Since being appointed Mayor of Beverly Hills on April 1, Sharona Nazarian has been very busy. There’s hardly a day that goes by without her attending at least one community event — often several in a single day. Since taking office, she participated in dozens of events and spoke at most of them.
But none was as personal or meaningful as the speech she gave on the day she took office.
At the inauguration ceremony held at the Wallis Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills, Nazarian said, “I am an immigrant. English is my third language. I came to this wonderful nation because of religious persecution. There was no one there to be my voice, and things didn’t always come easily, but I refused to have a victim mentality. You see, I believe that hard work and dedication are the keys to achieving things, and I promise to work hard for you.”
In her speech, Nazarian also spoke about her commitment to social justice, peace, tolerance and fighting antisemitism. “We’re committed to continuing to serve as a voice against hate, discrimination and antisemitism, with my initiative, ‘Never Again is Now’,” Nazarian said.
Nazarian was preceded by Jimmy Delshad, who held the position in 2007 and again in 2010. In her first interview as mayor, the day after the ceremony, she told The Journal what it meant to her to become the first Jewish-Iranian female mayor in the country.
“Where else could an immigrant accomplish so much? It’s a humbling moment for me and my family and I don’t take it for granted,” she said. “I’m truly excited and honored to serve our country and this beautiful community, as we work alongside so many great leaders to build a safer, stronger and more united Beverly Hills.”
Before joining the Beverly Hills City Council, Nazarian worked as a clinical psychologist and served as Vice President of Beit Halochem USA. As mayor, she will serve a one-year term, before being succeeded by another council member. Each of the five City Council members serves a four-year term.
In many ways, Nazarian’s journey is the ultimate success story — fleeing oppression in one country and rising to prominence in another.
Nazarian, 51, fled Iran with her family after the 1979 revolution and the fall of the Shah. “I came here together with my mother and younger brother. We moved to Israel, which was our safe haven, and after living there for some time, my father joined us and we immigrated to the U.S.,” she said.
Beverly Hills has long been known for its clean, well-maintained streets and quick police response. Now, as mayor, Nazarian aimed to continue that tradition of safety and vigilance.
“We have close to 3,000 cameras monitored 24/7, which helps us protect our houses of worship and synagogues and ensures the safety of our communities,” she said. “If someone is thinking about committing a crime in Beverly Hills, they should think twice.”
While public safety remained a top priority, Nazarian’s goals extended far beyond crime prevention.
“We will work to support our local businesses, expand access to mental health services, protect human rights, empower women, strengthen international relations, and promote the city. It’s a cycle. When our businesses succeed, that provides the revenue to support services and infrastructure, which in turn protects our quality of life.”
Nazarian also highlighted Beverly Hills’ strong support for Israel. In the days following the Oct. 7 massacre of Israelis, she helped pass a resolution — unanimously supported by the City Council — expressing Beverly Hills’ support for Israel and its right to defend itself, and condemning the actions of Hamas. It was the first statement of its kind in the United States.
“Since the day the hostages were taken, we’ve been projecting the words ‘Bring Them Home Now!’ along with a yellow ribbon on our City Hall building,” said Nazarian. “We partnered with the Israeli Consulate and brought in 1,200 flags from 30 different nations to symbolize the lives lost on Oct. 7. We held a hostage forum with the families of those who were kidnapped, set up a Shabbat table with empty chairs representing the hostages. There’s so much tension and divide in the world today. Israel is important to our community and they want peace and light.”
Nazarian said she was shocked by the silence of women’s organizations in response to the rape and abuse of women on Oct. 7. “We witnessed one of the most tragic massacres of the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and I was deeply shaken by the silence of women’s groups. They claim to stand for women’s rights — but where were they? I want to encourage women to remain brave, strong, kind and to lead with strength but also with heart, because that’s what makes women so influential and impactful. We need more women leaders who are involved and committed to uniting people.”
One of Nazarian’s key initiatives during her term is to establish a permanent memorial for the victims of Oct. 7, located across the garden from the city’s 9/11 memorial. The monument will be placed near the fire station and the public library. She brought the idea to the Council, which quickly supported it.
“I believe this will be one of the first sites in the world — or at least in the U.S. — to honor the Oct. 7 victims. We’re currently looking for a design. We plan to hold the official groundbreaking ceremony ahead of Oct. 7. I think it’s a beautiful gesture that these two memorials will stand across from each other — America’s memorial and that of our greatest ally.”
In 2019, Beverly Hills and Herzliya formalized a sister-city relationship on Israel’s 70th Independence Day. The partnership was made official in a ceremony attended by representatives from both cities. Nazarian, who co-chaired the sister cities program, said she planned to build on that foundation by organizing more collaborations between the two cities — festivals, symposiums, tourism exchanges, and more.
Nazarian’s inauguration ceremony was attended by public officials, community leaders, and her family — her husband Daniel Nazarian, their three sons, and her proud father, Jacob Rashti. Her mother passed away 20 years ago, only 52 years old.
“Sadly, she didn’t get to see me become mayor, but she’s always in my heart. She helped guide me on this path. She always supported me and told me, ‘You can achieve anything.’ She was a strong Jewish mother, incredibly caring, and supported all of us. I hope to follow in her footsteps. We celebrate Shabbat at home every week. I cook, my in-laws come over, my father and my kids if they’re in town, it’s something I learned from her.”
For her father, she said, seeing her become mayor was an especially emotional moment. “I’m truly excited and honored to serve this country and this beautiful community, and to collaborate with so many great leaders to build a safer, stronger, and more united Beverly Hills.”
