At the Passover table, we will once again retell the story of liberation. We will speak of slavery and redemption, of Moses and Pharaoh, of a people who crossed from darkness into light.

I have vivid memories of my childhood Passovers in Iran. We hosted the Seders for extended family and for American and British expatriates living in Iran. My father, dressed in a three- piece suit, presided over the service and read from the Haggadah in a strong, commanding voice, retelling the story of the Israelites’ freedom from bondage in Egypt. Behind him, in the wall cabinet, was a framed photograph of Dad with the Shah, when His Royal Majesty visited his class at the university. A second photograph of my grandmother, Miriam, who lived in England with my maternal relatives, sat next to it.

Our Persian Passover seder was a unique blend of Jewish and Iranian traditions. Almost every year, the thirteen-day celebration of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, and the eight-day Passover holiday coincide at the same time. Preparations for the........

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