About the Chindawol Foundation
The Chindawol Foundation is a New Jersey-based community organization dedicated to service, education, and continuity. We exist to keep a living heritage connected across continents from historic Kabul to New Jersey and the global diaspora.
Leadership
The Foundation is led in New Jersey by a founding board committed to service, stewardship, and community continuity.
Board of Directors
- Manzur Ismailzada, Executive Director
- Mojgan Ismailzada, Secretary
- Tahmina Temori, Treasurer
This leadership team guides the Foundation’s direction, community programs, and careful preservation of Chindawol’s living history.
We work to:
- Preserve historic photographs, family stories, and landmarks of old Chindawol
- Document the lives and contributions of parents, grandparents, and ancestors
- Recognize the achievements of the community in New Jersey and beyond
- Support cultural, educational, and community initiatives that strengthen the next generation
- Serve as a bridge between heritage and civic life in the United States
We also welcome Chindawol families to share remaining photographs and family stories from Kabul’s Chindawol, so the link between past and present can be recorded with care.
A Living Chapter in New Jersey
That same spirit is alive today in New Jersey. The Ismailzada family and the wider Chindawol community have built a close-knit Afghan American home here, contributing through business, education, healthcare, culture, civic life, and community service.
The past gives us identity. The present gives us responsibility. The Foundation exists so both remain strong.
The Living Legacy We Carry
Chindawol is more than a historic neighborhood in Kabul. For nearly three centuries, it has been an intellectual and spiritual center of Afghanistan’s Shia community, known for scholarship, strategic wisdom, and a commitment to moderation even in difficult times.
Generations of Chindawole scholars, merchants, and community leaders earned respect for their knowledge, foresight, and ability to build bridges with dignity. That legacy includes distinguished Ismailzada family members such as Haji Zair Ismailzada, Haji Hashem Ismailzada, Haji Azim Ismailzada, and Zia Ismailzada, together with the generations before them.
Our Purpose
Chindawol is not only where we come from.
It is who we are, in Kabul, in New Jersey, and wherever we build our future.
We honor our roots. We serve the community now. We prepare the next generation to carry this legacy forward with knowledge, moderation, & dignity.
The Generations Before us
The Ismailzada family, together with the generations before them.