SABA GENEALOGY PARIS MY ARTICLE Newsletter 13

Actes du

32e Congrès International

de Généalogie Juive de l’IAJGS

Paris, 15-18 Juillet 2012

--------

Proceedings of the

32nd IAJGS International

Conference on Jewish Genealogy

Paris, July 15-18, 2012

Tome 3 / Volume 3

Mondes séfarade, proche-oriental et africain

Volume 3: Sephardic, Middle-East and African areas

Edité par le Cercle de Généalogie Juive

45 rue La Bruyère, 75009 Paris

Impression Niponfax, 61 rue Condorcet, 75009 Paris

Dépôt légal 1er

trimestre 2014

© Cercle de Généalogie Juive, Paris 2014

Tous droits réservés

ISBN 2-912785-51-0

Table des matières

Table of Contents

493 Tome 3 : Mondes séfarade, proche-oriental et africain


Table des matières/ Table of Contents

12

3-6

Comité d’organisation du Congrès / Conference Committee

Comité de rédaction des Actes / Proceedings Committee

Avant-propos / Foreword

Joëlle Allouche-Benayoun et Michèle Feldman

Introduction / Introduction 7-8

Section I - Monde séfarade : Mémoires et trajectoires / Sephardic Area : Memories and Itineraries 9-10

Doreen Carvajal The Archeology of Memory 11 L’archéologie de la mémoire ou comment reconquérir ses racines invisibles juives (résumé) 16

Jonina Duker The Captive Return: B’nei Anousim (Abstract) 17 Le retour des captifs: les B’nei Anousim (résumé) 18

Jane Gerber The Role of Genealogy in the Shaping of Sephardic Identity 19 Le rôle de la généalogie dans la formation et la préservation de l’identité séfarade (Résumé) 26

Clara Lévy La judéité des écrivains : retour sur trois parcours, Albert Cohen, Romain Gary et Georges Perec 27 Family Context and Jewishness : The Case of Albert Cohen, Romain Gary and Georges Perec (Abstract) 36

Jeff Malka Sephardic Genealogy and its Unique Resources 37 La généalogie séfarade et ses sources uniques (résumé) 42

Hélène Trigano Les temps de la mémoire séfarade (résumé) 43Time of Sephardi Memory (Abstract) 44

Section II - Juifs séfarades de l’ex empire ottoman / Sephardic Jews from the Former Turkish Empire 45-46

Laurence Abensur-Hazan Les Juifs italiens de Smyrne, entre mythe et réalité 47 Italian Jews from Smyrna between Myth and Reality (Abstract) 56

Sonja Bilé The Incredible Research into the History of my Izmir and Rhodes Bili/Bilé Family. A human-interest tale of the eye-opening and life-changing Experience of a Novice Genealogist 57 L’histoire de ma famille Bili/Bilé d’Izmir et de Rhode (résumé) 64

Anne-Marie Faraggi La communauté juive de Salonique et ses sources généalogiques 65 The Jewish Community from Salonika and its Genealogical Sources (Abstract) 72

Daniel Farhi Les Juifs de Turquie à Paris entre les deux guerres 73 The Jews from Turkey in Paris between the Two World Wars (Abstract) 78

Jean Laloum Itinéraires séfarades (résumé) 79 Sephardic Routes (Abstract) 80

Mathilde Tagger Reconstitution virtuelle de la communauté juive turque disparue de Vienne 81 The Virtual Reconstruction of the Vienna Vanished Turkish Community 85

Section III - Juifs ibériques / Spanish and Portuguese Jews 89-90

Alain de Toledo La déportation des Juifs séfarades de Paris 91 The Deportation of Sephardic Jews from Paris (Abstract) 92

494 Actes du 32e Congrès International de Généalogie juive de l’IAJGS

32nd IAJGS International Conference on Jewish Genealogy

Margarida Saccadura Lévi Le Capitaine Artur Barros Basto, « apôtre des marranes » 93 Captain Barros Bastos, Apostle of the Marranos 96

