PCC’s Board Meetings
The meetings of the Board of Directors of PCC were held on November 13 and December 11 to review and plan the activities of the Persian Cultural Center.
Concert of the Motherland with Shahdad Rouhani, Along with the Rudaki Symphony Orchestra and the Ava Choir – November 9, 2025
For the first time, maestro Shahdad Rouhani performed a very beautiful and nostalgic program with the Rudaki Symphony Orchestra and the Ava Choir at the invitation of the Persian Cultural Center in San Diego. Guest singer Mina Deris also participated in this event. The program took place in the large Mandeville Hall at the University of California, San Diego. Tickets for this event sold out in advance.
Persian Traditional Singing Workshop (Tasnifkhani) with Kourosh Taghavi – November 14, 2025
On the evening of Friday, November 14, Kourosh Taghavi performed one of his Tasnif singing programs accompanied by his setar in a packed hall at the Iranian American Center. In this program, several old Iranian songs were taught and performed in a choir format.
San Diego Asian Film Festival – November 6-15, 2025
The 26th annual San Diego Asian Film Festival was held from November 6 to 15 with the screening of more than 150 films from 30 different countries. As in the past, the Film and Discussion Group of PCC closely collaborated with the festival. The Iranian films My Uncle Jens, Honeyjoon, and Woman and Child were among the films shown in this festival. Also, four more Iranian short films, Raaz-e-Del, Citizen Inmate, One Day This Kid, and Bitter Chocolate were presented, too.
Jafar Panahi’s latest film, It Was Just An Accident, winner of the Cannes Film Festival’s coveted Palme d’Or prize, was screened in movie theaters. PCC helped promote this movie in San Diego.
Due to the screening of these films, the monthly Film and Discussion sessions were not held in November and December.
A Poet and a Poem – November 19, 2025
The 43rd session of “A Poet and a Poem” took place on November 19. This virtual session featured the biography and poems of Sheikh Ahmad-e Jami, and was presented by members of the Poetry and Literature Group of San Diego: Farshad Babakhani, Fariba Babakhani, and Sepideh Shamloufard along with young students from ISSD (Hajar Sattarzadeh and Mana Ajideh).
Jong e Farhangi – December 5, 2025
The guest of the December program was Dr. Ali Arsanjani, the head of the Artificial Intelligence division at Google, who unveiled his recent book, The Words That Make Us Dance. This book is a translation and interpretation of thirty ghazals by Hafez. He then spoke about the concepts of playfulness, spirituality, mysticism, and the path to enlightenment from Hafez’s perspective. Ali Sadr, the program host, engaged in a conversation with Dr. Arsanjani and then questions from the participants were answered.
Yalda Celebration at the Iranian American Center – December 13, 2025
PCC celebrated the ancient Yalda festival at the Iranian American Center, featuring performances by Golareh Sheibani and her band, who played beautiful and nostalgic songs. Guests gathered around the Yalda table, recited poetry and songs, and enjoyed Ash e Reshteh and nuts.
A Poet and a Poem – December 2025
In observation of the holiday season, there was no session of “A Poet and a Poem” in the month of December. However, the 44th session of the series is scheduled to take place on January 21, 2026.
PCC Youth Committee Report
The PCC Youth Committee held another Family Fun Night on Friday, October 17, bringing together friends and families. Many families attended the event and enjoyed socializing and participating in family games. Prior to the Family Fun Night, the group’s annual meeting took place, where members discussed upcoming programs and plans.
The ninth annual Food Drive for those in need was held on Sunday, November 9 and 16, at the Iranian School of San Diego. A significant amount of food was collected and donated to the San Diego Food Bank. This year’s food drive resulted in a total donation of 701 pounds of food and $150 in cash contributions.
As in previous years, the PCC Youth Group participated in the Father Joe’s Village Walk on Thanksgiving Day, November 27. This year, the youth raised about $500 for Father Joe’s Village through registrations and donations.
Thank you to everyone who came together and helped support people in need. Your generosity truly made a difference. Special thanks to our dedicated Youth Committee members for their commitment and hard work.
We hope you will continue supporting the Youth Committee as you have in the past. You can follow the Committee’s upcoming programs through PCC’s weekly emails and on social media.
