About The History of Contemporary Iranian Jews, Volume II
(paper, 1997, 430 pages)

Following is a short overview of articles presented in this volume.

Persian Section:

1) Articles

1. "My Friend, Mr. Hamedani" by Nader Naderpour.
   At the start of the evening celebrating Moshfegh Hamedani lifetime achievements. Mr. Hamedani was introduced by the celebrated Iranian poet, Mr. Nader Naderpour who recounts the events leading up to his first meeting with Moshfegh Hamedani.
   Hamedani began his career in journalism at Iran, Mehr, and Mehregan magazines. With the allies invasion of Iran during World War II, he joined Dr. Mostafa Mesparzadeh and Abdolrahman Faramarzi in co-founding Kayhan—Iran’s foremost daily newspaper—becoming its editor-in-chief. A few years later, he began publishing Kavian magazine, and became one of Dr. Mohammad Mossadeq’s ardent supporters in the latter’s plan to nationalize Iran’s oil industry; a stance that was to cost Hamedani dearly after Mossadeq’s coup in 1953 (Mordad 28). Kavian’s office was looted and burnt; Hamedani was imprisoned and eventually banished from Iran. In exile in Rome, he became fluent in Italian and proceeded to translate works from that language into Persian.
   Excluding the hundreds of articles, short stories, and sociopolitical editorials he has published over the course of his fifty-year career in journalism, his other collected writings and translations exceed well over fifty book titles published in Iran and abroad. His most acclaimed writings include Love and Love (Eshq va Eshq), Anxieties of Youth (Delhoreh ha-ye Javani), and The Educated (Tahsil-kardeh ha). He has translated The Idiot, The Brothers Karamazov, Schiller’s Masterworks, Schopenhauer’s Thoughts, Anna Karinina, Stalin, Napoleon, and many other titles in psychology, sociology, and philosophy.
2. "The Iranian Woman and Judaism" by Parvaneh Sarraf.
   Discusses the role of woman in the Torah, and its repercussions on the life of Iranian woman.
3. "The Crucial Role of Non-Muslims in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution" by Janet Afary.
   Both the accomplishments and the shortcomings of the Constitutional Revolution (1906-1911) become clearer when we examine that revolution from the point of view of Iran's Jewish community.
   Some of the accomplishments of the revolution in this regard are: 1) The multiethnic Secret Society of 1905, which began the debate on political change, and included both Muslims and non-Muslims in its membership; 2) the struggles of the constitutionalists to form a National Consultative Majlis, rather than the Islamic Consultative Majlis suggested by Muzaffar al-Din Shah in August 1906; 3) the persistent efforts of Majlis deputies and constitutionalists elsewhere to ratify laws that gave equality to Muslim and non-Muslim (male) citizens in 1907; 4) the activities of Iran's first modern party, the Democrat Party, and its organ Iran-e Now in 1909-1911 to establish a new concept of nationality, one that was independent of religious identity; 5) and, finally, Iran-e Now's specific condemnation of anti-Semitism in Iran.
   In contrast, many of the most important shortcomings of the revolution become clearer when we examine the attitude of both the constitutionalists and the anti-constitutionalists toward Jews of Iran: 1. the arch-conservative cleric Shaikh Fazlollah Nuri, who opposed the new democracy in Iran, stated specifically that he condemned many new constitutional provisions because they challenged the religiously sanctioned legal inequality of non-Muslims; 2. others who supported the revolution remained confused over the meaning of equality and puzzled over how to end the contradiction between modern secular laws and shariat laws; 3. and, finally, even some of the supporters of the revolution, such as the Bakhtiaris, continued to rampage and pillage the Jewish communities, even as they moved to liberate the capital city of Tehran from the anti-constitutionalist Muhammad Ali Shah in July, 1909.
4. "The History of ‘Alliance Israelite’ in Iran" by Homa Nategh.
   The article begins with a brief history of Alliance Française in 1883 in Paris. Much of the historical data for this section is provided by the Alliance’s quarterly bulletin. The author then discusses the difficulties Alliance faced in establishing itself in Iran due to the preexisting influences of Russia and the British Empire. The founding of the first Alliance committee in Tehran and Shiraz is then discussed. The committee faced many difficulties on different levels in its attempts to open schools. The first Alliance school was finally opened in 1891 by order of Nasser E’din Shah.
