Being a Jew in Iran Means Separating Faith From Region's Tussles
- Jewish population has plummeted since the 1979 revolution
- Travel to Israel, state jobs remain problems for community
Iranian Jewish Rabbi reads prayers after lighting candles to mark Hanukkah, the festival of lights, at Abrishami synagogue in downtown Tehran.
Photographer: Behrouz Mehri/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The Jews congregated at Tehran’s Levian Synagogue recited prayers into the early hours, the men wearing skullcaps and the women flower-patterned head scarves. In a corner, half a dozen kids wrestled over an Ipad. Tea and biscuits were served, followed later by strong coffee.
The gathering ahead of Rosh Hashanah marked the end of another Jewish year for a millennia-old community that has clung on since the 1979 Islamic revolution ushered in a Shiite theocracy, and led many Jews to emigrate.