Français
Español
English
Portuguese
Jewish rituals were carried out in secret, including prayer and kosher food preparation, while public life conformed to Islamic practice.
By Shula Rosen
Rare artifacts held at the National Library of Israel are shedding light on how Jews in Mashhad, Iran, lived outwardly as Muslims while secretly maintaining Jewish practices for more than a century following forced conversions in the 19th century, Ynet reported.
The items, including ketubot (Jewish marriage contracts), diaries, a Quran kept in a Jewish home, and a small pair of tefillin (phylacteries) about 200 years old, document the experience of the Mashhad community, which was compelled to convert to Islam after a violent blood libel attack in 1839.
During that attack, a Muslim mob burned synagogues, destroyed homes, and killed dozens, leaving Jews with the choice to convert or face death.
Following the events, the community became known as “Jadid al-Islam,” or “new Muslims,” and lived dual lives.
Jewish rituals were carried out in secret, including prayer, kosher food preparation, and the laying of tefillin, while public life conformed to Islamic practice.
Each child was given two identities: a public Muslim name and a private Jewish name, with some individuals’ Jewish identities only revealed at burial. Families arranged early marriages, sometimes in infancy, to prevent intermarriage, and girls as young as 16 were considered at risk if they attracted attention from Muslim men.
The National Library said the preserved materials provide evidence of how the community maintained religious observance under constant threat. The tefillin were donated by Dr. Joseph Levine, a Long Island physician and board member of the library’s American Friends group, who treated Jews who fled Iran and helped bring the items to the United States.
By the mid-20th century, the remaining members of the community left Mashhad, relocating to Tehran, Israel, and other countries. No Jews remain in the city today.
Do You Love Israel? Make a Donation - Show Your Support!
Donate to vital charities that help protect Israeli citizens and inspire millions around the world to support Israel too!
Now more than ever, Israel needs your help to fight and win the war -- including on the battlefield of public opinion.
Antisemitism, anti-Israel bias and boycotts are out of control. Israel's enemies are inciting terror and violence against innocent Israelis and Jews around the world. Help us fight back!
