised awareness of new issues and topics, but continued to discuss and try and resolve the major issues that we have all spoken about so many times at different congresses in the past. I, along with two other co-leaders, had the privilege of being a group leader for the Youth Career Connect session in which I was able to head up a group of young Zoroastrians who were either aspiring to enter the field of law, government and policy, or who were already in the field. This session aims to create a network of young Zarathustri professionals around the world broken down by their respective profession. There were many other groups as well such as: Medicine/Healthcare, Small Business/Entrepreneurship, Accounting/Finance, Engineering, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and so on. The session was a huge success and the professional networks should continue to grow around the world as more congresses continue to take place. Social Events: As for the social activities, the Congress organizers and planners really thought of it all! We were given the opportunity to take an evening cruise and see the beautiful lights of the city at night. The night was filled with dinner, dancing, and even fireworks over the downtown skyline in honor of Canada Day! Later on, we were taken on a trip to Grouse Mountain where we rode Gondolas up the mountain, enjoyed a lumberjack show, and had dinner overlooking a gorgeous snow covered mountain (quite a treat for us Floridians)! Speaking of treats for Floridians, we were taken to one of the most picturesque beaches I had ever been to in my life. The Florida beaches are beautiful no doubt, but Spanish Beach in Vancouver is the place where I have been able to sit on a sandy beach, stare out into the water, and then see snowcapped mountains in the background. It was an amazing sight! Pg. 4 of 12 Zor & More, Special Edition, July-2011

5 Reflections & Recommendation: The Congress itself was only four days, and I guarantee that each of us who attended could have stayed another four days without hesitation. Meeting new people from all over the world, learning about our religion, and seeing just how many of us still exist that want to preserve our faith is truly heartwarming. I urge anyone who wants to find out more about these Congresses to please either contact me directly, or contact FEZANA ( to find out how to get involved and how to become a part of these amazing experiences! The next North American Congress is planned for the Summer of 2012 in Rye, New York and I really hope that those who have attended in the past continue to attend and that those who have yet to attend try and make it out, because I guarantee once you attend your first Congress, it s hard to say no to the future ones. A very special note about our Ervad Soli Dastur: I would also like to take this opportunity to express my most heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Soli Dastur. I do not think that the ZAF Community truly understands what a true Zoroastrian Superstar we have living within our own community. Soli Uncle is one of the most humble, earnest men I have ever had the privilege of knowing and I feel that it is integral and only right that I make his contributions to the world Zoroastrian community known here and now. Soli Uncle is known by literally each person at these Congresses. He is held in the highest regard by all and we are truly blessed to have him as a priest, guide, and friend. Soli Uncle- Thank you for all you do for our religion, our faith, and our community. Again, please feel free to contact me about any questions or concerns you may have about these Congresses- we have a great number of Zoroastrian youth reaching the ages where they can start attending these Congresses and I really hope that these experiences spark their interests and they too can take part! