Jewish community in Iran keeps low profile during war

Jewish News Syndicate ^ | June 23, 2025 | Karmel Melamed

[CondoleezzaProtege]

An Iranian Jewish activist in Los Angeles, who asked that his name be withheld because of his fear that the Iranian regime would retaliate against his family members inside Iran, told JNS the Jewish leadership has shut down all synagogues and cancelled Shabbat services during the conflict.

“The Jewish community leaders have told Jews not to come out in public wearing kippahs, they’ve cancelled Jewish religious events and asked the community to maintain a low profile in public right now to avoid any potential issues with the regime or those Muslims who hate Israel,” the activist said.

JNS obtained a Persian language e-mail that originated from the Shiraz Jewish Charity Association asking Jews in Tehran to temporarily come to Shiraz during the conflict for their safety.

“Due to the emergency situation, the Shiraz Jewish Charity Association has arranged for temporary accommodations for our loved ones from Tehran who plan to leave for Shiraz,” the e-mail said. “Therefore, we invite our dear fellow Jews in Tehran to coordinate with us. We welcome your arrival and will have accommodations available for you and your loved ones.”

Last week, Yehuda Gerami, Chief Rabbi of Iran and the Tehran Jewish Committee, which represents the Jews who remain in Iran, issued statements decrying Israel’s attacks on the regime.

“The Jews who have remained in Iran have no choice but to make public statements that will keep the regime happy because they do not want problems with the government,” Dara Abaei, who heads the L.A.-based “Jewish Unity Network”, an Iranian Jewish non-profit, told JNS.

Abaei said he has spoken to friends and family members in Tehran since the conflict began and they have told him that the Jewish community is safe, but their situation is precarious, like most other residents of the city.

[InsidiousMongo]

The first agreement in this ceasefire is to ensure this group is protected from terrorist retribution and nefarious activities or else they lose more infrastructure.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Probably a smart idea.

[Mr. Mojo]

Back in ‘79 and ‘80 during the hostage crisis there were at least a couple dozen Iranian Jews attending my high school, and they all were very concerned that other students wouldn’t realize they were Jewish. So they wore prominent Magen David jewelry just to be on the safe side.

Prior to the Islamic revolution in ‘79 there were around 100,000 Jews in Iran. Now, around 9,000. The enormous exodus happened relatively quickly

[DesertRhino]

The Jewish community in Iran has been there since before modern Israel was established. Like the one that was in Syria until we gave it over to Isis. Both of those were simply anti-Zionist and had no problems. That will likely continue to be the case.

[Racketeer]

Maybe someone proclaims “for every Jew killed a Khamenei is killed also.”

[WoofDog123]

finally a rational comment.

their presence there apparently dates back to fall-out from babylonian conquest of israel?

[Ann Archy]

I can hardly believe that there are still Jews in Iran!!!

[MV=PY]

just a thought...

If you live in a place where everyone hates you and wants you dead, you might want to consider relocating...

[Tom Tetroxide]

I thought there was only one Jew left in Iran and he’s supposed to be in some Iranian prison.

[rmlew]

The Jewish community in Iran has been there since before modern Israel was established. Like the one that was in Syria until we gave it over to Isis. Both of those were simply anti-Zionist and had no problems. That will likely continue to be the case.
Israelites have lived in what is now Persia since the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and Jews since the Babylonian exile. But the Jews in Iran have had plenty of problems. Zoroastrian Persia was generally tolerant of Jews and allied to Israel. The last time Jews took back Jerusalem was in 615CE in the last war between the Eastern Roman Empire and Sassanid Persia. Aside from the story in the Book of Esther, I can only think of one other era where Jews in Persia were oppressed under the Zoroastrian Shahs. Under Muslims, Jews were Dhimmi , a subject people living as second class subjects under a ritual jim crow punctuated by mass murder, enslavement, rape and forced conversion, whenever Jews were thought to be in breach of the Pact of Omar. Twelver Shiites made things even worse, believing the mere presence of Jews desploiled an area. They think that Jews walking in the rain pollute the ground. Since the rebirth of Israel, those Jews who didn't leave (primarily to Israel) have been hostages in Syria. In Iran, it was after 1980