Honor and humility

"This is an opportunity for the larger North American Zarathushti community to recognize… our own,” declared Noshir Langrana and Adil Mistry, co-chairs of the FEZANA (Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America) Awards Committee that is charged with coordinating the evaluation process. A panel of 24 judges had to assess the accomplishments of "outstanding” nominees and select the winner for the biennial awards based on the terms of reference previously laid out. Whilst lunch was being served on the second day of the XVII North American Zoroastrian Congress (NAZC) in Los Angeles on December 30, 2014, seven individuals were conferred six awards in different categories when along with a plaque they were presented the tome Udvada by Shantanu Das.
The Rohinton Rivetna Outstanding Zarathushti Award that acknowledges "well recognized contributions through outstanding leadership and service to further the cause of Zarathushtis in North America and internationally” was conferred on Sam Vesuna who has been active with community affairs for nearly six decades and whose "heart and wallet is always open to the community.”

Former secretary and treasurer of the Incorporated Parsee Association of Europe (since renamed Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe), he has served on the executive committee of the Zoroastrian Society of Ontario for 21 years as president, treasurer and executive officer. He was founder director and treasurer of the Rustom Guiv Foundation in Ontario, involved in the formation of FEZANA, and is currently overseas director of The World Zoroastrian Organisation and active with interfaith organizations. "It is a real pleasure to be a Parsi,” commented Vesuna, adding, "We have inherited a heritage and treasure that we can hope to pass on to the youth.” He further expressed his joy in attending the XVII NAZC and being "surrounded by young Zoroastrian kids” every time he used the elevator at the Congress venue, The Hilton.
The Dinshaw Framroze Joshi Excellence in Performing Arts, Painting or Literature Award that takes into account the national and international recognition earned by the artiste went to Arzan Gonda, founder and artistic director of the 10-year-old Rhythm India Dance Company, one of the largest Bollywood dance companies in Texas. A Bharat Natyam dancer trained by Chhayaa Khanvate in Bombay she is the recipient of the Sharda Sangeet Vidyalaya Award from the Indian ministry of cultural affairs. Being an acclaimed actress too, she is affiliated with the Houston based Shunya Theatre. In her acceptance speech acknowledging the support of her family for "putting up with my crazy schedule,” Gonda further appreciated, "Chhayaa Aunty taught me for free because I was her first Parsi student who wanted to spread the love for dancing.”

The Jamshed and Shirin Guzder Excellence in Business or Profession Award that recognizes a Zarathushti who has "reached the pinnacle of prominence” in his/her chosen field was presented to Dr Dinshaw Patel who is Abby Rockefeller Mauze Chair in Experimental Therapeutics at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. A tenured professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics at Columbia University whose expertise has also been sought by the scientific advisory boards of the European Institute of Chemical Biology in France and the Institute of Research in Biomedicine in Spain, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences last year and the National Academy of Sciences five years ago. In his brief response Patel thanked his family and mentioned, "Being a scientist is a full-time effort.”
The Jamshed K. Pavri Humanitarian Service Award that honors a Zarathushti who has made "significant contributions in advancing social and humanitarian causes in general and for the Zarathushti community in particular” was conferred on Nazneen Spliedt who as president of the Zoroastrian Association of Northern California has provided a surrogate home to all those newly arrived in the area as also the needy of the community. In her younger days she was involved with the Pakistan Girl Guides, St John’s Ambulance Brigade and the Red Cross where she assisted at the leprosy clinic, whilst in Hong Kong she helped found and run the Acupressure and Massage Centre for the Blind in collaboration with the Ebenezer School for the Blind. Her management skills have been used to lead the Society for Asian Art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco as also the Society for the Art and Cultural Heritage of India.

Thanking FEZANA president Katayun Kapadia and "the FEZANA community for giving me an opportunity to serve,” Spliedt chose to remember "all the women who have influenced me,” starting with her teachers at Mama School (in Karachi), her parents Gul and Phiroj Thanavalla as also her uncle and aunt Byram and Gool Rustomji "who pushed me to do community service.” She further acknowledged Ehler, her husband who has been "behind me for 40 years and rescues me when I say yes to so many things.”
This year two recipients — Persis Bhadha and Ervad Poruz Khambatta — were deemed worthy of the Shirin Nariman Dastoor Outstanding Young Zarathushti Student Award that is conferred on students under 30 years of age pursuing university studies with excellence in academic and extracurricular fields plus contributing to the progress of the local Zarathushti community.
Passionate about math, science and helping others Bhadha is currently majoring in biomedical engineering and global studies being dual enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University as a Robertson Scholar and Chancellor’s Science Scholar. Past president of Z-Club, the South Florida Zoroastrian Youth Group, she has enthused pride of culture in Zoroastrian children and initiated social welfare programs since her days in school. "Today and every day is a great day to be a Zoroastrian,” stated Bhadha who believes, "We Zoroastrians are an extremely tolerant and caring community. Our core beliefs help us to reach the utmost potential.” She then proceeded to take a selfie to proclaim "loud and proud to be a Zoroastrian.”
Currently a PhD student at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, Khambatta is interested in researching entrepreneurship and identifying how behavioral science can help us better understand and resolve social problems of children around the world. Having performed numerous religious ceremonies in the US, Canada and India, he takes a keen interest in interfaith activities and was recently at the Religions for World Peace Assembly in Vienna. He felt his award should go "to all people who have made my story possible. Without your love and sacrifice it would not have been possible.” Appreciating the support of stalwarts of the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York, all his professors, teachers and mentors, he assured, "I will do my sincere best to live up to my award and do my community proud.”
A young Zarathushti mobed recognized with the North American Mobeds Council (NAMC) Community Services Award was 25-year-old Ervad Rayomand Ravji who has been providing leadership as the youngest president of the Zoroastrian Association of Chicago. Working full-time for Labpro Laboratories, besides volunteering his services as a mobed he has been serving others in healthcare, volunteering between the oncology and intensive care units when a premedical student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
"Everyone wants to enrich life… I enrich mine by giving time, effort and serving with love. You don’t have to be a mobed or president to make a difference… By providing laughter you can enrich others’ lives,” stated Ravji. Convinced that "If you pray sincerely it filters into other areas of life,” the young priest mentioned that he had "so much respect for the elder mobeds; their knowledge and guidance” and ended with the line "Hamazor hama Ashobad (May we all be united in strength and righteousness).”
Other priests to be presented shawls that afternoon by NAMC vice president Arda-e-viraf Minocherhomjee were Ervads Minoo Katrack, Jal Birdy and Zarrir Bhandara. According to them "a shawl given from this stage is like a badge of honor.”