Category Archives: Press

FEZANA ELECTS NEW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE LED BY INCOMING PRESIDENT ERVAD KAYOMARZ Y. SIDHWA

FEZANA, the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America, recently announced a transition of executive leadership at its Annual General Meeting hosted by the Zoroastrian Association of Metropolitan Chicago, April 26 – 28, in Burr Ridge. Voted in unanimously by FEZANA member associations, the new Executive Committee will be led by incoming President, Ervad Kayomarz Y. Sidhwa, who assumes the position following four transformative years as Vice President supporting the leadership of immediate past president, Arzan Sam Wadia.

Sidhwa, who previously served as Vice President, is the first Ervad (Zoroastrian priest) to be elected FEZANA President. In his address to member associations on Sunday, April 28, Sidhwa shared his vision and goals for FEZANA, building on the legacy and accomplishments of the previous four years.

“I am immensely grateful to Arzan for the foundation we have built over the past four years, and I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to strengthen and advance FEZANA’s interests and make a difference in the lives of Zoroastrians throughout the diaspora,” Sidhwa said.

“Reflecting on the past eight years—four as Vice-President and four as President—I have been privileged to witness the vibrant tapestry of the Zarathushti community in North America and beyond. It has been an immense honor to lead FEZANA, an experience that has enriched my life profoundly,” Wadia said.

Wadia also thanked outgoing FEZANA Assistant-Secretary Sharmin Mistry for her role in enhancing the work and impact of the FEZANA Executive over the last two years.

Sidhwa will lead a new Executive Committee for his first two-year term, including: Vice President Xerxes Commissariat, Secretary Cody K. Patrovi, and Assistant Secretary Farzin Avari. Xerxes will continue in his previous role and duties as the Treasurer of FEZANA till a new one is elected soon.

Incoming FEZANA Executive Committee l to r: Xerxes Commissariat, VP; Zenobia Damania FEZANA Administrator; Kayo Sidhwa, President; Cody Partovi, Secretary; Farzin Avari, Assistant Secretary.

Kayo Sidhwa
FEZANA President 2024-2026

Ervad Kayomarz Y. Sidhwa grew up in Mumbai, India and currently lives in Houston, Texas with his wife Farzana and has two kids, Friyana and Yazad. He came to United States in 1991 and after completing his Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA), he started his journey in South Florida.

Kayomarz (Kayo) has been an active leader in community affairs at the Zoroastrian Association of Houston (ZAH) and has served in a variety of roles with the most recent being the Co-Chair of the 18th North American Zoroastrian Congress to be held in Houston, TX in December 2024.

He has served as the Treasurer on the ZAH Executive Committee and is currently serving on their Web and Finance Committees. He has also served on Executive Boards in Sydney, Australia as well as in Florida. Kayo strongly believes in Youth development and empowerment and has been instrumental in developing the Z-Camp program at ZAH and runs it since 2013.

Recently he was on the FEZANA Executive Committee serving as the Vice President and brings with him his organizational and fundraising experience to FEZANA. Professionally he works for a software company in Client Delivery and Relationship Management.

Xerxes Commissariat
FEZANA Vice – President

Xerxes Commissariat’s journey began with the FEZANA executive committee in 2018 when he assumed the role of Assistant Secretary and later served as the Treasurer. Currently, he is on the AV/Technology Committee for the upcoming North America Congress in Houston, Texas in 2024.

Noteworthy roles during his tenure include serving as the Registration Chair for the 7th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress in Los Angeles, California in 2019. In addition, he served on the AV/Technology Committee for the 12th World Zoroastrian Congress in New York in 2022.

Having been a resident of Southern California since 2003, he is a proud life member of the Zoroastrian Association of California (ZAC). Presently, he serves as the co-chair of the association’s maintenance committee, a position he has held for the past decade and has contributed to the association’s expansion sub-committee.

Xerxes holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and works for the University of Southern California. He currently resides in Irvine, California with his wife Diana and two children, Zane and Zara.

Cody Khodarahm Partovi
FEZANA Secretary

Cody Partovi was born in Tehran, Iran, and moved to California in 2013. He completed his master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and is currently working in the California Department of Transportation as a transportation engineer.

Cody brings with him years of experience at various levels of involvement in the Zoroastrian community. Most recently he is the FEZANA’s Secretary and before that, he was the Treasurer of the 7th World Zoroastrian Youth Congress and a member of the executive committee that planned the congress in Los Angeles in 2019.

He has also been involved in different capacities and with different activities at California Zoroastrian Center spanning over 7 years.

He moved to Northern California in the Sacramento area in 2021 and got involved with the Sacramento Zoroastrian Association community activities and now he is one of the SZA’s board members.

Farzin Avari
FEZANA Assistant Secretary

Farzin Avari is an educator and community leader striving to foster the growth of kind, compassionate, and thoughtful young leaders.

As a first-generation Indian-American immigrant, Farzin has focused her efforts on community building within the Zarathushti community, the Indian-American community, as well as her local community in Atlanta, Georgia.

As a woman of color teaching in the South, Farzin understands the importance of empowering youth leaders to create more inclusive and supportive spaces within their communities.

As a proud Zarathushti, Farzin teaches science, Zoroastrianism, leadership, and service in the various positions she holds; all focused on polishing young minds to be better youth leaders. She had brought her skills from the classroom to create a dynamic group of Zarathusthi youth leaders in North America in her role as the Co-Chair of the Zoroastrian Youth of North America. As she moves to her role as assistant secretary at FEZANA she hopes to be a bridge between ZYNA and FEZANA.