Inès Nogueiro Portuguese Jews after Inquisition: Genetics and Self-awareness (Abstract) 97 Juifs portugais après l'Inquisition : la génétique et la conscience de soi (résumé) 98

Section IV - Juifs du Maghreb / Jews from Maghreb 99-100

Linda Levi JDC Archives: The Joint in North Africa 101 Les archives du JDC : Le « JOINT» en Afrique du Nord (résumé) 102

1. Juifs d’Algérie / Jews from Algeria 103-104

Joëlle Allouche-Benayoun Les Juifs d’Algérie : de la dhimma à la citoyenneté française, un parcours emblématique 105The Jews from Algeria: from Dhimma to French Citizenship (Abstract) 114

Norbert Bel Ange Mostaganem : des familles juives et des vignerons 115 Jewish Families in Mostaganem (Abstract) 128

Evyatar Chelouche The Chelouche of Algeria. Legend vs. Reality 129 Les Chelouche d’Algérie: légende ou réalité (résumé) 144

Sabrina Dufourmont Les interprètes juifs de l’armée française en Algérie (1830-1870) 145 The Jewish Interpreters within the French Army in Algeria (1830-1870) 152

Geneviève Dermenjian Un grand notable juif oranais : Simon Kanoui (7 avril 1842 - 26 décembre 1915) 153 Feedback on Simon Kanoui (1842-1917) (Abstract) 162

Barkahoum Ferhati Les Juifs de Bou-Saâda : une mémoire dans l’oubli 163 The Jews from Bou Saada : a Memory into Oblivion (Abstract) 168

Nathalie Funès A la recherche d’un oncle d’Algérie 169 Researching an Uncle from Algeria (Abstract) 174

Jean Laloum Les mesures d'aryanisation économique en Algérie : premier bilan (résumé) 175 Economic Aryanization Measures in Algeria during WW2: First Report (Abstract) 176

Deborah Lévy A la recherche de mes ancêtres juifs : entre Algérie et Alsace 177 Searching my Jewish Ancestors: between Algeria and Alsace (Abstract) 179

Roger Mettout Les Juifs de Tlemcen 181 Jews in Tlemcen (Abstract) 188

Jacob Oliel Onomastique juive au Sahara 189 Jewish Names in the Sahara since 2000 years (Abstract) 192

Michel Zaffran Recherches sur la famille Miguéres : Algérie, Maroc, Portugal 193 An Algerian Family – The Miguéres Family (Abstract) 202

Jean-Paul Durand Le cimetière de St-Eugène et les anciens cimetières juifs d’Alger. Histoire, mémoire et base de données 203 The St. Eugene Cemetery and the Old Jewish Cemeteries in Algiers (Abstract) 208

Yamina Maghraoui Le cimetière juif de Mostaganem 209 Jewish Cemetery of Mostaganem (Abstract) 212

Table des matières

Table of Contents



2. Juifs du Maroc / Jews from Morocco 213-214

Philip Abensur Un mariage juif à Tanger en 1832. Enquête autour de la « Noce Juive dans le Maroc » d’Eugène Delacroix 215 A Jewish Marriage in Tangier in 1832 – A Reasearch into the “Noce juive dans le Maroc” Painted By Eugene Delacroix 226

David Cohen Jacob Raphaël Benazeraf (1896-1988), l’homme et son œuvre 227 Life and Works of Jacob Raphael Benazeraf (Abstract) 232

Sydney Corcos Généalogie, onomastique et migrations au Maroc. Le cas de la communauté juive de Mogador/Essaouira 233 Genealogy, Onomastics and Migrations in Morrocco : The Case ot the Jewish Community of Mogador/Essaouira 238

Horia Haïm Ghiuzeli Jewish Genealogy Resources at Beit Hatfutsot, the Museum of the Jewish People (Abstract) 239 Les sources de généalogie juive de Beit Hatfutsot − Le Musée du peuple juif (résumé) 240

