Chicago extension

Among outstanding developments at the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Chicago (ZAC) in the course of the past year is its purchase of the house next door to the Darbe Mehr for $ 301,000, as per its newsletter (July 2002). With an initial down payment of about $ 80,000 from the funds contributed by ZAC members (and a mortgage for the balance $ 220,000, as per this June 2002 newsletter), the property will enable the community to have a senior citizens home, a learning center or a youth center, as circumstances dictate in the coming years.

"Our religion teaches that everything starts from the thought and goes through the word to the deed... If we think like a growing community and act on it we will grow,” then ZAC president Hosi Mehta had noted, drawing his inspiration from the way the Chicago Darbe Mehr, whose necessity had been questioned 20 years ago, has become "the center of our community.”

Initially however the house is being rented out to help defray the mortgage. The ZAC board has instituted a special committee to manage the new acquired property, its renting, etc.

ZAC has also set up a hospitality committee to welcome new families moving into its zone and helping them to settle down. This committee is also expected to provide assistance to families in crisis whether due to death, illness or any other reason.

New Zoroastrian property in Chicago

It was an evening with the community for Nancy and maestro Zubin Mehta. So the Chicago Zarathushtis cooked up a superb Parsi meal and rustled up some entertainment including a Parsi natak (play) by Bachi Damkevala and Aban Daboo titled ZAC gotpit sotpit! The children’s group presented a song and dance sequence from the movie Lagaan, and Tina Bamboat explained the significance of playing cards in the context of the Zoroastrian religion.

Sweet memory: Mehta and Daru­khanavala

But when Carl Darukhanavala gave a rendition of Star Wars on the saxophone, the virtuoso conductor climbed on stage to congratulate the 12-year-old musician and said a few words of inspiration prompting president Hosi Mehta to note in his column, "In that small gesture you taught us how to handle greatness.”

Earlier Zubin was welcomed with the Tandarosti prayer by ZAC High Priest Dr Kersey Antia and the traditional sagan by Roshan Rivetna and Dilshad Antia.

The well-known ZAC choir ended the evening to the strains of the Sanjan March and Chaiyé Hami Zarthosti when the maestro gamely joined the choir, as notes the newsletter.