New GN Village Committee:
Two Cultures Working Together

By Wendy K. Kreitzman

Village of Great Neck Mayor Steve Tell has announced the formation of a new village committee ''for the purpose of better integrating Iranian and American cultures in the village.''

VILLAGE OF GREAT NECK MAYOR STEVE TELL

This new committee will consist of Mayor Tell, Village Trustee Stephen Falk, and village residents Raymond Iryami, Alfred Dilamani, Shahrokh Shahery, and Lilly Mehdizadeh.

Mayor Tell, who began his first term of office as mayor in July, developed the idea of such a committee to aid in addressing some of the issues coming to play in the Village of Great Neck, an old village which now includes a large, and growing, Iranian population.

Mr. Iryami reports that he first contacted the then mayor-elect in June, to discuss the need to improve relations with the Iranian community. ''Mayor Tell was extremely receptive to my perspective and concerns,'' said Mr. Iryami. Over the next few months the two reached out to the four other individuals who are now on the committee.

One of the issues Mayor Tell hopes to broach includes finding ways to encourage more members of the Iranian community to become more active and involved in village government.

The committee members will also be discussing ''various behavioral issues offensive to one group or the other,'' the mayor says. ''We must put this issue on the table,'' he said.

And, Mayor Tell added, the issue of ''mutual mistrust'' needs to be discussed.

The first committee meeting was slated for mid-November.

Said Mr. Iryami, ''Although over the years many have worked to address the issues involving the influx of Iranian Jews into Great Neck, there is now an official committee whose sole focus is to improve relations with these new Americans. And that's good for all of Great Neck.''

''It is important that we identify the issues and at least start a dialogue,'' said Mayor Tell.