Young Zoroastrians are invited to apply for the Ahura Scholarship for the academic year of 2008-2009.

There were five grants last year, and the Ahura Scholarship Board looks forward to receiving your applications this year.

The Ahura Scholarship mission:

“To promote leadership among young Zoroastrians in the academic, social, and political spheres.”

About the Ahura Scholarship:

This one-time grant helps finance undergraduate or graduate study by talented young Zoroastrians. Ahura Fellows receive $3,000; Ahura Strivers receive $1,000. Applicants must have been accepted to or be currently enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning. Candidates of diverse nationalities are welcomed to apply. Payment of the scholarship is dependent on receipt of a tuition statement and confirmed enrollment for the fall semester of 2008.
All completed applications must be postmarked by July 15, 2008.

For a copy of the application, please see  http://www.pzo.info

For specific questions please contact: Koorosh Vakhshoori at vak1232003@yahoo.com

Dear Zarathushti Community of North America,

The leadership team at Next Generation Now is pleased to announce that NextGenNow 2008 - Your Future in Your Hands - will be held Friday, Aug. 1 to Sunday, Aug. 3, on the beautiful campus of George Mason University in suburban Washington, D.C.

NextGenNow 2008 is the second in a continuing series of conferences aimed at stimulating and motivating the next generation of Zarathushti leadership in North America. The conference is intended for next generation leaders from all FEZANA member associations, small groups, and individual dwellings of Zarathushtis scattered throughout North
America.

Building on action initiatives developed successfully at the first NextGenNow conference last October in Chicago, NextGenNow is a highly targeted and innovative conference that fosters dialogue, understanding, perspective and motivation.

In the coming weeks, we will count on FEZANA member associations to actively carry our message to their membership. We ask all corresponding association and small group contacts to please be proactive in disseminating our announcement and message.

Our mandate - to work with you to find at least two next generation leaders from your community to attend. From college students to young professionals in their 30s and 40s, we seek Zarathushtis who have demonstrated an interest in leading on Zarathushti education, awareness, and community building in North America.

On the horizon: we will be announcing conference speakers, a new web site, registration information and deadline dates.

By leading with purpose and conviction, we will continue to mobilize and energize the next generation.

Best wishes. We look forward to making a difference!

Jim Engineer
Armaity Homavazir
Nikan Khatibi
Farah Minwalla

On Sun., June 1st - Roj Sarosh, Mah Dae, ZAGNY will hold a Ghambhar instead of the usual Barbeque, (BBQ will be held in September). The Atash-Niyaesh prayers will start at noon and will be followed by a traditional Ghambhar lunch at 12:30 pm. The Ghambhar is being sponsored by the Baria family. The Barias have expressed their wish and the ZAGNY Board has agreed, that all donations received from the attendees and $5/person collected from lunch on that day will go towards the ZAGNY Critical Assistance Fund.

Please join us in the ghambar celebration, support a good cause, and enjoy some tasty food as well!

It is imperative that we know how many people will attend the Ghambhar so that everyone is well fed and no one goes home hungry.  Please RSVP to Goolu Baria (Gnbaria@yahoo.com; Tel: 203-353-8651–after 6 pm); or Khursheed Navder (vicepresident@zagny.org) by Fri. May 23rd and let us know how many will be attending.

This invitation is extended to ZAGNY members of all ages who play chess and have interest in seeing a chess club started. The objective is to meet once a month somewhere in Central or Northern New Jersey and play casual games and perhaps occasional tournaments.

Viraf Kapadia, a chess enthusiast who also teaches chess strategy and tactics, has offered to conduct the club activities. Chess, a long-time passion in several advanced countries, is becoming very popular in India and China. India has numerous Grandmasters now and the chess-world has a new world champion, Vishvanathan Anand–the first Indian to have clinched the title. Some US schools have also begun to offer chess as a subject.

Please contact Viraf Kapadia at vkapmail@yahoo.com if you also enjoy and adore the game!

As originally posted on http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080325/NEWS03/803250370

(Accompanying video can be seen here)

POMONA - When Farzeen Patel’s mother was alive, she celebrated NauRooz by cooking a special meal and blessing family members by circling a silver tray laden with rice, coconut, chilies and incense, seven times over their heads.

But since her mother’s death, and since Patel’s busy life as a therapist doesn’t allow for elaborate meals and rituals, she and her family go to the Arbab Rustam Guiv Darbe Mehr on Pomona Road to celebrate NauRooz, the Zoroastrian New Year.On NauRooz, Zoroastrians around the world welcome the spring with special prayers, food and the Haftasheen table, which bears fruits, flowers, grains, wine and sweets, among other symbols of the changing season.

Zoroastrianism is one of the smallest and one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world. Its central message - think good thoughts; speak good words; and do good deeds - was preached by the prophet Zarathustra, or Zoroaster, as the Greeks called him, at least 2,600 years ago. …Read the rest of this entry »»»

Homi Gandhi and Jamshed Ghadiali