From Iran to the Israel: the journey of Persian Jews

In 1953, a young Meir and his sister embarked on a journey that would change their lives forever.

Leaving behind a rich heritage in Iran, they joined thousands of Persian Jews headed to Israel with hopes of building a new life, and for Meir, now in his eighties, this journey still feels like yesterday as he shares his story.

Meir in his house in the Negev.

Growing up Jewish in Persia

Born in the Persian Gulf city of Bushehr, Meir and his family moved all over Persia - from Khorramshahr to Tehran - looking for work opportunities and more acceptance: as Persian Jews, they were both respected and marginalized. Meir’s great-grandfather, a well known Jewish judge, was consulted by both Jews and Muslims alike for his wisdom in Jewish law, but beneath this respect there were harsh realities.

Jews in Persia were often labeled “Najis,” meaning “impure”, which was perceived by the Jews as a real dictated social behavior, with Persian Muslims often refusing to touch them or even cross paths.

“If a Jew touched a Muslim’s donkey,” Meir recalls “it would be considered stained. They would beat you for something like that.” On rainy days, Jewish kids weren’t allowed outside, fearing that their wet clothes might accidentally come into contact with others.

A journey fueled by faith

Despite the discrimination, Meir, his family, and other Jews were still leaning on better days to come.

“Next year in Jerusalem” was more than a saying, it was a promise they carried in their hearts. When Israel was founded in 1948, Meir’s grandparents were among the first to emigrate. A few years later, Meir and his sister made their way to Israel, joining their family members in the Holy Land and leaving others behind.

Their journey took seven long days, buses, trains, and even a boat ride through Turkey before they finally arrived in Haifa. “We crossed all of Turkey by rail and bus. It was long, and we were just kids,” Meir remembers. The siblings joined other young immigrants at Sha’ar HaAliyah, moving on to youth institutions that would become their new home.

The reasons for the exodus from one of the most beautiful lands in the world

For Persian Jews, the call to emigrate grew urgent with the Shah’s departure in 1979. While life under the Shah had allowed Jews to thrive, establishing businesses and accumulating wealth, a chilling change was on the horizon. “The Shah was good to us,” Meir shares. “But when he saw the changes that were about to come, he gathered Jewish leaders and begged them to leave while he was still in power.”

Many didn’t believe him. But when Ayatollah Khomeini rose to power, the reality of the Shah’s words struck them harshly. In a brutal demonstration of intolerance, the new regime executed Jewish leaders who held influential positions, and for those who remained, the exodus that followed was exhausting  and painful, with families escaping on foot, with only what they could carry, sometimes robbed along the way.

The Persian Jewish legacy in Israel

Today, Meir’s family is firmly rooted in Israel, and while they left much behind in Persia, their heritage is woven into their lives. For Persian Jews, the return to Israel was not just physical, it was deeply spiritual, fulfilling generations of prayers and promises. Though Persian Jews have become a smaller community within the Israeli mosaic, they’ve enriched it with their culture, cuisine, and wisdom.

Meir’s journey and the stories he shares reflect a broader story of resilience, a testament to the unyielding faith of Persian Jews who left everything to reclaim a place in their ancestral homeland. For Meir, the transition wasn’t just a change in location: it was a journey to fulfill the dreams of his ancestors.