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"It is a lovely photo of 425 of us at the Dar-e-Mehr even though not many can be identified,” stated Khursheed Navder, president of the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York (ZAGNY). Reassured by the community turnout at the golden jubilee celebrations of the Association on September 16, 2023, she alluded to the highlights of the event that included a group photograph.

The day’s program at the Arbab Rustam Guiv Dar-e-Mehr started with a humbandagi and jashan in the morning by nine priests led by Ervad Pervez Patel. The formal part of the program included a Power Point presentation, "Our Journey, a pictorial walk through ZAGNY’s glorious 50 years,” recognitions, awards and  shoutouts. 

A time capsule containing Zoroastrian religious attire, monajat and prayer CDs, ZAGNY, FEZANA (Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America)  and WZCC (World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce) pins, ZAGNY mementoes, photos and brochures released at events hosted by them, community periodicals, one dollar with corresponding Indian and Pakistani currency was placed in a cavity in the foyer at the hands of past Association presidents Gev Nentin and Astad Clubwala. Since they plan to open the capsule 50 years’ hence, also included were letters from the children addressed to their "future self!”

The spectacular cake made by chef Jehangir Mehta was cut by the six presidents who have led ZAGNY at different times: Navder, Clubwala, Nentin, Homi Gandhi, Framroze Patel and Lovji Cama. 

The sumptuous repast that included appetizers and the three-course traditional lagan nu bhonu prepared by Mehernosh and Tina Daroowalla of Karma Kafe, plus the concluding dessert bar was enjoyed by all. The lunch time entertainment, coordinated by Piroozi Cooper-Wittlin, saw Ardavan Taraporevala and Shanelle Woods sing popular Broadway numbers, Phil Shroff at the keyboard leading the congregation in Que Sera Sera and Kian and Zara Darbari give a dance performance.

   2nd row (from l) Khur-sheed Navder, Lovji Cama, Framroze Patel, 

Foresight of founders

Being the first Zoroastrian association to set up a dar-e-mehr in North America, thanks to the initial gift of Arbab Rustam and Khanum Morvarid Guiv, and to introduce religion classes for children that have been successfully running for 50 years, "ZAGNY has lived up to the aspirations of the founders,” summed up Cama, the founder secretary of ZAGNY, and his wife Mehru, also a founder member who has been diligently serving on different committees each time ZAGNY hosts an important event whether it is the North American Zoroastrian Congress (NAMC) or the 12th World Zoroastrian Congress in New York last year. 

Accepting of non-Zoroastrian spouses and their children, ZAGNY has been "all inclusive and some of the non-Zoroastrian members who have served on ZAGNY boards have been the most active,” observed the Camas when Parsiana sought their views on the occasion of the Association’s 50th anniversary. They feel that ZAGNY has been able "to successfully respond to the growing Zoroastrian population in the tristate region (of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) by seamlessly moving to bigger and better premises… The love for ZAGNY by its members is shown when each time there is a call for funds: we see the generosity of its members willing to dig deep into their pockets.” 

As opined the Camas, "The future of ZAGNY is bright as younger members take a leading role in ZAGNY’s activities, organizing them and introducing changes that make ZAGNY relevant.” 

Guiding the affairs of the Association have been stalwarts like the revered Prof Kaikhosrov Irani who even three months prior to his demise in 2017 at the age of 95 spoke on a subject dear to his heart, "Zarathushtra’s Vision and Zoroastrianism Today.” The year prior, the honor of inaugurating the new 22,000 sq ft Dar-e-Mehr in Pomona had been conferred on the respected scholar and past president. Committed to the cause of perpetuating the Zoroastrian religion, the considerable wealth of Kaikhosrov and his wife Piroja, amounting to $ 2.6 million (Rs 18.1 crore) was distributed among community organizations with ZAGNY receiving a 20% share amounting to $ 520,000 (Rs 4.32 crore) and FEZANA, 10%,      $ 260,000 (Rs 2.16 crore). 

  Ervad Noshir Hormazdiyar, Joseph Peterson and Ervad Kersey Antia; Erach Munshi

"A vibrant community”

The present membership of ZAGNY is around 430 adults and children. "It is a vibrant community... a democratically run institution,” notes an introduction to the Association on their website zagny.org. 

One of the active constituents of FEZANA, over the years three ZAGNY members have worked as FEZANA presidents (Patel, Gandhi and currently Arzan Wadia). Others have served on the board or chaired different FEZANA committees.