   The Tobacco Movement, the Constitutional Revolution, and financial difficulties slowed down the further spread of Alliance’s influence. The author then talks about the opening of Alliance schools throughout Iran after World War I; the effects of Reza Shah and nationalism on the Alliance schools and their curriculum; the widespread Jewish support for the spread of Alliance’s influence. Nategh argues that this support was provided in hopes of being protected by the French and their academic envoys from the prevalent anti-Semitism in Iran. An elaborate discussion and documentation of various anti-Semitic currents and events around the turn of the century follow.
   The article concludes with a detailed history and statistical analysis of Alliance schools in Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Hamedan, Saneh, Kermanshah, and some smaller cities up to the Revolution of 1979.
5. "The Goy Boy in the Heart of the Mahalleh" by Sadredin Elahi.
   Mr. Elahi recounts memories from his childhood, sharing his experiences of growing up as a Muslim young man in Tehran’s Jewish quarters. He remembers his parents’ respective attitudes towards the Jewish neighbors. He recounts his teenage crush on the young Jewish girl next door. He also recalls the time when he was publicly punished in the school courtyard—at the request of his father—for having gotten involved with his classmates in beating up a group of Jewish kids after the latter won a competition in school.
6. "Judaism, Iran, and Islam in the Works of Jewish Poets of Iran" by David Yeroushalmi.
   In the course of the 14th-20th centuries, the Jewish poets of Iran produced a large body of literature that represents a unique synthesis of Jewish, Persian, and Islamic elements. This essay explores some of these poets’ common perceptions and views concerning Judaism, Iran, and Islam.
   Despite various nuances found in the writings of Jewish-Iranian poets (chief among them: Shahin, Emrani, Amina, Elisha ben Shemuel, and Kh(w)aje Bokharai), it appears that these poets share some underlying beliefs and views regarding the Jewish faith, and the role of Judaism and the Jewish people in history. It further appears that these concepts and views are derived mainly from the traditional sources of Jewish lore and literature (e.g., the Bible, Mishnah, Talmud, Midrash, and Haggadah). These sources equally play a major role in these poets’ respective perception of Iran, its land, and its civilization. On the whole, Iran, with its numerous imperial and cultural symbols and institutions, is conceived of as belonging to the ancient past. These poets reveal an admiration towards Iranian kings and heroes and toward Cyrus the Great in particular. They further glorify and idealize the mutual respect and bonds that prevailed between the Jewish people and the Iranian Empire.
   While in the minds of these poets Iran mainly evokes images and memories of a remote and, at times, legendary past, Islam constitutes a living and powerful socio-cultural environment in which these poets live and create. Their writings indeed attest to a very high degree of Persian-Islamic influence, both on the structures and contents of Jewish Iranian poetic composition. Nonetheless, in these works one detects a conscious effort on the part of the poets to preserve and cherish Jewish identity while rejecting those Islamic tenets and notions that are perceived as threatening or offensive to Jewish beliefs and sensibilities.
7. "The History of Persian Ketuboth" by Yafa Saghian Ghinghis.
   Discussing the significance of the marriage institution and the importance of the ketuba, Saghian mentions the difficulty in tracing the origins of ketuba-writing, relating this difficulty to the fact that marriages were not always religious contracts. The first ketubas are believed to have been written at the time of Jewish captivity in Babylon.
   Saghian argues that the most important ketubas created in the Islamic world are Iranian. The oldest existing ketubas date back to the eighteenth century. These are distinguishable according to their decorative styles, each style denoting the ketuba’s town of origin.
   The article then divides Iranian ketubas into different stylistic categories, and discusses characteristic features of different examples.. "The Children of Tehran" by Avi Davidi.
   Davidi’s article discusses the history of the "children of Tehran:" a group of 716 Polish children who made their way to then Palestine via Tehran at the beginning of the Second World War to escape the Nazi invasion. The article begins with the invasion of Poland; discusses the migration of Polish Jews to the Soviet Republic; and traces their subsequent settlement in the Southern parts of the USSR.
   The author then elaborates on the events that lead to the migration of 1,388 Jews—871 of whom were children—to Iran. Discussions of the political atmosphere in Iran, and descriptions of the Polish immigrant camp in Tehran follow. The author then mentions the help provided for these children by Iranian Jews. Mr. Davidi finally documents the children’s departure from Tehran and their arrival in Israel, before presenting his conclusion.

