Dehkhoda Educational Foundation

Dehkhoda Educational Foundation Inspiring and Learning Together: Embracing Servant Leadership through Examples and Principles

Thank you to Vision Morton Grove for brining us together yesterday at their annual summer picnic as a community in Villa...
08/24/2026

Thank you to Vision Morton Grove for brining us together yesterday at their annual summer picnic as a community in Village of Morton Grove Municipality and beyond!



It was such a joy for us to host the Maine Township leadership team—Honorable Kimberly Jones, Supervisor; Victoria Rizzo...
08/24/2026

It was such a joy for us to host the Maine Township leadership team—Honorable Kimberly Jones, Supervisor; Victoria Rizzo, Administrator; and Daniela Milito, Assistant to the Supervisor—at the International Servant Leadership Museum this morning. We are fortunate to have them as leaders of our Township.

who serve humanity

“Remember the Candles” Who Served Humanity“O bird of dawn, when this dark nightHas ended its reign of wrongdoing,And daw...
08/05/2026

“Remember the Candles” Who Served Humanity

“O bird of dawn, when this dark night
Has ended its reign of wrongdoing,
And dawn’s life-giving breath
Has lifted sleep’s stupor from the sleepers—
Remember the candle that died; remember.”

—Ali-Akbar Dehkhoda, translated directly from the original Persian

On the 120th anniversary of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution of 1906—known as the Mashrouteh—the Dehkhoda Educational Foundation and the International Servant Leaders Museum first honor the memory of all those who gave their lives for freedom and democracy.

We also proudly remember and preserve the legacies of Ali-Akbar Dehkhoda and Mirza Jahangir Khan Sur-e Esrafil—two prominent intellectual leaders and advocates of the Mashrouteh.

On August 5, 1906, Iran became the first country in mainland Asia to establish a constitutional parliamentary system. Less than two years later, the tyrant Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar staged a coup that resulted in the deaths of many freedom fighters. Mirza Jahangir Khan was captured, stabbed in the chest, and hanged. Dehkhoda was fortunate enough to escape to Europe.

While in Switzerland, Dehkhoda awoke from a troubling dream in which his friend and colleague Mirza Jahangir Khan—with whom he had published the weekly newspaper Sur-e Esrafil—reproached him for his silence, asking whether Dehkhoda had forgotten him.

Deeply moved, Dehkhoda sat down and wrote his legendary elegy, “Remember the Dead Candle.” Its enduring message inspired our Foundation’s mantra:

“Remember the Candles Who Serve Humanity.”
“Remember the Candles” Who Served Humanity

“O bird of dawn, when this dark night
Has ended its reign of wrongdoing,
And dawn’s life-giving breath
Has lifted sleep’s stupor from the sleepers—
Remember the candle that died; remember.”

—Ali-Akbar Dehkhoda, translated directly from the original Persian

On the 120th anniversary of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution of 1906—known as the Mashrouteh—the Dehkhoda Educational Foundation and the International Servant Leaders Museum first honor the memory of all those who gave their lives for freedom and democracy.

We also proudly remember and preserve the legacies of Ali-Akbar Dehkhoda and Mirza Jahangir Khan Sur-e Esrafil—two prominent intellectual leaders and advocates of the Mashrouteh.

On August 5, 1906, Iran became the first country in mainland Asia to establish a constitutional parliamentary system. Less than two years later, the tyrant Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar staged a coup that resulted in the deaths of many freedom fighters. Mirza Jahangir Khan was captured, stabbed in the chest, and hanged. Dehkhoda was fortunate enough to escape to Europe.

While in Switzerland, Dehkhoda awoke from a troubling dream in which his friend and colleague Mirza Jahangir Khan—with whom he had published the weekly newspaper Sur-e Esrafil—reproached him for his silence, asking whether Dehkhoda had forgotten him.

Deeply moved, Dehkhoda sat down and wrote his legendary elegy, “Remember the Dead Candle.” Its enduring message inspired our Foundation’s mantra:

“Remember the Candles Who Serve Humanity.”

Picture Courtesy


We cherish our visitors! Plan your visit with us soon. Carlos Angel Gutierrez Hamid Akbari Azar Khounani
08/02/2026

We cherish our visitors! Plan your visit with us soon.
Carlos Angel Gutierrez Hamid Akbari Azar Khounani


07/18/2026

We celebrate Nelson Mandela on his International Day of July 18, and other iconic servant leaders, everyday! Pictures by Masoud Rad

Today, on Nelson Mandela International Day, we honor a servant leader whose life continues to teach the world about cour...
07/18/2026

Today, on Nelson Mandela International Day, we honor a servant leader whose life continues to teach the world about courage, resistance, resilience, reconciliation, and healing through peace.

