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The Three Musketeers of Los Angeles Jewish Health
When Talat Barahmand, Iran Diansedgh, and Zaghi Kohan Ghadosh moved into Los
Angeles Jewish Health, they expected to find vital assistance in meeting their daily
critical care needs. What they did not expect was to find fast friendships that
would ease their transition to a new living situation and fill their days with joy.
The three women arrived at Los Angles Jewish Health not knowing one another:
Iran about six years ago, Talat around five years ago, and Zaghi, most recently,
approximately, three years ago. Sharing a common background (all are originally
from Iran) and a common language (Farsi), they quickly connected and have been inseparable
ever since.
Iran and Zaghi are roommates in the Mark Taper building; Talat lives across the
hall. Rabbi Karen Bender, chief mission officer at LA Jewish Health, refers to the
friends as "the Three Musketeers."
"They spend as much time together as possible, and it's just amazing,"
she says. "What a gift they have received and given to each other by finding
best friends at this stage of life!"
Iran, 100, is a native of Teheran; she and her husband fled after the Islamic
Revolution. They landed in Dallas, Texas, where they had a daughter, son-in-law,
and grandchildren, and spent roughly 15 years living there before making their way
to Southern California, home to their other two children. Her husband passed away
in 2007, and she lived on her own until her health and advancing age made independent
living impossible.
As Iran tells it, her experience at Los Angeles Jewish Health has been excellent
– the people and the service have all been wonderful. She is especially grateful
to be able to spend her days alongside Zaghi and Talat.
"We do everything together: playing bingo, attending Shabbat services, listening
to music," she says. "We're all really happy."
Of course, there are occasional disagreements; all three women prefer to see
themselves as being in the right. "We may argue, but there are no actual fights!"
Iran laughs.
Zaghi, 90, has been in the United States for two decades. She came from the Iranian
city of Shiraz, which she fled because of the increasing intolerance of the authoritarian
government. In Iran, Zaghi's family was quite wealthy, but during the revolution
they lost everything: their home, the two cinemas they owned, and extensive property
holdings.
Los Angeles made sense as a destination because two of her five children lived
here. It was difficult to adapt to an unknown environment, but with her family's
support she built a new life. "I miss Iran, but I like California," she
says.
When mobility issues made it clear she could no longer live without assistance,
she moved into Los Angeles Jewish Health and was thrilled to meet people with similar
backgrounds. "My friends are the best, and I love talking with them,"
she says. "We chat, we watch Persian TV, and sometimes, as Iran pointed out,
we argue. But we always stay close."
At 86, Talat is the youngest of the group. She and her husband, along with one
of their three daughters, emigrated from Iran in 1996 as a result of religious persecution,
making their way to Los Angeles, where their other daughters and their son already
lived. It was a difficult move, but they were thrilled to be reunited with family
and away from a repressive regime.
After Talat's husband died in 2011, her deteriorating vision made living alone
a health hazard, and she chose to take up residence at Los Angeles Jewish Health.
The decision, she says, was a good one. "I love it here. They take such
good care of me, and everyone is very friendly."
Talat is extremely outgoing, and having her friends as a social outlet has been
a godsend. "Zaghi, Iran, and I all help each other. We're all Jewish, and it's
so nice to be able to speak Farsi and to have people I get along with so well."
Rabbi Bender says the Three Musketeers' friendship is as special as the women
themselves. "When I greet them 'Shabbat Shalom,' they will often respond not
only by saying, 'Shabbat Shalom,' but also by giving me a blessing. It's truly an
honor to have three such wonderful women living here with us."
Seeing Zaghi, Talat, and Iran interact every day has led Rabbi Bender to marvel
at how fortunate they are to have formed such a tight-knit bond.
"If I spoke Farsi, I would petition to become their Fourth Musketeer!"
she says.