Nahid Pirnazar, Ph.D.
Professor of Iranian

University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1511
nahid@humnet.ucla.edu

Nahid Pirnazar is Adjunct Lecturer of Iranian Studies at UCLA, teaching the History of Iranian Jews, and Judeo-Persian Literature . She received her Ph.D. from UCLA in June 2004,  in Iranian Studies with an emphasis on Judeo-Persian literature, Classical Persian Literature as well as History of Iranian Jews.  Her two M.A. degrees are in Iranian Studies from UCLA in 1999, and  English as a Second Language from Tehran University in 1975.  Nahid has received her B.A. in English in 1965 from Tehran University and High School Diploma, in 1962, from Fairfax High school in Los Angeles, California.

Her teaching experience at UCLA, since 1997 to present time includes Judeo-Persian literature, History of Iranian Jews, instruction of Persian language and literature from introductory to advanced level. In summer of 2006, she taught an intensive course on the History and Culture of Iranian Jews at the Yeshiva University, New York. The history of her teaching, at college level, also includes Santa Monica College, California as well as Tehran University where she taught from 1965- 1975 as an instructor of English Language.

Nahid Pirnazar is the founder and president of The House of Judeo-Persian Manuscripts, an academic organization who takes upon itself to collect, preserve, transliterate and publish Judeo-Persian documents and manuscripts.  Women Issues, especially within the Jewish religious laws, have always occupied a great portion of her social services and activities.

She has served in the Habib Levy Cultural & Educational Foundation, since 1997,  as an executive Board Member and Director of Academics, Research & Publications; the Iranian Jewish Women’s Organization since 1976, as a founder, president and academic liaison with The Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Farhang Foundation, in Los Angeles, as Executive Secretary from 2008- 2010 and The Graduates Society, in Los Angeles, as a founder and Executive Board member from 1991-1998.

The Title of her Ph.D. Dissertation is “The Place of the 15th Century Judeo-Persian Religious Epic,  ‘Emrani’s  Fathnameh, in Iranian Literary Tradition,” and the list of some of her recent publications include:

1. “The Concepts of Holy War and Divine Justice as Interpreted in the Judeo-Persian Book of Conquest”, Irano-Judaica Conference, Jerusalem, Israel, October, 2010.

2. “The Intricate Tapestry of Iranian Jewry,” International Conference on Jewish Genealogy, Los Angeles, July 2010.

3. “Women of Shahnameh,” Society of Iranian Studies, Los Angeles, May 2010.

4. “The Religious Account of Josef, as Reflected in Judeo-Persian Literature,” Society of Iranian Studies , Los Angeles, May, 2010. (Work in Process).

5. “The Religious Identity of Iranian Jews in Post Islamic Revolution Era in the United States.” Presented at American Jewish Studies Seminar, Los Angeles, California, January, 2010.

6. “Voluntary Religious Conversion of Iranian Jews in the Nineteenth Century.” Presented at Iranian Jewry: From Past to Present, November 1-3, 2008. International Conference Sponsored by, University of Maryland: Center for Jewish Studies, Center for PersianStudies; Library of Congress, Washington DC, The Hebraic Section and Near East Section. (Work in Process).

7. “The Religious Account of Joseph and Its Poetic Adaptations by Shahin and Jami.” Presented at “The Jews of Iran: Aspects of History, Community and Culture,” Tel Aviv University, June 4, 2008.

8. “The Interaction of Iranian and Judaic Concepts: “Farreh and Providence,” in Iranshenassi, 15th year, vol. 1 (spring 2003).2. “Judeo-Persian, The Heritage of Iranian Jews,” in Iranshenassi, 14th year, vol. 1 (spring 2002). 

9. “Iranian Jews and Their National Identity,” in Rahavard, vol. 72 (Fall 2005).

10. Jon Berquist, Judaism in Persia’s Shadow, trans. and Rev. by Nahid Pirnazar, in Padyavand  vol. 3, edited by Amnon Netzer, Costa Mesa: Mazda Publishers, 2000.

Her most recent conferences and Media Presentations include:

1.  “A Stylistic and Rhetorical Evaluation of Fathnameh in Irano-Judaica VI, Hamburg, September 10-12, 2006.

2.  “ The Judeo-Persian Epic of Fathnameh:A Testament to the Unity of Iranian Jews with Their Iranian Heritage,” Society of Iranian Studies, the Sixth Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies, London, August  3-5, 2006.

3. “The Rainbow of Jewish Ethnicity in L.A.,” in Jewish LA-Then and Now Conference, UCLA  Center for Jewish Studies, November 12-14, 2005.

4. "The Intellectual Interaction of Iranian Jewry with their Islamic Environment as Reflected in the Judeo-Persian Epic of Fathnameh,"  Bar Ilan University, June 15-16, 2005.

5.  "The Biblical Epic of Fathnameh and It’s Place in the Iranian Literary Traditions," the Fifth Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies. Bethesda, MD: May 2004.

6.  “Mohammad Sa‘eed Sarmad the Persian Jewish Saint,” the Third Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies,  Bethesda, MD: May 2000.

Among Women’s Issues, their religious rights and social activities, Nahid Pirnazar’s work include:

1.      Jewish Divorce, Get and Agunah, special edition, edited and compiled.  Iranian Jewish Women’s Organization, Spring 2006.

2.      Rachel Biale, Women and the Jewish Law, translated and revised by Nahid Pirnazar  (Oberman), in Padyavand vols. 2 and 3, edited by Amnon Netzer. Costa Mesa: Mazda  Publishers, 1996 and 1998.  

3.      Portraits of the Jewish Ladies Organization of Iran, edited and compiled by Nahid Pirnazar (Oberman), Los Angeles: Iranian Jewish Women’s Organization, 2000.

Nahid Pirnazar, upon her graduation at the top of her MA class, received the highest medal of education from the hands of the late Shah of Iran at Tehran University in September 1975.