A Book About Iranian Jewish
On October 18th, the Iranian Jewish Club of New York University hosted a screening of Ramin Farahani’s 2005 documentary Jews of Iran. Munching on authentic Persian deserts, attendees were exposed to a story of struggle, friendship, and, above all, loyalty to a country 100,000 Jews once called home.
The film opens with a scene of an art student covered in a hijab, focusing on the strokes she paints onto the canvas. She respects her art instructor, who is Jewish; she acknowledges that her few Jewish classmates are nice. However, when asked if she, an Iranian teenage girl, has any Jewish friends, her response is terse: “no.” She explains that she is not fond of Jews “because of the atmosphere Israel has created.” When confronted with the point that the Jews in Iran are not Israelis, she demurely smiles and says, “I don’t know…it’s just their religion. I don’t really care to mix with them.”
Scenes such as this are plentiful in this revealing documentary, created with the permission of Iranian officials under restrictions. Farahani travels to the three different regions of Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz. By witnessing his journey, the viewers are exposed to the everyday lives of the 20,000 Jews left living in this predominatly Muslim society.
Farahani captures the obstacles that Jews face due to the anti-Semitism that pervades Iranian society—a problem that has dramatically worsened since the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
One Jewish student from Tehran left her school after being made to feel uncomfortable by her Islamic studies teacher. She says, “They’re very open with their insults. They say we’re impure—we’re filthy.” Fed up by the prejudices she faced, she decides to study abroad. When asked if she will miss Iran, she replies, “I’ll miss everything, even the bumps and holes on the streets.”
Also in Tehran, the viewers are introduced to an elderly Jewish woman who is being treated for free in a Jewish hospital. She explains that everyone she knew—including her family—fled Iran during the Islamic revolution when anti-Jewish sentiments hit a zenith. However, she was left behind. She knows no one and the once Jewish village in which she raised her family is now fraught with anti-Semitism and violence. Her eyes are empty, her body is frail, and she longs for the Iran of the past. Lying in her sterile hospital room, she repeatedly cries out “I am alone, I am all alone!”
Farahani also travels to Shiraz, where thirteen Jews have been accused of espionage and face the death sentence. Many believe the accusations have been contorted and a paralyzing fear lingers over the Jewish population. When Farahani asks a Jewish man working on a village street to comment on the trial, he smiles politely and shakes his head no. He fears the Iranian government might betray him just as they have betrayed his fellow Jews.
In Jews of Iran, accounts of prejudice and despair are sharply contrasted by tales of religious tolerance and a rich Jewish-Iranian culture. In Tehran, a Jewish woman and Muslim woman have been close friends since college. Now, their sons share a special bond. They listen to Persian music, go out to clubs, and talk about girls. The only time their religious differences come up is when they eat out at restaurants. The Muslim friend approaches his friends kosher diet regulations with levity. “It’s his choice. He eats what he wants.”
In Isfahan, the viewers meet Jewish artist Soleiman Sassoon, whose work is an amalgamation of Jewish symbols and Iranian culture. He uses Jewish motifs such as the Ten Commandments while simultaneously using classical Iranian art techniques. His work is symbolic of the deep love Iranian Jews feel for their nation, even though they now face a harsh reality.
Jews of Iran ends with footage of Jews in a synagogue embracing Rosh Hasannah, the New Year. As they pray for peace and tranquility, they also rejoice in their nationality. They chant, “We have been here for the past 2,700 years. We are essentially Iranian first and then Jews. This is our native land. We are proud to be Iranians!” They pray that the Iranian government and their fellow citizens will reciprocate the unwavering love they feel toward their country.
Ramin Farahani creates a film that embodies the complex situation of Iranian Jews. It is the bittersweet documentation of a people whose country has turned its back on them. However, Farahani makes sure to show that, just like the Persian music that lingers in the background of the film, hope and beauty still linger in this diminishing Jewish community.
The film opens with a scene of an art student covered in a hijab, focusing on the strokes she paints onto the canvas. She respects her art instructor, who is Jewish; she acknowledges that her few Jewish classmates are nice. However, when asked if she, an Iranian teenage girl, has any Jewish friends, her response is terse: “no.” She explains that she is not fond of Jews “because of the atmosphere Israel has created.” When confronted with the point that the Jews in Iran are not Israelis, she demurely smiles and says, “I don’t know…it’s just their religion. I don’t really care to mix with them.”
Scenes such as this are plentiful in this revealing documentary, created with the permission of Iranian officials under restrictions. Farahani travels to the three different regions of Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz. By witnessing his journey, the viewers are exposed to the everyday lives of the 20,000 Jews left living in this predominatly Muslim society.
Farahani captures the obstacles that Jews face due to the anti-Semitism that pervades Iranian society—a problem that has dramatically worsened since the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
One Jewish student from Tehran left her school after being made to feel uncomfortable by her Islamic studies teacher. She says, “They’re very open with their insults. They say we’re impure—we’re filthy.” Fed up by the prejudices she faced, she decides to study abroad. When asked if she will miss Iran, she replies, “I’ll miss everything, even the bumps and holes on the streets.”
Also in Tehran, the viewers are introduced to an elderly Jewish woman who is being treated for free in a Jewish hospital. She explains that everyone she knew—including her family—fled Iran during the Islamic revolution when anti-Jewish sentiments hit a zenith. However, she was left behind. She knows no one and the once Jewish village in which she raised her family is now fraught with anti-Semitism and violence. Her eyes are empty, her body is frail, and she longs for the Iran of the past. Lying in her sterile hospital room, she repeatedly cries out “I am alone, I am all alone!”
Farahani also travels to Shiraz, where thirteen Jews have been accused of espionage and face the death sentence. Many believe the accusations have been contorted and a paralyzing fear lingers over the Jewish population. When Farahani asks a Jewish man working on a village street to comment on the trial, he smiles politely and shakes his head no. He fears the Iranian government might betray him just as they have betrayed his fellow Jews.
In Jews of Iran, accounts of prejudice and despair are sharply contrasted by tales of religious tolerance and a rich Jewish-Iranian culture. In Tehran, a Jewish woman and Muslim woman have been close friends since college. Now, their sons share a special bond. They listen to Persian music, go out to clubs, and talk about girls. The only time their religious differences come up is when they eat out at restaurants. The Muslim friend approaches his friends kosher diet regulations with levity. “It’s his choice. He eats what he wants.”
In Isfahan, the viewers meet Jewish artist Soleiman Sassoon, whose work is an amalgamation of Jewish symbols and Iranian culture. He uses Jewish motifs such as the Ten Commandments while simultaneously using classical Iranian art techniques. His work is symbolic of the deep love Iranian Jews feel for their nation, even though they now face a harsh reality.
Jews of Iran ends with footage of Jews in a synagogue embracing Rosh Hasannah, the New Year. As they pray for peace and tranquility, they also rejoice in their nationality. They chant, “We have been here for the past 2,700 years. We are essentially Iranian first and then Jews. This is our native land. We are proud to be Iranians!” They pray that the Iranian government and their fellow citizens will reciprocate the unwavering love they feel toward their country.
Ramin Farahani creates a film that embodies the complex situation of Iranian Jews. It is the bittersweet documentation of a people whose country has turned its back on them. However, Farahani makes sure to show that, just like the Persian music that lingers in the background of the film, hope and beauty still linger in this diminishing Jewish community.