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ World Zoroastrian Youth Congress, Vancouver, BC, Canada, July 1- July 4 By: Khushnuma Driver (Member ZAF) United We Stand- Building Bridges Across Oceans Canada flag before fireworks on Canada Day Khushnuma with new friends Vancouver city Who was there & where from? The 5 th world Zoroastrian congress took place in beautiful British Columbia where we enjoyed five days of fun with new friends and were able to re-connect with old ones. Zarathustris from every inch of the world were present, including New Zealand, Australia, Iran, India, Dubai, and North America. We all came from different countries with various accents but had one thing in common our religion. : The congress engaged the youth in discussions that affect all Zoroastrians today. The youth Career Connect session helped the youth connect with fellow colleagues in their respective fields. Social Events: There were fun activities arranged for the youth such as a Canada day cruise from which we saw fireworks, a fun day at Grouse Mountain where we had a scenic view of the city and a gala to conclude our festivities. The time flew by as the congress came to a close. A big thanks for all the hard work and planning that went into this congress. I hope to see you all at the 6 th World Youth Congress in New Zealand in ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pg. 5 of 12 Zor & More, Special Edition, July-2011

6 Z A F Sponsors the Navar Ceremony (in Mumbai) of a Young Man from a Parsi-Mobed Family We take this opportunity to thank our Z A F community for the support and Ervad Solibhai Dastur for all the personal attention and dedication to bring this initiative to fruition. We extend congratulations and best wishes to the young Ervad Zubin Pochkhanavala and his family on this auspicious occasion. Our thanks are also due to Mobed K eki Ravji of Cama Baug Adarian for leading the religious proceedings, Mobed Palanji Dastur (brother of Solibhai) for representing all of us in Z A F and Dinshawji Tamboly of W Z O India, for his timely and worthy referrals and input. Sincerely, The ZA F Board Following is Ervad Background: As a part of its Religious and Philanthropy objectives, your ZAF Board has taken the first ever initiative to sponsor the initiation of a young son of a Mobed family to become a Navar (title of a formally ordained priest) in Mumbai. Our Board and community member, Ervad Solibhai Dastur, has done the due diligence work for ZAF and identified a deserving candidate, Zubin Pochkhanavala, whose family lives in Pune, Maharashtra, India. The total cost of IRs. 50,000 (US$1,112), was donated by ZAF and was sent via proper FEZANA channels to Cama Baug Adariyan, Mumbai, where the initiation took place. The four day Navar ceremonies commenced with the initiation on May 24 th ; ending on May 27 th, The Family: Sarosh and Kashmira Pochkhanavala of Pune, have three sons. The Navar initiate Zubin is the middle son. Thanks to Dinshawji Tamboly, who referred me to Mobed Keki Ravji, Panthaki of the Cama Baug Adarian, Mumbai. Their contact information is: 97/7 Mira Society, Salisbury Park, Pune, India Cell Phone: , kashmira_sarosh@yahoo.com Mobed K eki Ravji, Panthaki of Cama Baug Adarian: I contacted Mobed Keki Ravji on the phone on Friday April 15th and then went on Saturday April 16th with my brother Mobed Palanji Dastoor, Panthaki of Colaba JD Agiary, to see them personally at the Cama Baug Adarian where all the details of the Navar were obtained. Mobed Ravji was gracious enough to invite Palanji and my nephew Cyrus Dastoor to witness the Navar Ceremonies. Accordingly, Palanji and ck Vakharia, witnessed the ceremony and Maneck took photos on the first and last days of Navar. n: Cama Baug Agiary, Opp. Dreamland cinema, Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road, Grant road, Mumbai , Phones at the Agiary: and , farzad_keki@yahoo.co.in Navar details: The Navar took place on Dae Mahino and Adar Roj (Tuesday 24th May) at the Cama Baug Adarian, Mumbai. Zubin was coached by Mobed Keki Ravji, Panthaki of the Cama