Vox Tablet

How Thanksgiving Became Holy for One Iranian Jewish Woman and Her Family

‘Saffron Rice and Cranberry Sauce’ is one of eight stories in a theater production based on Persian Jewish women’s lives

November 19, 2013
Clockwise from top left: Esther’s father, Esther’s mother, Esther’s mother, and Esther with her mother. (Photoillustration Tablet Magazine; original photos courtesy of Esther Amini and Shutterstock)
Clockwise from top left: Esther’s father, Esther’s mother, Esther’s mother, and Esther with her mother. (Photoillustration Tablet Magazine; original photos courtesy of Esther Amini and Shutterstock)


Esther Amini’s mother—or Bibi (“grandma” in Farsi), as the family calls her—grew up in Mashhad, a holy Islamic city in Iran. To escape persecution, Bibi and other Jews kept their religious observance well-hidden. She immigrated in 1948 to the United States, where Esther was born. In the years that followed, the holiday of Thanksgiving—celebrating, among other things, the gift of religious freedom—came to hold a privileged place for her and her family, alongside Rosh Hashanah and Passover.

Amini’s account of this family tradition is one of eight narratives in Saffron and Rosewater: Songs and Stories From Persian Women, a theatrical production of the Jewish Women’s Theater making its East Coast premiere this Saturday, Nov. 23, at the 92Y. In the show, and on today’s podcast, the story is performed by Roxana Rastegar. First, Vox Tablet host Sara Ivry speaks with Ronda Spinak, artistic director of the Jewish Women’s Theater, about the origins of the production.

Vox Tablet is Tablet Magazine’s weekly podcast, hosted by Sara Ivry and produced by Julie Subrin. You can listen to individual episodes here or subscribe on iTunes.

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