From Tehran to Zion: Our Miraculous Escape from Iran
- Moral Edge
- 26:24
In this unforgettable episode of Moral Edge, Zach sits down with Shekoufeh “Chicki” Elghanian born in Tehran in 1940, to hear a story of unimaginable transformation—from a privileged life under the Shah, to escaping Iran with forged passports, to rebuilding everything from scratch in America, and ultimately starting over again in Israel.
Chicki shares the stunning legacy of her family, whose industrial and philanthropic work helped modernize Iran—until the rise of communism and antisemitism forced them to flee. She recounts the brutal execution of her uncle, Habib Elanian, the diplomatic leader of Iranian Jewry, and how that moment shattered an entire community and triggered a mass exodus.
This is a raw, powerful conversation about identity, exile, survival, and resilience. Shaku’s reflections are personal, political, spiritual, and deeply human. She reminds us that no matter how much is lost, hope is never gone.
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5 thoughts on “From Tehran to Zion: Our Miraculous Escape from Iran”
If English is your only language and you plan to interview a foreigner, what you must do before you start your interview is to find out the proper pronunciation of the name of the person you plan to interview. Your excuse at the beginning of your interview sounds childish and silly. After that, I stopped watching the rest. The web is full of properly executed interviews with foreigners.
We shouldn’t be so quick to judge. Should he have been better prepared? Yes. Was it such a big deal? Not really. The interviewee had an interesting and important story. Sorry you missed it.
A wonderful interview, thank you. Chilli exudes the warmth and intelligence that I have experienced from the free Iranian people, with whom it has been my privilege to stand here in Sydney, Australia.
So inspiring listening to this beautiful woman speak about the remarkable journey of her life and her family. Clear to see the blessing rested on them with hearts full of love and goodness, bringing joy and provision to their people. What strikes me is the spiritual roots of all that is good, and the rise of evil that seeks to destroy and harm and dominate. But light is not overcome by darkness. The light will shine in Iran and Adonai will bring Shalom. We can only imagine what beautiful things He will bring to pass. We pray, He hears, He answers with chesed, with compassion and salvation. Thank you Chicki, be blessed, you and your family x
Interesting & tragic, Iran has supporters which makes the future bleak.