Dominique Jarrassé Daniel Iffla Osiris : le mécénat comme transmission du nom (résumé) 241 Daniel Iffla Osiris : Patronage and Transmission of the Name (Abstract) 242

Ronnie Nichols A Tale of two Afriat Daughters, Moroccan and Algerian Ancestry Makes its Name in Australia. 243 Le conte de deux sœurs, dont l’ascendance marocaine et algérienne rend célèbre le nom Affriat en Australie 252

Sarina Roffe From Tangier to Argentina and Back - an International Journey 253 De Tanger en Argentine et retour : un voyage international. Comment nous avons suivi les traces de notre famille marocaine 254

3. Juifs de Tunisie / Jews from Tunisia 255-256

Gilles Boulu Le Caïd Nessim, personnage central de la dynastie des caïds Scemama/Samama de Tunis 257 Caid Nessim, Main Character of the Dynasty of the Scemama or Samama Caids of Tunis (Abstract) 266

Colette Bismuth-Jarrassé & Dominique Jarrassé Les synagogues de Tunisie : lieux de mémoires familiale et communautaire (résumé) 267 Synagogues in Tunisia : Realms of Memory for families and Communities (Abstract) 268

Denis Cohen-Tannoudji La famille Cohen-Tanoudji. Une histoire séfarade maghrébine 269 The Cohen-Tanoudji family. An Historical Itinerary Through North African Jewry 277

Victor Hayoun La transition d’une généalogie familiale à une généalogie communautaire 283 The transition from a Family Genealogy to a Community Genealogy (Abstract) 292

Yitshak Kerem The Descent of the Grana 293 Les descendants des Grana (résumé) 300

Albert Maarek La famille Smaja en Tunisie : itinéraire d’une Emancipation (19e-20e siècles) 301 Mardochee Smaja and his Family: an Itinerary to Emancipation (19th-20th Century) (Abstract) 306

Giacomo Nunez Nouveaux Chrétiens, Nouveaux Juifs, de Tolède à Livourne et Tunis 307 New Christians, New Jews: from Toledo, to Livorno and Tunis (Abstract) 318

Thierry Samama Mystère Maltais en 1864. La contribution de Malte à la généalogie juive dans la Régence de Tunis au 19e siècle 319 Jews in Malta during the 19th Century. The Contribution of Maltese Sources to the Genealogy of Tunisian Jews 331

Marc Fellous & Albert Maarek Les cimetières juifs de Tunis : historique et état des lieux 335 Jewish Cemeteries of Tunis: History and Overview (Abstract) 338

Victor Hayoun Les pierres tombales - Une source pour la recherche onomastique 339 Tombstones: a Source for the Onomastic Research on the Jewish Community in Nabeul (Abstract) 346



4. Juifs de Libye / Jews from Libya 347-348

Rosemary Eshel Between North Africa & Europe: Tracing the Genealogy of a Merchant Family 349Entre l’Afrique du Nord et l’Europe, la généalogie d’une famille de marchands (résumé) 356

Section V - Juifs du Proche Orient - Middle East Jews 357-358

Nechama Kramer-Hellinx Genealogy: Rabbi Menahem Shemuel Halevy (1884-1940). Hamedan-Persia- Jerusalem, Israel 359Le Rabbi Menahem Shemuel Halevy – Une famille de rabbins en Iran (résumé) 390

Anaël Lévy La conversion, continuité ou réaction à une histoire familiale ? La famille Menasce 391 The Menasce Family (Egypt) (Abstract) 406

Tobie Nathan Juifs d’Égypte… dénommer, commémorer, renommer 407 Naming, Commemorating, Renaming (Jews in Egypt) (Abstract) 412

Antoine Safar Au bord des fleuves de Babylone. A la mémoire des Juifs d’Irak 413 To Remember the Jews of Iraq (Abstract) 414

Alain Farhi

The Jews in Lebanon—History and Records 415

La communauté juive du Liban. Cimetières et listes électorales (résumé) 427

Les « Fleurs de l’Orient » : histoire du site 429 Les Fleurs de l’Orient. The Major Jewish Families of the Ottoman Empire (and Beyond) (Abstract) 438