Baug Adarian and his son, Mobed Farzad Ravji as his helper. As required, Zubin took the first Nahaan (Bareshnum) of nine nights on Adar Mahino and Daepmeher Roj (April 30th) and completed it on Adar Mahino and Din Roj (May 9th), and then the next day, took the second Nahaan on Adar Mahino and Ashishvangh Roj (May 10th) and completed it on Dae Mahino and Sheherevar Roj (May 19th). During these 2 Nahaans, Zubin spent his days in prayers in all five Gaahs and kept rehearsing his Navar prayers. th, the above two Mobeds started the 6 days of Gewra ceremonies (performance of Yazashne and Baj each day) and completed them on the Navar Day on Dae Mahino and Adar Roj (May 24th). The Navar ceremony took place on the same day, May 24th and continued for four days and Zubin completed his Navar ceremonies on Dae Mahino and Mohor Roj (Friday May 27th) and then only was pronounced Ervad Zubin Pochkhanavala. My brother Palanji represented us on the Navar Day and was very happy with the prayers recited by Zubin. Maneck Vakharia took all photos of Navar ceremonies on the 1st and last days. These are the proper sequences and ceremonies for the Navar in the Navsari Bhagharia traditions. Pg. 6 of 12 Zor & More, Special Edition, July-2011

7 A note from the family: Thank you all members of Z A F, Jahanbux Daruwala and Dinshaw Tamboly for sponsoring Zubin's Navar expenditures. We are grateful for this warm gesture. I have attached 2 pictures as requested. One of Zubin and the other of our family (my husband Sarosh, eldest son Edvard Zen, second son Zubin, youngest son Rayomand and I, K ashmira S. Pochkhanavala).Thank you all once again! With warm wishes and regards, K ASH M IRA SA R OSH PO C H K H A N A V A L A. (1) Zubin being dressed by a Mobed before Navar Ceremony. (2) Zubin in his full Navar Regalia. (3) Pochkanavala family: Kashmira, Zubin, Edvard Zen, Rayomand and dad, (4) brother Palanji and 3 Cama Baug Mobeds with Zubin, dad Sarosh, brother Rayomand and mom Kashmira at the entrance to Cama Baug Adarian. (5) joining in. (6) On the Navar Day, Zubin is helped by Palanji and other Mobeds. Panthaki Mobed Keki Ravji in the background near the wall. ZAF Annual Muktaad Prayers Thanks to our generous hosts Hovi, Burjis Shroff & family, the prayers and a New Year jashan, led by Ervad Soli Dastur, will be held again at their home from August and on the 19th, respectively. The details are explained in the attached form. Please note that the registration envelopes must be postmarked by no later than August 7th. ZAF New Year Pateti - Celebration Pateti/New Year (Y Z 1381): The function will commence with a social hour starting at 7 pm on Saturday, August 20th, at the Quality Inn, Sawgrass Conference Center, 1711 N University Drive, Plantation, F L ( ). A four hour program, full of energetic DJ- appetizers: chicken tikka, paapdi-chaat, aloo tikki, dinner: chicken makhni, lamb rogan josh, potato-eggplant, daal fry, jeera rice, raita, naan, gulaab jamun) and a gaara-raffle-drawing are planned). Please note that the attached advance registration form must be sent postmarked no later than August 12th for substantial cost savings. We look forward to seeing you there and SA A L M UB A RA K (HappyNewYear) in advance. Pg. 7 of 12 Zor & More, Special Edition, July-2011

8 Saal Mubarak *** ZAF Fund Raising Raffle T hrough the thoughtful generosity of our dear Z A F family, Bur jis & Hovi Shroff, following beautiful items have been donated for a raffle at the upcoming Pateti-New Year function on Saturday, A ugust 20th. T hese articles are from an event and exhibit recently held at a local Agiyari in India. 