Wedding Song: Memoirs of an Iranian Jewish Woman

Contents

CO NTENT S 8 Prologue: Iranian Memoirs  . Blood Lines  Maman: My Mother  / Baba: My Father  / Maman’s Story  / Baba’s Story  / A New Life in Shiraz  / Aziza  . My Grandmother’s House  My Childhood Home  / A Day at the Hamam  / The Question of Virginity  / The Garden Wedding  / A Divorce in the Family  . My Education  Private Lessons: Fear  / A Restless Year  / The Price of a Woman’s Education  / Khanom-bozorg  / The First Grade  / Leaving The Mahaleh  . A Place for Me  Our New Home  / My Space  / Out of Place  / A Piece of Chocolate  . Marriage: A Woman’s Dream  Khastegaree: Marriage Proposals  / Feathers and Hair  / A Viewing  [ ] . My New World  Leaving Iran  / Bibi  / A Match for Me  / The Last Days  Epilogue: September   Nightmares  / A Closure  Acknowledgments  Glossary  [ ] CONTENTS This book is dedicated to my family: My husband Norman always believed in me and gave me “a room of my own.” My daughters Lena, Yael, and Rachel were the first to pull the stories out of the family well, rich with tradition, life-giving, yet dark and hidden. Along with my siblings and their spouses, they were my first readers. They laughed and cried with me across all these years as I tried to transform my spoken stories into written words. My mother Rouhi, whose rouh, her soul, will forever be intertwined with mine. Maman, how could I ever try to forget you? My father Esghel, who gave to our extended family and the Jewish community until there wasn’t anything left to give. Baba, mehila, please forgive me. I love you. The gate to the city of Shiraz. ...