Iranian Jewish Community Celebrates Simchat Torah in Tehran

Members of the Jewish community in Tehran celebrated the second day of the holiday of Simchat Torah with dancing and singing in Hebrew at the Yusef Abad synagogue. Among the songs performed was "Od Avinu Chai," which includes the refrain "Am Yisrael Chai" (The People of Israel Live), a phrase considered unusual to hear from Iran at this time. Videos of the celebrations were shared by the Chief Rabbi of Iranian Jews, Yehuda Grami, who is active on social media and frequently posts content from Jewish holidays and community events in Iran, such as circumcisions and weddings. Due to Iranian regime restrictions and security concerns, the Jewish community in Iran cannot maintain direct contact with Israeli entities. However, Rabbi Grami's posts offer a glimpse into the daily lives of Iranian Jews. He had temporarily paused his social media activity during Operation "Iron Fist" but resumed posting afterward. Recently, he shared photos from a circumcision ceremony in Tehran and posted videos from the synagogue during the High Holidays, accompanied by Hebrew greetings. The Iranian regime consistently portrays the Jewish community as supportive of its rule, publicizing statements from community leaders that praise the Supreme Leader and Iranian leadership while condemning actions by Israel and the United States against the regime. This strategy allows the Ayatollah regime to emphasize its opposition to "Zionism" rather than Judaism.