1st prize: 2nd prize: 3rd prize: 4th prize: 5th prize: Purple Gara sari with matching blouse and net sadra piece (machine made) Black multi colored Gara Kurti/Top Silver kotrela (carved) diva (oil lamp) container with diva glass H ead scarf with Gara work (in white) H ead scarf with Gara work (in orange) T ickets & Rules: You may purchase as many tickets ($20 each) as you wish. Each ticket entitles you to all five drawings however, if a ticket wins a prize, it will be deleted from the next drawing. At the function, the first drawing will be for the 5th prize, the second for the 4rd prize & so on until we reach the precious first prize. If you are not at the function, you will be notified by phone or and a suitable arrangement will be made to send the prize(s) to you. For the tickets ordered by mail, the ZAF Board will keep a master list and track the specific tickets associated with names. The proceeds will go to the ZAF General Fund. Participation: The tickets can be purchased at the function with cash or check. If you are not attending, then please make \RXU FKHFN SD\DEOH WR ³=$),QF DQG PDLO WR Mina Dubash, Treasurer-ZAF, 1819 SE 17th St., Unit 712, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 3OHDVH PDUN WKH FKHFN ³)RU =$) UDIIOH FRQWULEXWLRQ M ail T iming: Envelopes postmarked later than August 15th will not be entered in the raffle. Z A F E xhibit Booth at A.I. A. G athering =$) V %RDUG PHPEHUV, Jimmy Major and Mina Dubash, invite you to visit the =$) V ERRWK ± exhibit at the celebration of,qgld V,QGHSHQGHQFH organized by the Association of Indians In America (AIA). The event will be on Sunday, August 21, from 12 noon to 4 pm in the Amaturo Theater, Broward Center for Performing Arts, 201 SW 5th Avenue, Ft. Lauderdale, FL There will be Indian food, fashion, art, dance, music and more. Our booth will exhibit persons in Parsee attire ± dagli & saari - ZLWK RWKHU REMHFWV G DUW SDPSKOHWV DQG GLVSOD\ LWHPV &RPH VXSSRUW RXU WHDP Vote of T hanks to O ur Sponsors, Donors & Members W e acknowledge, with gratitude, the spirit of charity from our community Sponsorships o o o o o Newsletter Issue # 1, 2011: Newsletter Issue # 2, 2011: Newsletter: Special E dition, July 2011 Hosting of M uktaad Prayers (8/14-19): G hambaar Prayer and Luncheon (11/6): A rnavaz & G ustadji I rani D r. Hoshedar & A nahita T amboli A Z A F F amily D r. Burjis & Hovi Shroff D rs. Roshan & C laude Moraes Donations F rom Z A F (Jan ± Jun, 2011) o $ 300 o $ 101 o $ 1,112 Japan Relief Assistance: sent via F E Z A N A Central Collection. To F E Z A N A general fund Navar sponsorship in India (Please see the article above) Pg. 8 of 12 Zor & More, Special Edition, July-2011

9 Donations Received For Z A F (Jan Jun, 2011) $ 3,541 C ritical Assistance Fund #3 $ 202 Two Haft Sheen table educational awards - at Nowruz $ 1,262 Z A F General Fund #1 from our community at Nowruz. $ 327 Z A F General Fund #1- from our community $ 409 Z A F General Fund #1 - from our community in support of Educational Get-To-Gather $ 630 Newsletter publication sponsorships $ 120 Goodwill messages in newsletter #2, 2011 Items for Raffle at Pateti: By Hovi & burjis Shroff Membership: A sincere vote of thanks to the following households for their membership as of Baria, Noshir, Goolu Hansotia, Kaizad, Katya Patel, Homi, Daisy Bhadha, Pauli, Kashmira Irani, Farhad, Nina Patel, Nash, Anahita Bharucha, Jimmy, Roshan Irani, Furrokh, Khushnam Pir, Kairus Captain, Jaloo & Rita Engineer Irani, Gustad, Arnavaz Ragaby, Khodadad, Parvana Daruwala, Jahanbux, Nancy Irani, Soli, Jeroo Samson, Nancy Daruwala, Khushroo Jilla, Bahram Shringarpure, Deepak, Jasmine Dastur, Soli, Jo Ann Kavasmaneck, Percy & Aban Shroff, Burjis, Hovi Deboo, Jimmy, Freny Kevala, Rustom, Yasmin Shroff, Dustyn Deboo, Nina Khariwalla, Rumy, Armaity Shroff, Homz Deboo, Rustom, Jasmin Major, Jimmy, Farida Shroff, Jehengir, Shireen Dhatigara, Shahveer Marino-Vazir, Gerard, Franah Tamboli, Hoshedar, Anahita Driver, Rohinton, Jinobia Mehta, Mehar, Daisy Tata, Burjor, Pervin Dubash, Darius, Shahnaz Mehta, Zersis, Jennifer Tavadia, Bob, Iwona Dubash, Mina, Gulshan Minocher, Zersis, Anahita Todywala, Sam, Lyla Dubash, Roy Mobed, Danny, Gohar Unwalla, Darab, Nariman, Nellie Engineer, Farrokh, Shirin Moraes, Claude, Roshan Unwalla, Perry, Sasha Hansotia, Behli, Zenobia