In the Heart of Tehran: One Act by the Jewish Community Led to Great Honor from the Iranian Regime

In a rare interview with The Wall Street Journal, Iran's chief rabbi, Rabbi Gerami, describes the life of the Jewish community in the country: about 60 active synagogues, about 20,000 Jews, and full observance of Jewish law. He notes that synagogues do not need security, unlike in the West, and that Iranian Jews have always lived in peace with their Muslim neighbors, despite geopolitical tensions.

In a rare interview granted to The Wall Street Journal, Rabbi Gerami, who serves as Iran's chief rabbi, reveals the reality of Jewish community life in the country. The Avrishmi Synagogue is one of about 60 active synagogues serving a community that Gerami estimates at about 20,000 Jews, though some claim the real number is much lower. Gerami, an Iranian citizen with additional American citizenship, who previously studied in Jerusalem and Baltimore, emphasizes that everything the Jewish community needs exists in Iran, and that efforts are made to allow Jews to live according to Jewish law. He admits that geopolitical tensions, especially the war between Iran and Israel and the US, put community members under pressure, but notes that Iranian Jews have always lived in peace with their Muslim neighbors, and that synagogues do not need security, unlike the reality in the West.