Section VI - Juifs d’Afrique / Jews from Africa 439-440

Edith Bruder Judaïsme africain, Tribus Perdues et traditions orales 441 On the Trail of the Lost Tribes of Israel in Africa 446

Aurélien Mokoko Gampiot La quête des origines chez les Juifs noirs 447 The Quest for Roots Among Black Jews 455

Roy Ogus & Saul Isroff The Southern Africa Jewish Genealogy Special Interest Group (SA-SIG) 463 Groupe d’Intérêt sur la généalogie juive dans le sud de l’Afrique (SA-SIG) 465

Annexes / Appendixes 467-468

Les auteurs du tome 3 /Authors of Volume 3 469

Partenaires / Partners 488

Table des matières / Table of Contents 493

Les Actes / Proceedings 497-498

Le Rabbi Menahem Shemuel Halevy – une famille de rabbins en Iran

Genealogy : Rabbi Menahem Shemuel Halevy (1884-1940)



Genealogy: Rabbi Menahem Shemuel Halevy (1884-1940)

Nechama Kramer-Hellinx

הרב מנחם שמואל הלוי

Hamedan-Persia- Jerusalem, Israel1

Hellin) ש"ט שבט ת"י –ד "אלול תרמ (

Also known as Mollah Menahem and Monsieur Menahem, he was born in Hamedan, Persia,

in 1884 to a respected rabbinical family of 10 generations. He passed his childhood and youth

in Hamedan, preparing himself for the day he will return to the Biblical Zion, the Promised

Land given by the Almighty Creator to the children of Israel2. The biography of Rabbi

Menahem and his ancestry, be it going back to his predecessors, or be it his contemporaneous

family and their descendants, is vital for the study and observation of the lives, and historical

events, of the Jews of Persia (called ‘Iran’ in the present, since 1935). The story of their lives

reflects history, and concomitantly the negative and positive conditions and circumstances of

the Jewish community in Persia of those days. It also reveals the high level of their education

establishment and their religious and passionate loyalty to Zion, the Father Land of the

children of Israel. Each individual within the community is a direct eyewitness to befallen

events, and his life is the concrete disclosure of the history of the time. Thus, I would like to

start with the genealogy and lifestyle of the Halevy family that portray the lives of the Persian

Jews during the 19th Century and start of the 20th century3. Grandfather of Menahem:

Mordechai Halevy (1820-1858). Presently, even though we know that there are 10

generations of Rabbis in the family, the available genealogical information of Rabbi

Menahem Halevy’s family starts with his grandfather Mordechai Halevy, born in 1820. He

was the Rabbi of the Jewish congregation of Kermanshah, Persia, a city west of and very

close to Hamedan, almost on the border with Iraq. Ensuing to existing adverse racial

circumstances by Islamic laws that forbade the Jews from holding numerous positions within

the Muslim society, Mordechai Halevy, similar to many of his Jewish compatriots, became a

traveling merchant, wandering from village to village and selling variety of commodities,

including some haberdashery, in order to earn his livelihood and sustain his family. Yehoshua

Ben Hanania in his book about the Jews of Persia describes this dejected way of earning one’s

livelihood:

, כרופאים ורוקחים, מוכרי סדקית, תושבי העיר היהודים מוצאים את לחמם על ידי סבוב בכפרים כצובעי אריגים

לפעמים נשדדים אומללים אלה בלכתם. וככותבי קמיעות נגד רוחות רעות, בלי שתהיה להם כל ידיעה במקצוע זה

ועמל שנים רבות יורד , אל הכפרים או בשובם מהם ועל ידי כך מאבדים את סחורתם ונשארים בעירום ובחוסר כל

.ובכדי להינצל ממאסר מקבלים הם את הדת המוסלמית ונוטשים את נשותיהם וילדיהם בעוני ובחוסר כל. לטמיון

