It is an old, commonly- told story; the story of Jewish communities in exile being persecuted in a foreign land, the people’s lives in danger because of their religion. It is a story of heroes who stubbornly fought for their faith and were even killed for it. It is a story that goes back generations and is retold tirelessly to each new generation. It is a story that is, thank God, difficult for us to truly relate to in our blessed current state of affairs. Nevertheless, it is important to take the time to think about what many of our ancestors overcame so as to appreciate how history fell into place and why things are the way they are now.
When thinking of Jews who hid their identity but continued to secretly practice their religion, the 15th century Spanish conversos usually come to mind. Externally they appeared to be Christians, but in reality they retained their Judaism with bravery and determination.
However, there were also other Jewish communities throughout history and in different countries who preserved their Judaism in secrecy despite heavy persecution. I am proud to say my community, the Iranian Mashadi community, falls under this category. We have an old, rich history that ties us closely together still today. It not only connects us to one another, but to the larger American, Iranian, Israeli and global Jewish community as well.
The Mashadi community originated in Mashad, Iran, a holy city to Shiite Muslims. the community now primarily resides in Great Neck, New York and Israel, along with a few other countries around the world. Last spring marked 176 years since the start of an event that came to define the history of the community. In 1839, after years of Jewish scapegoating, local anti-Semitic mobs began killing Jews on the streets. As part of a callous attempt to “protect” these Jews, local authorities demanded the Jews convert to Islam. Many Jews moved to other cities seeking a freer life; others were sadly killed for being caught practicing Judaism.
The small group of Jews who remained in Mashad had no choice but to act as Muslims in the eyes of their corrupt leaders. Yet, in private they held on to their Jewish beliefs. There were times when these people lost hope and wanted to give up. Often, the women were the ones who encouraged and facilitated the preservation of the religion. The Jews who stuck it out and “converted” were now called Jadid al-Islam – new members of Islam. This term was used for long after in Iran to refer to members of the community.
These “new muslims” had to be tactful in discretely executing their strongly held religious practices while superficially acting as passionate members of their new religion. They would buy non-kosher meat and then feed it to dogs late at night. One or two shochtim who had carefully studied the halachot would secretly provide kosher meat free of charge.
Despite the harsh circumstances, they organized consistent underground Torah study to ensure the education of the next generation. Several clever tricks were devised in order to prevent any outsiders from discovering their secret. For example, they would open up their stores on Shabbat but would charge ridiculously high prices so as not to do any business. Children were engaged to one another at a very young age so that local Muslims wouldn’t ask to marry their daughters, a common practice at the time.
Sometimes, parents would not even tell their children that they were Jewish until they were mature enough to keep the secret. In this way, the leaders were able to perpetuate their community’s religious observance for several decades, until more peaceful times. This set the tone for the values the community holds onto so closely today.
When these stories are told to my generation now by our parents or grandparents, the passion in their voices makes it feel as though they had gone through this experience themselves. Although our grandparents are not direct witnesses, they are much closer to the event, and grew up amidst its remnants in the same location where their ancestors risked their lives by fervently holding onto their Judaism.
The mesorah we have from them is an important one, and we now hold onto a responsibility to retell it. This tradition is in fact what makes our community what it is today. We are a very tight-knit extended family of Jews who exerted the utmost resilience in holding on not only to our faith, but to our distinct rituals and observance.
The Mashadi community is deeply traditional while also moving forward into the modern world, Torah values in tow. Tremendous importance is placed on education – Jewish and otherwise – ensuring a connection between past, present, and future. Passionate support of the State of Israel is also a central focus of the community, as it is a dream our ancestors never even dreamed of and one our grandparents saw come true.
Just like every Jewish community around the world, we bring our distinct, uniting history and culture as a meaningful contribution to the world around us; we offer a unique flavor to the diverse family that is the Jewish people.
The next time you meet a Stern student from the Mashadi community, (there are quite a few of us!) don’t be shy to ask about our history – we are always proud to talk about it!