Munshi, Kersi, Dolly Vazir, Sheroo Hansotia, Dinshaw, Hootokhshi Panthaki, Zubin, Dimple Please bring errors or omissions to the attention of Kersi Munshi (Secretary) at kershasp@yahoo.com or Mina Dubash (Treasurer) at minadubash@aol.com. Thank you. Membership Dues: You are urged to support our association and kindly send your membership as per the following schedule: o Household Membership for <70 = $50 (as long as all in the home are below 70) o Household Membership for >70 = $25 (as long as any one person in a home is 70+) o Single person living alone = $25 o Full time student living alone = $ 10 Please make checks payable to ZAF Inc. and mail to Mina Dubash, T reasurer-z A F, 1819 SE 17 th St., Unit # 712, Ft. Lauderdale, F L Thank you. Fali Chothia Charitable Trust Educational Scholarships From: Feroza Fitch FFitch@lexicongraphics.com The Fali Chothia Charitable Trust is accepting applications for its 22nd annual scholarship awards. These are open to Zoroastrian students in North America enrolled in four-year or graduate-level programs. Awards are based on financial need, academic achievement, extracurricular activity and community service and are given as outright gifts or no-and low-interest loans. To demonstrate solidarity and trust between organizations while serving community causes, the US Chapter of the World Zoroastrian Organisation is once again joining the Fali Chothia Trust's Scholarship Program. This partnership enables the Trust to significantly increase the amount of its scholarships. The Fali Chothia Charitable Trust was established in 1988 under the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Washington, Inc. (ZAMWI). The Trust provides scholarships to deserving Zoroastrian students enrolled in universities in North America, regardless of their country of origin. Applications may be downloaded from: Please forward the application form by October 1, 2011 to: The Fali Chothia Charitable Trust, Farnham Drive, Bethesda, MD (301) or (301) Pg. 9 of 12 Zor & More, Special Edition, July-2011

10 Z A F Educational D V D (Persepolis Recreated) & Get-to-Gather Luncheon As a part of its drive to enhance the diversity of interesting and educational events for the community, your Board arranged. This first of its kind event was held at the Arista Park community (Residence complex of Jimmy & Farida Major) on Sunday, June 12 th. About 40 persons attended. The history, glory and pride of Persepolis, the epicenter of Zoroastrian culture and philosophy of the then rulers, was awe inspiring. The computerized animation of the architectural realism, (based on the modern day ruins) of what might it was masterfully portrayed in the production.??? might it have been lik (Architec computer rendering from the DVD projection) Here is what our member Freny Deboo had to say, which sums it all up very well: It was lovely to meet so many ZAF members we missed out on meeting them at the last couple of functions; The docu aeology and history of Persia; The lunch from Nirala was delicious and recommend a repeat of similar catering for some of our ZAF events; Farida and Jimmy Major's Club house is an ideal place for a small get-together such as this; And last but not least, our President's recap on ZAF's most recent activities and its vision and mission for years to come, all of these make us so very proud. Thanks to all who helped with shopping, making the arrangements and clean-up. Thanks also to Kersi-Dolly for their very generous contribution, to Jimmy-Farida for helping with the hall reservation and Jimmy-Freny for kind and gracious comments. We are evaluating similar educational event alternatives for the future. All Florida Zoroastrian Religious Tele-Class On May 29th, about 25 persons from ZATAMBAY, Orlando Group, ZAF and some out of state, participated in our second Zoroastrian Religion Tele-Class on the subject of The Spread of Zarathushtri Religion, presented by Ervad Soli P. Dastur. As in the previous class, Solibhai sent out PowerPoint slides in advance to all interested persons, who then dialed into a conference call number set up by the ZAF Secretary Kersi Munshi. The one hour class, with Q&A, was very well received by all. The next class will be sometime in early August before the Gatha Days and will be announced soon. Pg. 10 of 12 Zor & More, Special Edition, July-2011