2) Shiraha [folk wedding-songs]

3) Tales from the Past: Memory Telling

Ms. Azizeh Bral, Ms. Tavous Javaheri, Ms. Touba Soumekh, Mr. Baroukh Mohabber, Mr. Mansour Mashian, and Mr. Abdollah Zargarian took part in the memory telling segment of CIJOH’s second annual conference. As evidenced by their respective memories, each has played a notable role in the course of contemporary Iranian Jewish history. Mr. Nourollah Gabay opened the memory telling segment with a discussion on the importance of documenting the oral history of Iranian Jews. Subsequent to the conference, the Center received a written memoir from Mr. Reuben Dokhanian that was appended to the existing list.

1. Azizeh Bral
   Born in 1921, Ms. Bral is the first Jewish Iranian woman to have received a Ph.D. in pharmacology. She received her degree from Tehran University in 1942. She is the co-founder of Hatef Organization—a foundation established to provide financial aid for Jewish Iranian students in need, helping them continue their educational pursuit. She has been involved in various academic and social organizations throughout her life, such as The Women’s Foundation (Sazman-e Zanan), the Foundation for Education and Development (Sazman-e Amuzesh va Parvaresh).
2. Tavous Javaheri
   Born in Shiraz circa 1902 and currently residing in Los Angeles, Ms. Javaheri retells the events of the Second Program in Shiraz’s Jewish quarters in 1910. She recalls the looting of her house. She remembers how, with the help and intervening of Ghavam and other prominent Muslim residents of Shiraz, her family was able to recover some of its stolen properties.
3. Touba Soumekh
   Born in Hamedan, Ms. Soumekh recounts the founding of the Young Women’s Committee (Majles-e Dokhtaran) in Hamedan’s Alliance school. She talks about the weekly meetings they held in different members’ homes on Saturdays to discuss the Torah and other books. She discusses her joining Hadassah after her marriage, and talks about how the organization’s name was changed to Nesvan’s Women’s Committee (Komiteh-ye Nesvan) during the Pahlavi dynasty. According to Ms. Soumekh, the yearly two-Toman membership fee was aimed at gathering a fund to help Jewish Iranian women in need. Ms. Soumekh recounts the events leading up to Nesvan’s 300-Toman donation to the Historical Preservation Committee for the restoration and renovation of Ester’s tomb.
4. Nourollah Gabay
   Mr. Gabay discusses the importance of recording the oral history of Iranian Jews. He argues that because of widespread illiteracy in Iran until the mid-twentieth century, most of the Jewish-Iranian tradition was orally handed down in various Jewish-Iranian dialects. He argues that these oral memories need to be recorded as they are retold by their living safe keepers
5. Baroukh Mohabber
   Born in Isfahan’s Jewish quarter and a student of the Alliance school, Mr. Mohabber received his high-school education at Isfahan’s English College (Dabirestan-e Adab). He later worked at the English and American embassies. He discusses how during the Qajar dynasty a religious figure by the name of Agha Nejafi gave a religious order (fatva) stating that the two Muslim murderers of two Isfahani Jews should pay 13 Tomans each as compensation to the victims’ respective families and be set free.
   He also recounts an uprising against Jews triggered by the death of a Muslim man in Isfahan, and remembers how his mother intervened to get the police involved and save the Jews from the people’s wrath. He further discusses Reza Shah’s encounter with Isfahan’s Jew on his way South. Mr. Mohabber remembers Reza Shah’s respectful interaction with Rabbi Abraham and Rabbi Nissan, and his paying respect to the Torah by bowing in prayer in front of it. According to Mr. Mohabber, this was a tremendous display of respect by Reza Shah to the Jews of Isfahan. Finally, Mr. Mohabber remembers Rabbi Levy: a Polish Rabbi, and the founder of Otser Ha Torah schools in different cities throughout Iran.
6. Mansour Mashian
   Born in Tehran, Mr. Mashian was a traditional wrestler. He remembers the two traditional Jewish wrestling halls (zurkhaneh): the first named Bashgah-e Chaychi, and the second located in the basement of Ettehad school. He remembers the Jewish leader (morshed) reapropriating the Muslim-specific rituals into a Jewish context. He also recalls the Jewish team being systematically harassed physically by the Muslim teams and their supporters whenever the Jewish team would win a match. He recalls Soleiman Haim’s plays, their success, and the playwright’s generosity in providing free tickets to those who could not afford admission. Lastly, Mr. Mashian remembers the Yaldai Tehran children and the Jewish-Iranian community’s support of them.
7. Abdollah Zargarian
   Born in Hamedan, Mr. Zargarian speaks about the rituals and ceremonies that traditionally preceded a typical wedding night in Hamedan. He discusses the arrangement of marriages and recounts in detail his memories of the traditional seven-day and seven-night string of ceremonies that lead up to the actual wedding night.
8. Reuben Dokhanian
   Mr. Dokhanian was amongst the first generation of immigrants to Israel. He recalls the year he spent in a kibbutz in 1946. He begins by recounting all of the events that lead to his aliah to Palestine, his journey to the kibbutz, a strike at the kibbutz, the daily routines and many of the lessons he learned there.

4) Dictionary
dictionary of Judeo-Persian words, expressions, and cultural idioms.

English Section:

1. "Immigration of Iranian Jews to Israel," by David Menashri.
   Discusses the history of Iranians' immigration to Israel. Includes data and documentation.
2. "Jewish Persian Carpets," by Anton Felton.
   The history of carpet weaving in Iran. Involvement of Jews. Contains pictures and figures.
3. "Les Juifs Iranians et la musique," by Alain Chaouli. (in French)
   Discusses the history of Jews in classical Persian music.
4. "The Wedding," a play by Amir Ohebsion and Omid Arabian.
   A comedy satirizing the life of Iranian Jews in Los Angeles.