At The International Servant Leaders Museum, we celebrate Nelson Mandela’s legacy not only on this special day, but every day. His struggle against apartheid reminds us that tyranny must be resisted with courage and perseverance. His years of imprisonment demonstrate the extraordinary strength of the human spirit. And his leadership after liberation shows us that lasting peace requires forgiveness, reconciliation, and a commitment to the dignity of all people.

These photographs of visitors at the Museum reflect the continuing power of Mandela’s example. May each person who encounters his story leave inspired to resist injustice, help heal divided communities, and serve humanity with courage and compassion.

Remember the candles who serve humanity.

Pictures by Masoud Rad

On this Fourth of July 2026, as the United States marks its 250th birthday, the Dehkhoda Educational Foundation and the ...
07/04/2026

On this Fourth of July 2026, as the United States marks its 250th birthday, the Dehkhoda Educational Foundation and the International Servant Leaders Museum join in honoring the highest promise of America: the Declaration of Independence’s enduring truth that “all men are created equal.”

That promise was reaffirmed by President Abraham Lincoln, who called upon us to ensure that “a nation so conceived” in liberty “shall not perish from the earth.” It was later deepened by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of the Beloved Community: a society in which poverty and hunger are overcome, justice is sustained by love, and the dignity of every human being is cherished.

As we celebrate this nation’s founding ideals, we also remember with humility and gratitude the Native peoples, the original inhabitants and caretakers of this land, whose presence, wisdom, suffering, and resilience remain inseparable from the American story. May we honor them not only in words, but through remembrance, respect, justice, and a renewed commitment to the unity of all living things.

In that spirit, we recall the prophecy often attributed to the great Lakota warrior Crazy Horse, Tȟašúŋke Witkó: that after suffering beyond suffering, the Red Nation shall rise again and become a blessing for a sick world—a world longing for light, healing, and wholeness. May that vision of all the colors of humanity gathered under the sacred Tree of Life guide us toward a future in which the whole Earth becomes one circle again.

On this Fourth of July, may we recommit ourselves to freedom, democracy, equality, and servant leadership. May we hear again the call of President John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” And may we answer that call with hope, courage, and shared responsibility, believing, as President Barack Obama reminded us, that “Yes, we can.”

Through service to one another, may the American promise continue to grow beyond its contradictions and become a living blessing for all humanity.

It was a delightful day recently for our co-founders, Hamid Akbari and Azar Khounani, to host Professor Jared Eberhard a...
06/25/2026

It was a delightful day recently for our co-founders, Hamid Akbari and Azar Khounani, to host Professor Jared Eberhard and his wonderful wife, Andrea Ray Theiler Eberhard, Idaho-based educators, for a visit to the International Servant Leaders Museum.

Hamid knows Jared from their years working together at Winona State University, where Jared served as Professor of Production and Operations Management and Hamid served as Dean of the College of Business from 2013 to 2020.

Jared is known as a gem of a professor—or, in the spirit of his visit to our museum, a true servant professor. He engages with his students wholeheartedly, with a deep commitment to their lifelong progress, prosperity, and meaningful contribution to the world.

It was a joy to welcome Jared and Andrea to the museum and to reflect on the enduring impact of educators who serve with excellence, humility, and care.

Please visit us this summer Monday through Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., or contact us for a private tour.

Please join us in welcoming Carlos Angel GutierrezGutierrez, our new summer intern at the International Servant Leaders ...
06/23/2026

Please join us in welcoming Carlos Angel GutierrezGutierrez, our new summer intern at the International Servant Leaders Museum in Morton Grove!

Carlos is a student at Northeastern Illinois University, majoring in Communication, Media and Theatre. This summer, he will be helping welcome visitors, share the story of the Museum, and introduce guests to the inspiring lives of humanitarian servant leaders from around the world.

Carlos would love to welcome you to the Museum during our summer open hours:

Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

The International Servant Leaders Museum is the only museum of its kind in the world, featuring exhibitions honoring servant leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Eleanor Roosevelt, Ida B. Wells, Chief Joseph, and many more.

Come meet Carlos, visit the Museum, and be inspired by stories of service, courage, compassion, and leadership.

International Servant Leaders Museum
9233 Shermer Road, Morton Grove, IL 60053
www.dehfoundation.org
Questions? Email Carlos at [email protected]



This summer, we invite you to visit the only museum of its kind in the world and be inspired by the stories, values, and...
06/16/2026

This summer, we invite you to visit the only museum of its kind in the world and be inspired by the stories, values, and legacies of servant leaders from around the globe.

Summer Open Hours
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
5:30–7:30 p.m.
June and July, beginning Tuesday, June 16
With the exception of June 18

📍 The International Servant Leaders Museum
9233 Shermer Road
Morton Grove, IL 60053

Come explore a unique museum experience centered on courage, compassion, justice, and service to humanity.

For more information, please visit: dehfoundation.org

Remember the Candles Who Serve Humanity.

Address

9233 Shermer Road
Morton Grove, IL
60053

Telephone

+12246281757

Website

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