Dr. Sharon Nazarian is an Iranian-born American social activist, academic and philanthropist. She is currently the Senior Vice President, International Affairs for the

Anti-Defamation League The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Septe ...

Early life

Dr. Sharon Nazarian was born in

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the Capital city, capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is th ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkm ...

. Her father,

Younes Nazarian Younes Nazarian (January 26, 1931 March 18, 2022) was a Jewish Iranian-American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. An early investor in Qualcomm, he was the Chairman of Nazarian Enterprises. He was also a major donor to charitable causes ...

, was a businessman, philanthropist, and an early investor in the satellite technology company Qualcomm. Her mother, Soraya Nazarian, is a sculptor. She has two brothers,

Sam Nazarian Sam Nazarian (; born 1975) is a Persian-American businessman, investor and philanthropist. He is the founder, Chairman and CEO of SBE Entertainment Group. Biography Early life Nazarian was born to a Persian Jewish family in Tehran in 1975. T ...

David Nazarian David Nazarian is an Iranian American businessman, investor and philanthropist. Early life David Nazarian was born circa 1961 in Iran.Dana BartholomewDavid Nazarian, 1982 CSUN graduate, gives university $10 million, aims to raise $15 million mor ...

, and a sister,

Shulamit Nazarian Shulamit Nazarian is a contemporary art gallery located in Los Angeles, California. History Shulamit Nazarian began as a roving art platform in 2006 and opened a permanent exhibition space in Venice, Los Angeles#Venice Beach, Venice Beach in 2012. ...

. During the

Iranian Revolution The Iranian Revolution ( fa, انقلاب ایران, Enqelâb-e Irân, ), also known as the Islamic Revolution ( fa, انقلاب اسلامی, Enqelâb-e Eslâmī), was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dyna ...

of 1979, she immigrated to the United States, settling in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...

with her parents and siblings. She graduated from the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8. ...

(USC), where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and International Relations. She then received a master's degree and a PhD in political science from USC.

Career

In 2017, Dr. Nazarian joined the executive team of the

(ADL) as Senior Vice President for International Affairs, taking the responsibility of fighting Antisemitism and racial hatred around the globe, including overseeing ADL's Israel office. In September 2019, Nazarian testified before a joint House committee hearing on the Internationalization of the Global White Supremacy Movement. In June 2019, Nazarian represented the

in Mexico City, Mexico where ADL and the Mexican Foreign Ministry signed an agreement to work together to protect people of Mexican heritage living in the United States who are victims of discrimination, bigotry, bullying, and hate crimes. In January 2020, Nazarian testified before the US Commission on International Religious Freedom regarding global efforts to counter Antisemitism. Prior to

, Nazarian was active in three worlds: academia, philanthropy and foreign policy. She is the President of the Y&S Nazarian Family Foundation, with a regional office in Israel named the Ima Foundation. She is also the founder of the Y&S Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...

(UCLA). and chair of its advisory board. Sharon taught as an adjunct professor at UCLA in the Department of Political Science, is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations and sits on a myriad of foreign policy boards. She is a major shareholder of Nazarian Enterprises and SBE Entertainment Group. In 2021, Nazarian was considered for an ambassadorship position at the

Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism The Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism (formerly the Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism) is an office of the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights at the United States Department of S ...

in the

Biden administration Joe Biden's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 46th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Joe Biden, his inauguration on January 20, 2021. Biden, a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat from Delaw ...

Philanthropy

Dr. Nazarian serves as the President of the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Family Foundation which is dedicated to the promotion of education as the most important catalyst for societal change. The Foundation supports educational causes in a broad spectrum of institutions: academic, public policy, and community-based social and artistic programs. Nazarian also serves on the Board of Governors of the

University of Haifa The University of Haifa ( he, אוניברסיטת חיפה Arabic: جامعة حيفا) is a university located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. Founded in 1963, the University of Haifa received full academic accreditation in 1972, becoming I ...

. On May 6, 2013, Dr. Nazarian was the recipient of a Deborah Award from the

in a ceremony at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills.Karmel Melamed
ADL honors Dr. Sharon Nazarian
''The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles'', March 11, 2013 In 2015, Dr. Nazarian was the recipient of the 2015 Israel Film Festival Humanitarian Award in Beverly Hills, CA. She was honored for her contribution to the Oscar-Nominated Israeli Film Baba Joon.

Personal life

Dr. Nazarian was married to Sharyar Baradaran, a periodontist, from 1990 to the early 2010s. She now resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Fernando Flint, and her three children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nazarian, Sharon Living people People from Tehran People from Beverly Hills, California Iranian emigrants to the United States USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism alumni University of California, Los Angeles faculty Philanthropists from California Jewish American philanthropists Iranian philanthropists Iranian Jews American Conservative Jews Sharon USC School of International Relations alumni Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American Jews