The residents of the Jewish City earn their bread by venturing into the villages as fabric dyers,

sellers of haberdashery, doctors and pharmacists, without having an idea about this profession, and

as writers of amulets against evil spirits. At times, these ill-fated are robbed going to the villages or

returning from them and consequently they lose all their merchandise and are left naked and

1 Persia/Iran; Persian/Iranian. As Rabi Menahem was born before 1935 when the name Persia was changed to

Iran, and since he uses Persia and Persian in his speeches and writing, I’ll use accordingly Persia and Persian in

my references to the country and nationality, when commenting on his writing. 2 Rabbi Menahem Halevy is my maternal grandfather. Some of the information introduced here, was recorded in

contemporaneous original documents told and retold by my family and close friends of the Halevy family. 3 See Daniel Tsadik, Between Foreigners and Shi’is: Nineteenth-Century Iran and its Jewish Minority (Stanford:

Stanford University Press, 2007). This is an imperative reference for a detailed history of the era; Daniel Tsadik

Foreign Intervention, Majority, and Minority: The Status of the Jews During the Latter Part of Nineteenth

Century Iran (1848-1896) ,(Yale University PhD Dissertation, 2002): 294-326; Haideh Hashim , “Jews of Iran in

the Qajar Period: Persecution and Perseverance,” Religion and Society in Qajar Iran, Ed. Robert Gleave (New

York: Routledge Curzon, 2005): 293-310; Janet Afary, “From Outcasts to Citizens: Jews in Qajar Iran” Esther’s

Children: A Portrait of Iranian Jews, ed. Houman Sarshar (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2002):

139-192.




barehanded. And their life work goes down the drain. And in order to save themselves from

imprisonment, they adopt the Muslim religion and abandon their wives and children in poverty and

famine4.

In 1858, at the age of 38, while on the road collecting debts from clients, Rabbi Mordechai

Halevy was robed, then poisoned. He died, leaving his family fatherless and financially

ruined. Rabbi Mordechai left behind three sons and a daughter: Eliyahu, Shemuel, Yair and

Dina. The first born, Eliyahu Ben Mordechai Halevy, was a spiritual man, and he naturally

inherited his father’s place as a religious leader. In 1859, Eliyahu traveled to Israel where he

was ordained as the Rabbi of Hamedan, by the famous future chief Rabbi Rishon LeZion,

Rabbi Yaakov Shaul Elyashar (1817–1906)5. Unfortunately, as soon as Eliyahu returned to

Persia, he succumbed to the plague that ravaged the country, and died. He had no children

from his young wife, who happened to be his cousin and following the religious guidelines of

Yibum, ‘levirate marriage’, she was given as a bride to his younger brother Shemuel

(Deuteronomy/ Sefer Dvarim), XXV, 5-10)6.

Rabbi Shemuel Mordechai Halevy (1846-1918)

Rabbi Shemuel was born in 1846, in Hamedan. Hamedan—also spelled Hamadan—is

situated in the North West of Persia, not too far from the surrounding borders of Azerbaijan,

Turkey, and Iraq. According to Jewish traditions the City of Hamedan is identified as the

biblical Shushan Habira of the Book of Esther. It was the capital of Ancient Persia in the days

of King Ahasueros (Xerxes) when the Purim story of Ruth/ Queen Esther, married to king

Ahasuerus, takes place. As we know, her uncle was Mordechai, targeted along with the

Jewish community to be extinct by the evil hater of the Jews, Haman. The burial shrine of

Ester and Mordechai is located in modern-day Hamedan.

Rabbi Shemuel was the second child of Rabbi Mordechai and the father of Rabbi

Menahem Halevy, my grandfather. He was only thirteen years old when he married his

cousin, the widow of his brother Eliyahu. Eventually, Shemuel went to Teheran, where he

studied and was ordained as a Rabbi, judge and teacher of the Hamedani Jewish congregation.

