The 15,000 Jews living in Iran are living in what members of the kehilla describe as a state of existential dread in the wake of Israel’s launch of the war, Ynet reported.
Jewish life in Iran has come to a standstill, sources familiar with the situation said.
“People have vanished from the streets,” said one source. “They’re staying inside their homes, terrified. They’re not going to work. There are no gatherings, no tefillos in shuls—nothing. They’re simply afraid to show their faces.”
According to the report, the main fear of Iranian Jews is not of the regime but of mob violence, of angry Iranians retaliating for the Israeli attacks and carrying out lynchings, chalilah.
Arutz Sheva quoted a source in contact with the community who said, “They’re alive, as of now, but they’re living in constant fear. What was until now an active community has suddenly become a silent congregation of tefillah and fear.”
Most of Iran’s Jews live in Tehran, followed by Isfahan. Both cities house nuclear and missile facilities and have been heavily targeted by the IDF.
Following the launch of the war, Jewish community leaders issued statements sharply condemning Israel in what are seen as attempts to protect the community from being accused of disloyalty to the regime.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
10 Responses
Why are they living there. B
we are all victims of zionism, may that state peacefully collapse soon, iy”H
I think even Jews at the Ahashverosh party left before Purim.
We love our מדינת ישראל ראשית צמיחת גאולתנו and utter shame on somejewiknow who shouldn’t bother going to Shul on יום-הכיפורים in 15 weeks, until having sought מחילה from every Zionist for having disparaged We Loving Jews
147 I think you’re confusing the original zionists that founded Israel and the regular Jews today who identify as zionist but Embrace religion. It’s no secret that they wanted to eradicate Judaism and the Torah and many of them still do today as you can see. Hopefully you’re not one of them but it’s not hard to see why people are scarred from the zionists and want nothing to do with them, because they were haters of Hashem. More religious movements showed up later embracing nationalism and the more Jewish definition of Zionism. These groups are not to be confused
@147
Will you ask mechila from NK Weiss?
Ohh right. Only zionists are considered jews you have to love. There’s no Ahavath Yisrael for NK, because they’re anti zionist
Right?
@somejewiknow
When you live peacefully outside of Israel, it’s easy to speak this way.
When you live here, in Israel, you stop seeing things in black and white (except for extremists).
Please try to be more sensitive.
As SJIK pointed out, this is yet another example of the perils of the Zionist Big Lie, where the Zionist falsely claim that their “State” is Jewish when, in fact, their “State” is Zionist. And Zionism is diametrically opposed to Judaism.
Persia has been home to a major Jewish community since Churban Bayis Rishon, as mentioned already in the Megillah. The last Shah, who ruled until 1979, was especially good to the local Jews. Tens of thousands escaped shortly before or during the Islamist Revolution, but many were stuck behind, and could not easily leave. Some, especially young bochurim, snuck across the border to Turkey with the aid of local smugglers, at great risk to themselves.
Hashem should help them be safe.
Where do they get their hats in Iran? Who wears the up hats and who wears the down hats?