Outgoing FEZANA Executive Committee 2022-2024 l to r: Kayo Sidhwa, Xerxes Commissariat, Sharmin Mistry, Zenobia Damania, Cody Partovi, Arzan Sam Wadia

Zoroastrian delegation to participate at the United Nations as part of the 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)

NEW YORK, January 4, 2024 – FEZANA will be participating at the 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) Conference to be held at the UN Headquarters in New York, USA.This year the CSW68 priority theme is, “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty… Continue Reading

NORTH AMERICAN ZOROASTRIANS USHER IN NOWRUZ, A NEW DAY

NORTH AMERICAN ZOROASTRIANS USHER IN NOWRUZ, A NEW DAY, ON SATURDAY, MARCH 20, THE OFFICIAL START OF THE VERNAL EQUINOX Following a pandemic year marred by sickness, death and loss around the world, the occasion of Nowruz offers hope and the promise of a New Day Burr Ridge, Illinois, March 16, 2021 – FEZANA, the… Continue Reading

FEZANA Celebrates International Women’s Day 2021

“YOU MUST DO THE THING YOU THINK YOU CANNOT DO.” – Eleanor Roosevelt Celebrating International Women’s Day 2021! FEZANA joins with the rest of the world this Monday, March 8th, in paying tribute to the selflessness, courage and strength of women in our lives and throughout history, who publicly or privately make the world a… Continue Reading

A Statement from the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America on the events of January 6, 2021

A Statement from the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America on the events of January 6, 2021 The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) is appalled by recent events that attempted to thwart the machinery of democracy; and instead, advance both physically and symbolically, an autocratic mob-driven takeover of the United States… Continue Reading

Amplifying Women’s Voices at CSW 65

Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) will be participating at the 65th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) conference to be held in March 2021 hosted by the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA. This year’s theme will encompass the overarching theme of women’s empowerment and the link to sustainable development… Continue Reading

FEZANA to attend the 11th Annual RAD-AID Conference

Spotlight on the Hospital for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Children October 27, 2020, Washington, D.C.  The FEZANA UN-NGO Committee is delighted to announce that it will be sending delegates to the 11th Annual RAD-AID Conference being held on Nov. 7 & 8, 2020. FEZANA will be represented by Sheherazad Kapadia (UK), Ana Verahrami (Colorado, USA),… Continue Reading

Establishment of North American Institute of Zoroastrian Studies

It is now more than two score and ten years since Zoroastrians from various parts of the world have settled in North America, bringing with them their religious practices, traditions and cultures which are gradually evolving into a tapestry of a new North American Zoroastrian identity. The first-generation Zoroastrians in North America, in the space… Continue Reading

FEZANA & NAMC ISSUE JOINT STATEMENT REITTERATING CDC GUIDANCE ON COVID-19 RISK MITIGATION FOR PLACES OF WORSHIP

FEZANA, NORTH AMERICAN MOBEDS COUNCIL ISSUE JOINT STATEMENT REITTERATING CDC GUIDANCE ON COVID-19 RISK MITIGATION FOR PLACES OF WORSHIP As Zarathushti associations and groups begin to open their doors or put together their plans for limited capacity in-person worship, the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) and the North American Mobeds Council (NAMC)… Continue Reading

Letter to UN Secretary General

FEZANA represents Zoroastrian faith and community at Religions for Peace (RfP), Internationally affiliated multi-religious organization. Homi D Gandhi, FEZANA’s immediate Past President, is a co-President on the World Council at RfP. Homi requests all Zoroastrians residing in various parts of the world to appeal to their national governments to adhere with the Article 18 of… Continue Reading

FEZANA: In solidarity with communities mourning George Floyd

The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (“FEZANA”) offers its deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Mr. George Floyd.  We stand in solidarity with Black and other communities of color, with Minneapolis, and with all those who are grieving Mr. Floyd’s loss and the absence of justice in their respective… Continue Reading

An open letter to our Jewish brothers and sisters

On behalf of the Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA), I extend my deepest sympathies and condolences to the family members of those lost or injured in the brutal, senseless and barbaric acts of evil committed on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh’s beloved Squirrel Hill community. We stand in solidarity with… Continue Reading

FEZANA Statement on the Separation of Families Seeking Asylum

We stand united with the world’s leading religious organizations in denouncing the practice of separating families, specifically children from their parents, in the throes of such duress and strife. Such policies are contrary to international refugee and human rights standards and practices. We also believe recent divisive language used to describe people in search of… Continue Reading

FEZANA Letter of Support For the Mumbai Metro 3 Tunnel Re-alignment

FEZANA issued a letter of support urging the Mumbai High Court to request the re-alignment of the Metro III tunnels that are currently slated to pass under or very close to the H.B. Wadia and Zarathoshti Anjuman Atashbehrams in Mumbai, India LETTER OF SUPPORT The Federation of Zoroastrian Associations of North America (FEZANA) serves as… Continue Reading

Press Room

FEZANA represents a diverse and growing Zarathushti community in North America.

Guided by the blessings of AHURA MAZDA and the teachings of our Prophet Zarathushtra; the Federation was founded in 1987 It serves as the coordinating body for 26 Zoroastrian Associations and 14 Corresponding Groups in the United States and Canada.

The activities of FEZANA are conducted in a spirit of mutual respect, co-operation and unity amongst all Member associations, and with due regard for the principles of GOODNESS, TRUTH, REASON, BENEVOLENCE, IMPLICIT TRUST and CHARITY towards all Mankind.

:+: Baname Khoda Kshnothro Ahura Mazda