With Irani’s zeal and academic contacts, ZAGNY would regularly organize seminars, conferences and talks on various aspects of Zoroastrianism and religious thought. The taped proceedings or manuscripts of many of these talks have been retained in the archives of ZAGNY. Twenty years ago, ZAGNY and its sister organization, the Iranian Zoroastrian Association (IZA), celebrated the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) associated 3000th anniversary of Zoroastrian Culture. They have been regularly participating in the Persian Day Parade on Navroz.

ZAGNY’s scholarship fund helps college students with small grants and loans that are ploughed back to keep the fund rolling. Their Critical Assistance Fund annually collects donations of about $ 25,000 (Rs 20.8 lakh) each for the Udvada Atash Behram and for The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital in Bombay. 

Split and synergy

Prior to ZAGNY, there was another Zoroastrian association in the New York area founded in 1929 with seven persons. Among them was Phiroze Saklatwala, the main financier, and Rustomji Wadia who owned an Indian restaurant. This association wound up after the death of Saklatwala but Wadia lived long enough to enroll as a ZAGNY member and continue his association with it for 15 years.

In 1960, when the community numbered around 25, they would informally meet at each others’ homes on Jamshedi Navroz and Pateti. When the count doubled in the mid-1960s, they started charging a nominal amount for these get-togethers held at rented premises to cover the cost of a hall and food cooked by volunteers. In 1973 when the numbers had risen to over a hundred, a need was felt to formally organize themselves into an association and a nine-member committee was given the mandate to write the constitution and bylaws of the association. The first office bearers of ZAGNY were president Erach Munshi, vice president Naval Sidhwa, treasurer Framroze Patel, secretary Lovji and joint secretary Khushroo Patel.

On the initiative of Dr Rostam Sarfeh and the largesse of the  Guivs who donated $ 100,000 (Rs 83.2 lakh), a property was purchased and renovated in New Rochelle in New York state in 1977 for the first dar-e-mehr and community center. With the large influx of Iranian Zoroastrians in the 1980s, the differences in language, customs and festivals between the Parsi and Iranian communities led to dissension and consequently IZA was formed in 1986.  "There is not a single association in North America which has the name Parsi in it,” Lovji had informed the community in his article "A brave new world” (Parsiana, December 21, 2014).

While both ZAGNY and IZA initially shared the use of the Darbe Mehr (as it was then known), following the demise of Arbab Guiv, the Guiv Foundation filed a suit demanding that the ownership of the Darbe Mehr be transferred to the Foundation from the Darbe Mehr Zoroastrian Temple (DMZT). After five years of litigation ending in an appeal to the Supreme Court of New York State, the court’s verdict was in favor of DMZT as the legal owner. To avoid future friction between the bodies, both the associations agreed that representation on the DMZT board of trustees and the cost of running the Darbe Mehr would be divided in proportion to their dues paying membership. This arrangement has worked out well for Parsis and Iranians who now work harmoniously.

Towards the end of the 20th century it was realized that maintenance of this over 100-year-old Darbe Mehr property was becoming too expensive and when the fire department imposed a 99-person occupancy restriction, ZAGNY, IZA and DMZT agreed to jointly work on an alternative solution that resulted in the creation of the Dar-e-Mehr in Pomona, New York state. 

Yet another issue that had divided the community in New York was the navjote of Joseph Peterson in 1983. Ervads Noshir Hormazdiyar and Dr Kersey Antia who performed the navjote of the chemical engineer who had no Parsi lineage were ostracized by many priests who refused to perform any ceremonies with them thereafter. Over the years the situation changed and Hormazdiyar often became the preferred priest among the younger generation in New York because of his progressive views.

The matter of accepting into the community navjoted individuals born into other faiths was discussed at a session at the 16th NAMC hosted by ZAGNY and IZA in 2012. At the end of the session an instant poll of the audience, the majority of them over 55 years old and mostly the immigrant generation, indicated that acceptance of such individuals was okay.

Choice of creed

ZAGNY’s greatest contribution, believes Framroze Patel, was "to provide an environment where members were free to practice the religion of the Prophet. We let the members harken with their ears to the best counsel of the Prophet and reflect upon them with clear judgment. ZAGNY endeavored to let each member choose his creed… Further, ZAGNY has welcomed, as the community should have, with open arms the spouses of different faiths.”

When sharing his views with Parsiana Patel further commented, "Our vision was modest, and as Karma Yogis we have done what needed to be done, i.e. keep the community unified. We refrained from judging others. We wanted to assimilate in our new home and still preserve our identity. We were not revolutionaries. We did not want to change the world overnight. Our goals were modest. Live and let live.” 

According to him, the community is "skilled, accomplished and resourceful to face and successfully meet any adverse challenges, trials and tribulations. We are pragmatists. We are centrists. Our aim is to make our community, and our world, a better place to live, convinced that ‘Happiness is the lot of him who works for the happiness of others.’”