Page 55 - issue
P. 55
Exodus
Mrs. Lavi’s husband, also a first-generation Persian Ameri- Accelerating the Pace of Change ©WWW
can, is very involved with the community, running the youth
minyan and keeping the boys happy and proud of who they Evidence-Based Treatment for Children and Adolescents
are. Their kids don’t speak much Farsi, but Mrs. Lavi feels that Anxiety, Behavior, Depression & Trauma
it’s good, because she and her husband can speak about some Parenting Techniques with Proven Results
things without them knowing what we are saying. The oldest,
who just turned 13, is starting to pick it up.” Mrs. Lavi believes Momentumcounseling@outlook.com
they will become more familiar with the language as some of 443-756-4648
their friends are first generation Americans who speak Farsi at
home. Evening and Sunday appointments
Although her kids are young, at this point she believes they
will be more interested in marrying people with their same cul-
tural background rather than “marrying out” as they are very
dedicated to their shul and culture. “But you never know what
will happen once they start yeshiva,” she says.
Although Mrs. Lavi has never been to Shiraz, she knows a lot
about it from the conversations around her. “When my parents
and every single person from Iran describe that country, they
speak of the pleasant weather, the beautiful gardens and houses,
and how they would go to the park with their families on Sun-
day and Shabbat. Those memories are etched in their brains
because they all say the same thing. When it’s a good day here,
they say, ‘Oh, it’s just like it was in Shiraz.’ If they taste good
food, “Oh, it’s just like it was in Shiraz.’ If they smell a flower,
“Oh, in our garden, they were just like this.’ Every good thing
goes back to their hometown.”
Mrs. Lavi knows of some people who have visited Shiraz but
came back depressed. “The house is gone, the garden is gone,
the food is different, the streets are different, and it turned out
to be a painful experience, as they really can’t relive those mem-
ories.” Although some people visit Iran fairly often, many have
no desire to go back or are fearful to do so as there have been
incidents (such as what happened to an elderly relative of hers)
of visiting Jews being beaten and accused of spying.
Mrs. Lavi has an aunt and uncle who left Iran about six years
ago. In Iran they owned a large mansion on a hill, where they
could look down and see the whole town. The aunt was head
nurse in a hospital, and her husband also had a very good job.
Their children had left earlier, but they waited a long time in
order to try to sell their estate. In the end they had to sell it for
very little. When they later heard that the buyer knocked down
their home and built expensive villas, it was painful for them.
Her aunt babysits now, and her husband cannot get a job. They
live in a much smaller house. But they felt they had to leave
Iran, where they no longer felt safe.
Mrs. Lavi’s grandparents came to America about 18 years ago
and went straight to Los Angeles, home to the largest Iranian
community outside of Iran. “It was the best place for them,”
she says. “The weather, the people, and the food are like Shiraz.
As non-English speakers, they need to be in a familiar environ-
ment.” Personally, Mrs. Lavi is very happy that she lives in Bal-
timore. “I love the community and the schools here, and am
u 410 358 8509 u 47
Mrs. Lavi’s husband, also a first-generation Persian Ameri- Accelerating the Pace of Change ©WWW
can, is very involved with the community, running the youth
minyan and keeping the boys happy and proud of who they Evidence-Based Treatment for Children and Adolescents
are. Their kids don’t speak much Farsi, but Mrs. Lavi feels that Anxiety, Behavior, Depression & Trauma
it’s good, because she and her husband can speak about some Parenting Techniques with Proven Results
things without them knowing what we are saying. The oldest,
who just turned 13, is starting to pick it up.” Mrs. Lavi believes Momentumcounseling@outlook.com
they will become more familiar with the language as some of 443-756-4648
their friends are first generation Americans who speak Farsi at
home. Evening and Sunday appointments
Although her kids are young, at this point she believes they
will be more interested in marrying people with their same cul-
tural background rather than “marrying out” as they are very
dedicated to their shul and culture. “But you never know what
will happen once they start yeshiva,” she says.
Although Mrs. Lavi has never been to Shiraz, she knows a lot
about it from the conversations around her. “When my parents
and every single person from Iran describe that country, they
speak of the pleasant weather, the beautiful gardens and houses,
and how they would go to the park with their families on Sun-
day and Shabbat. Those memories are etched in their brains
because they all say the same thing. When it’s a good day here,
they say, ‘Oh, it’s just like it was in Shiraz.’ If they taste good
food, “Oh, it’s just like it was in Shiraz.’ If they smell a flower,
“Oh, in our garden, they were just like this.’ Every good thing
goes back to their hometown.”
Mrs. Lavi knows of some people who have visited Shiraz but
came back depressed. “The house is gone, the garden is gone,
the food is different, the streets are different, and it turned out
to be a painful experience, as they really can’t relive those mem-
ories.” Although some people visit Iran fairly often, many have
no desire to go back or are fearful to do so as there have been
incidents (such as what happened to an elderly relative of hers)
of visiting Jews being beaten and accused of spying.
Mrs. Lavi has an aunt and uncle who left Iran about six years
ago. In Iran they owned a large mansion on a hill, where they
could look down and see the whole town. The aunt was head
nurse in a hospital, and her husband also had a very good job.
Their children had left earlier, but they waited a long time in
order to try to sell their estate. In the end they had to sell it for
very little. When they later heard that the buyer knocked down
their home and built expensive villas, it was painful for them.
Her aunt babysits now, and her husband cannot get a job. They
live in a much smaller house. But they felt they had to leave
Iran, where they no longer felt safe.
Mrs. Lavi’s grandparents came to America about 18 years ago
and went straight to Los Angeles, home to the largest Iranian
community outside of Iran. “It was the best place for them,”
she says. “The weather, the people, and the food are like Shiraz.
As non-English speakers, they need to be in a familiar environ-
ment.” Personally, Mrs. Lavi is very happy that she lives in Bal-
timore. “I love the community and the schools here, and am
u 410 358 8509 u 47
