When 1,200people filled theballroom at the Hy-att Regency CenturyPlaza, it marked an-other transformativemoment in localIranian-AmericanJewish life. The at-tendees had turned

out for the 2nd biennial Civic ActionConference organized by 30 Years Af-ter, a nonprofit spearheaded by thenext generation of Iranian-AmericanJewish leaders now in their 20s and30s.

The crowd had come to hear animpressive roster of speakers includ-ing former CIA Director JamesWoolsey; Gen. Wesley Clark, formerchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;and various local politicians on im-portant current issues, ranging frompolitics to Israel and Iran. Even sur-passing the conference agenda,though, is the story of how 30 YearsAfter came into existence with its mis-sion to drive Persian-Jewish commu-nity civic and political engagement inAmerican life.

The story leading up to this eventdates back to 2007 when Sam Yebri,Raymond Zolhekian, DebbieFarnoush and the other young co-founders of 30 Years After sought a$10,000 grant to support a confer-ence to mobilize the Persian-Jewishcommunity. It would coincide withthe milestone occasion: the three

By Amelia XannExclusive to The Courier

decades having passed since theirparents and grandparents sought anew future in the United States forthemselves and their children—alongwith tens of thousands of other Per-sian Jews–following the 1978 IranianRevolution.

The social innovators at 30 YearsAfter reached out to the Jewish Com-munity Foundation of Los Angeles,which encouraged the nascent start-up to think big and imagine its futureon a larger scale. In 2008, the foun-dation awarded the group $200,000in seed funding under its Cutting EdgeGrants Initiative. In just two years, 30Years After has held dozens of lec-tures, workshops, conferences and

programs, culminating in last month’s2nd biennial Civic Action Confer-ence.

The group has attracted severalthousand Persian Jews and engagedthem in American civic and politicalaffairs, commitment to Israel, socialjustice, and political action througheducational events, student mentor-ing and voter registration. Lastmonth’s conference participantsranged from college-aged students totheir parents and grandparents. Ani-mated conversation in Farsi, English,Hebrew, Spanish and Yiddish buzzedthrough the rooms where breakoutsessions were held. One could wit-ness transformation in the making.

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For The Local Persian JewishCommunity, New, Young VoicesEmerge – 30 Years After

Amelia Xann

30 YEARS AFTER–Lorin M. Fife, chairman of the Jewish CommunityFoundation of Los Angeles, addresses 1,200 on hand for the 30 Years AfterCivic Action Conference at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.

“When our parents and grandpar-ents came to Los Angeles after therevolution, they re-created the com-munity we had back in Iran,” saidYebri, a Century City lawyer. “Indeed,the local Persian Jewish communityhas grown in past years and is cur-rently estimated at 35,000-40,000.But my generation grew up seeing theamazing diversity around us here.

“We saw diversity on our collegeand graduate school campuses inboth the Jewish community and thecommunity at large. We recognizedthe Persian-Jewish sector was not rep-resented nor were we an active voiceat the table. We decided to do some-thing about it.”

Yebri explained how he learnedfrom various local leaders, such as therabbis and the leadership of his fami-ly’s Sinai Temple, who often spokeabout the virtues and importance ofbeing an active and involved commu-nity member.

Another source of inspiration tohim is Beverly Hills Mayor JimmyDelshad, who has been quoted assaying: “After leaving Iran, PersianJews lived in the U.S. for decades as iftheir suitcases were still packed andthe keys to their homes in Iran still intheir pockets.”

Yebri and his peers recognizedthey could help the community tradein those proverbial keys for a new setwhich could unlock doors into aneven brighter future. Grantmakingserves as such a catalyst by settinginto motion new activities, new waysof thinking and by nurturing newvoices. While the tightknit communi-ty is known for its contributions toculture, business and real estate, ithas not generally been characterizedby its civic engagement and involve-ment at large.

The leaders of 30 Years After hadan idea that was so much more than amilestone conference. Theirs was a

dream to address issues from politicsto social justice in order to educateand mobilize both the younger andmore senior generations within thePersian Jewish community. Capitaliz-ing on youthful energy and determi-nation, fueled with the desire to makea difference in the community, andinspired by the stories of their parentsand grandparents, those behind 30Years After embarked on a grassrootsmovement with the potential to serveas a bridge spanning generations andcommunities, connecting us all.

While the group is helping Per-sian Jews expand the depth andbreadth of their civic engagement, an-other local initiative is working tokeep that community healthy andthriving by addressing important med-ical issues.

The Center for Jewish Genetics atCedars-Sinai Medical Center is con-ducting outreach, education, and pro-viding genetic testing to ultimatelysave lives within the Persian-Jewishcommunity. When the late philan-thropists, George and Harry Gittelsonand Stella F. Joseph, established en-dowment funds at the Jewish Com-munity Foundation, they earmarkedthem for work supporting health andmedical research. After their passing,the foundation fulfilled their wishesby providing seed funding to establishthis new center and its pilot programto screen Persian Jews for any geneticdisorders prevalent within their popu-lation. The genetic testing determineswho is a carrier of the genes associat-ed with Pseudicholinesterase defi-ciency; Congenital Hypoaldostero-

Mayor Jimmy Delshad

nism; Polyglandular deficiency; andHereditary Inclusion Body Myopathy.

The pilot program has been led byDr. David Rimoin, with consultationby Dr. Michael Kaback. In the 1970sand ‘80s, the two pioneered the Tay-Sachs genetic screening for theAshkenazi Jewish population, ulti-mately saving many lives by identify-ing carriers of Tay-Sachs disease.Along with screening, education andcounseling, the Persian Genetic Dis-ease Intervention Program at Cedars-Sinai is also raising awareness and ad-dressing issues that will help breakthe silence about these genetic med-ical conditions and remove the stigmalong associated with them.

Providing knowledge and accessthrough programs such as 30 Years Af-ter and the Cedars’ endeavor will en-able members of the Persian Jewishcommunity to make more informedchoices. Programs such as these,seeded and sustained in part by theJewish Community Foundation, serveto inspire new behaviors and perspec-tives and even save lives.

The result is an empowered Iran-ian Jewish community with a strongervoice, greater connectivity, and excit-ing new potential for deep civic en-gagement with the community atlarge that can strengthen and benefitan ever-evolving Los Angeles.

Amelia Xann is vice president of theFamily Foundation Center and GrantPrograms at the Jewish CommunityFoundation of Los Angeles, a leadingcharitable-asset manager andprovider of planned-giving solutions

www.jewishfoundationla.org