My Iranian friends,
I write to you out of longing, from a deep desire to connect with you and encourage you to keep holding on to your voice.
In my heart, I feel the spark of freedom growing within your voices, even if those listening from the outside do not always see it. We all share the pain of oppression, fear and the longing for a life of meaning.
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Fans hold signs reading 'Freedom for Iran' and 'Woman Life Freedom' during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, in protest against Iran’s government
(Photo: Oz Moalem)
Your courage — of women, of men, of young women and young men to step onto the sidewalk, to write, to paint, to dance, to sing amid the storm of restrictions and prohibitions, reminds us of the power of change. It is a voice fueled by hope, and it touches me deeply.
My message is simple: I hear you. I stand with you — as an artist, as an Israeli with roots in Iran, and above all as a human being who believes in the right to live without fear. Our song together, the song you will write and perform, will be the one that brings change. Know this: even the softest melody can move mountains.
One day, we will sing our song together in the square of a free city, a place where voices, walls and borders will dissolve into true hope. Until then, I send you a warm embrace, one that carries us another step toward the future we deserve.
With love and great hope,
Liraz Charhi
To my Israeli friends, I am sharing with you a Persian recipe, prepared with love and longing, to connect us all, heart to heart, through one shared flavor.
Persian gondi recipe / traditional Persian-Jewish dumplings
Ingredients:
- For the dumplings:
- 500 g ground chicken
- 2 large onions, finely grated
- 400 g chickpea flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
For the soup:
- 1 whole white onion
- ¼ bunch fresh cilantro
- 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 3 brown dried lime (limoo amani)
- 2 cardamom pods
- A few drops rose water
- 1 cup soaked chickpeas (or frozen/canned)
- 2 liters filtered water
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp salt
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Instructions:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dumpling ingredients and mix until you have a uniform, slightly sticky mixture — this is normal.
- Grease your hands with a neutral oil and shape the mixture into balls slightly larger than a ping pong ball. Set aside.
- In a large pot, place all the soup ingredients except the spices (including the water) and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat, add the spices, and stir to combine.
- Simmer the soup, without the gondi dumplings, covered, for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the lid and gently drop the dumplings into the soup one by one.
- Stir gently, partially cover and continue cooking for another 25 minutes. Serve hot.