11 for Poor Parsi-Zarathushtris in Gujarat, India Your Board is pleased to inform you that it has been contemplating a special critical assistance project to help provide basic food items to poor Parsees in the interior villages of Gujarat, India; where the ancestors of most of us landed from Persia centuries ago. At the upcoming Pateti New Year function on August 20th, our Ervad Solibhai Dastur will give you an overview presentation, with photos, of an extended visit in these villages that he and his wife Jo Ann made earlier this year, in conjunction with the leadership of the World Zoroastrian Organization (WZO)-India, that is locally coordinating the effort. The details will be announced after the function. A Mobed-Duran Production Z A F Community News Congratulations and best wishes to Cyra & Oscar Mobed-Duran on the arrival of "Milana Jasmine Duran," who made her earthly debut on July 8th at 11:10 pm in Miami. She weighed 7 lbs 1oz, and was 19 tall. The proud grandparents, Goher & Danny Mobed with the arrival of our precious new grand-daughter Mila. Happy Birthday!! Dr. Claude Moraes Congratulations and best wishes to Claude Moraes, who celebrated his 75 th th in grand style; full of joy, laughter and the company of family and friends.!! A ND - many happy returns!! Welcome & Directory Change Dr. Roy Dubash, son of our dear friends Mina & Gulshan Dubash, and an Emergency Room physician by profession, has recently relocated from Ohio to Ft. Lauderdale. On behalf of the ZAF Board and the community we wish to welcome Roy to the area. We feel that we know Roy already by knowing the parents, as they are so involved in the community activities and on the ZAF Board. We wish Roy success in his career pursuits, good health and all the joys of our sunny Florida. Address etc.: 350 SE 2nd St., Unit 2760, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301; Ph: , Roydubash@yahoo.com. Our Condolences It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear Dolly Nariman Balsara. Dolly, Nari and their family were among the first Parsi families (since 1970) to settle in South Florida. Dolly passed away in her sleep sometime in the early hours of Wednesday, the 8th of June, She was a uniquely kind and gentle lady. To know her was to love her. The viewing and the funeral prayers, performed by Ervads Dr. Darabsha Unwalla and Khushroo Daruwalla, were held at 5:00 pm on Sunday, the 12th of June, 2011, at Bernardo Garcia Funeral Home, 2050 SW 117th Avenue, Miami, FL May her soul rest in eternal peace! Pg. 11 of 12 Zor & More, Special Edition, July-2011

12 The Z.A.F. Inc. c/o Kersi Munshi, Secretary 9830 BayLeaf Ct. Parkland, FL Mah Bahman/Spandarmad YZ 1380 Zor & More Special Edition, July-2011 Aa PpUuBbLlIiCcAaTtIiOoNn OoFf TtHhEe ZzOoRrOoAaSsTtRrIiAaNn AaSsSsOoCcIiAaTtIiOoNn OoFf FfLlOoRrIiDdAa Board of Directors President Jahanbux Daruwala V.P. Burjis Shroff Secretary Kersi Munshi Treasurer Mina Dubash Members-at-Large Soli Dastur Behli Hansotia Katya Hansotia Khushnam Irani Jimmy Major August 14 (Sun): August 15-18: August-19: August-20 (Sat): August 21: Nov- 6 (Sunday): Calendar of Events Muktaad Prayers, by Ervad Soli Dastur, s home. 12:30 pm. Muktaad Prayers, by Ervad Soli Dastur, s home. 7 pm daily. New Year, Pateti Jashan at Burjis & H Pateti Shahenshahi New Year Celebration: Quality Inn, Plantation, FL, 7 to 11 pm. ZAF Exhibit-Booth at the AIA Fair, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Humbandagee (Prayer), Ghambaar Luncheon & ZAF Annual General Meeting (A G M), Time & place TBD. Pg. 12 of 12 Zor & More, Special Edition, July-2011