Jewish and Persian Connections Mission

In response to statements emanating from the Middle East regarding nuclear threat to both the Jewish and Persian peoples, we seek to project an alternative voice on Jewish- Persian relations that disseminates knowledge about the historical and cultural ties between these two peoples, fosters friendship and openings for creative exchange, and contributes to the identity of adults and children of mixed Jewish and Persian ancestry.

Seeking Your Personal Stories and Intellectual Contributions!

Please submit your personal writings on the following topics:
a) Relationships between Persians and Jews
b) Raising a Persian Jewish child
C) Historical and/or current affairs between Persians and Jews/ Iran and Israel
D) Current Debate: Is the current conflict between Iran and Israel inherently tied into the Israeli- Palestinian conflict?

All submissions welcome including poetry, links and other recommendations. Please email any submissions to tiffanyssf@aol.com. Authors are responsible for providing respectful, factually accurate, and fully citated submissions as a pre-requisite for inclusion. Articles should be a minimum of 2 paragraphs in length up to a maximum of 10 pages. Please use proper citation when referencing another writer or speaker. Assume no specific religious knowledge and explain all references to any religions. Translate all non-English words used, including Farsi, Hebrew, Arabic, Ladino or Yiddish. Writers wishing to anonymously post may use their first name only. Please send all submissions to tiffanyssf@aol.com. All information outside of your submission will remain strictly confidential including your email and contact information. Thank you for your contributions!

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Rita Kleinstein (Yahan Farouz). Remarkable Persian Israeli Singer.

Born in 1962 in Teheran, Iran, Rita emigrated to Israel at the young age of 8. She went on to become one of the most popular singers in Israel. She released her first album in 1986 to instant acclaim combining Middle Eastern vocals with pop rhythms. In 1990, she gained international recognition when she represented Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest. She has starred in such theatrical productions as Habimah's staging of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof . Although her maiden name is Yahan Farouz, she is more commonly known as "Rita" or Rita Kleinstein as a result of her marriage to famous Israeli songwriter Rami Kleinstein.

She performs primarily in Hebrew with some songs in Farsi. Her music can be heard and purchased at http://www.israel-music.com/rita/