Haideh Herbert-Aynehchi, who was born and raised in Tehran, has lived in Los Angeles for nearly 40 years.

The Artist-in-Residence at The Braid Jewish Theatre Company, her stories have been performed throughout Los Angeles. This includes “The Glen Ivy Hot Springs,” “Revolutionary Training for My Kids,” and “Char Mezrab,” which were performed as part of The Braid’s in-person and virtual salons, “It Happened on the Way to the Temple” as part of The Braid Story Nosh, and “My Voice,” which was performed for The Braid Young Professional Group, as well as for high school students at Milken School. Additionally, Haideh’s story, “Moving to America,” was included in Our Immigrant Stories: A Collection of Essays from Iranian Diaspora published by the Department of Mental Health.

Haideh achieved a BS in psychology and an MA in English Language and Literature from Tehran University. She taught English for 20 years, mostly at Tehran University Language Center as an instructor, teacher trainer, and program coordinator. During this time, she co-authored English for Special Purposes (ESP) for Students of Social Sciences, Tehran University Press, 1985 and English for Technology: Language Skills for Using Everyday Technology, Dominie Press, 1999. She also served as ghostwriter of Farsi Language Maps for Bilingual Books, Inc.

In Los Angeles, she taught English and mentored new teachers for LAUSD, Refugee Employment Training Project, and served as an adjunct faculty teaching Persian at Santa Monica College. Experiencing difficulties with her vocal cords, Haideh changed gears, received a second master’s degree in counseling with an emphasis on rehabilitation from Cal State University Los Angeles, and served as a vocational evaluator and supervisor at JVS, and as a Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor at California State Department of Rehabilitation. In this capacity, she
conducted vocational evaluations and career counseling for clients with disabilities, veterans and
clients with history of substance abuse and other barriers to employment.

Haideh is currently an executive board member and co-chair of the Emergency Fund at Iranian American Jewish Federation, IAJF. She is also a member of Advisory Board at the Jewish Language Project in cooperation with Hebrew Union College, Wikitongues, and Center for Protection of Endangered Languages. She conducts interviews with speakers of endangered Judeo-Persian languages in order to help preserve these languages after the mass immigration of part of the Jewish population out of Iran.