Vice Mayor Sharona Nazarian hosted an Aug. 14 roundtable discussion with Los Angeles City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, 5th District, as part of an ongoing effort to build dialogue between elected officials and the Persian Jewish community in Beverly Hills and LA.
After pro-Palestinian protesters blocked the entrance to a Pico-Robertson synagogue in June, leading to a violent clash with pro-Israel counterprotesters, Yaroslavsky invited Nazarian to a roundtable with LA Mayor Karen Bass, during which they discussed the underrepresentation of Persian Jews in regional leadership. Nazarian and Yaroslavsky stayed in touch after that roundtable, and Yaroslavsky asked Nazarian to introduce her to leaders in the Persian Jewish community, prompting the discussion last week at Beverly Hills City Hall, Nazarian told the Courier.
“This meeting was particularly significant because after more than 45 years of the Iranian Jewish community’s presence in Los Angeles, it marked one of the first opportunities for them to sit down with elected representatives and directly voice the issues that matter to them most,” Nazarian said.
Yaroslavsky, whose district is home to a large Jewish community, said in a statement that the discussion centered on some of the biggest issues facing LA as a whole, including public safety, homelessness and antisemitism.
“While the fifth council district is home to many different communities, each with its own specific needs, we are also united by our shared values and common goals,” Yaroslavsky stated. “We all want to feel safe in our neighborhoods. We all want our children to have the opportunity to grow and thrive. We all want clean streets and vibrant neighborhoods that reflect the best of what Los Angeles offers.”
These are issues that cross city borders, Nazarian said, and she commended Yaroslavsky for listening to concerns from the Persian Jewish community and from constituents outside of her district.
“We’re committed to building bridges, fostering unity and strengthening our community ties, even if it’s a bit outside of our very own city borders,” Nazarian said. “I’m honored that she had faith in me to facilitate this growth.”
She added that LA’s Persian Jewish community, which arrived in the region after fleeing religious persecution in Iran in the late 1970s, still contends with the trauma of that experience. Offering opportunities to speak directly to their elected representatives “is a great way … to build a path forward” in the United States.
While Nazarian declined to comment on any specific initiatives that might come from the meeting, she is committed to keeping the dialogue open, and hopes to invite a greater diversity of voices into the fold.
“There are many, many, Persian leaders in the community,” Nazarian said. “This was a small sample, and I think this is a great way to open doors for future dialog and conversation.”