Years later, he traveled to Paris, France, to study medicine. Until the age of 37, 1883, Rabbi

Shemuel Halevy couldn’t father a child with his first wife. In the tradition of the time, in order

to continue the family line, after 24 years of marriage, he married his second wife, Rachel

Bat-Shemuel, from a highly respected Hamedani family of medical doctors. She was a bright

and learned and at the same time a very humble woman, dedicated to her husband and to her

children. While in Paris, Shemuel was notified that his first born infant, Menahem, had died

in Hamedan. Shemuel returned immediately to Hamedan and in 1884, at the age of 38, he

fathered his second son, who was named, as well, Menahem; the main protagonist of this

paper. From this point on he gave up the career of a medical doctor, and dedicated his life to

education and edification of the children and adults of his community, while guiding the

Jewish congregation of Hamedan as a Rabbi and a shepherd of the flock. Shemuel fathered 4

children: All their names start with YUD: Menahem Yitzchak (1884-1940); Yaakov (1890-

4 141: אלול )מחברת ,(ח"לפי אגרותיו של מר יצחק בסאן לחברת כי" )מצב יהודי פרס לפני יובל שנים", חנניה-יהושוע בן

(ו"תשט Yehoshua Ben Hanania, “The Situation of the Iranian Jews, Fifty Years Ago” (according to reports by Mr.

Yitzchak Bassan from the Ki’ach organization), Mahberet ( Elul, 5715 / 1955): 141; See as well, Azaria Levi,

“Yehudei Paras BeYerushalyim,” Kivunim 27 (Jerusalem, 1985):136 (in Hebrew); Daniel Tsadik, Between

Foreigners, “introduction”: 9-11. 5 Rabbi Yaakov Shaul Elyashar was appointed dayan in Jerusalem on 1853. In 1869, he became head of the Beth

Din. In 1893 he became the Rishon LeZion or Sephardi chief Rabbi of Palestine. 6 “If brothers live together, and one of them dies, and has no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry outside to

a stranger; her husband's brother shall go in to her, and take her to him for a wife, and perform the duty of a

husband's brother to her.”





1968); Yocheved (1893-1980) and Yoseph (1900-1954)7. We will discuss their lives and

descendants later in this presentation.

As a judge and Rabbi of the Jewish congregation in Hamedan, Shemuel established his

own yeshiva, Minchat Shemuel (the offering of Shemuel), and served as its principal. His

children Menahem and Yaakov were educated in this yeshiva in Jewish and Rabbinical

studies. However, Shemuel also aspired to create a Jewish school in Hamedan, following the

model of the Alliance Israélite Universelle. In the Tenth Annual Report of the Anglo Jewish

Association, dated 1880-81, it is noted that Mr. Halévy from Hamedan, made a suggestion

and inquiries about opening a Jewish School in Hamedan, in spite of the fear that the Muslims

would interfere adversely in the creation of the school. It was agreed that the school, if and

when established, would provide secular as well as religious instruction:

“The Association-adopting a suggestion made by the celebrated Jewish traveler, M. Halévy,

now made inquiries into the practicability of forming a Jewish school at Hamedan. In a reply,

forwarded by the heads of the Hamedan congregation, it was stated that the Community had

appointed a committee of twenty-three members to attend to the subject of organizing a school, but

they pointed out that owing to the recent famine the resources of the congregation had been

completely drained, and they appealed to the Council for assistance to acquire a conveniently

situated plot of ground for a school-house, which at the outset would be attended by 150 boys.

They also mentioned that in consideration of the isolated and unprotected position of the Jewish

Community, it would be necessary to obtain from the Government of the Shah an order to deter

their fanatical Mahomedan neighbors from interfering with the management of proposed Jewish

school. The Jews were agreed that any school established under the auspices of the Anglo-Jewish

Association should afford secular as well as religious instruction”8.

That vision materialized later, in 1900, when a branch of the Alliance Israélite Universelle

de Paris, ח"כי ,כל ישראל חברים , was established in Hamedan, by its first principal Isaac

Bassan. Rabbi Shemuel registered his children to this school so that in addition to their Jewish

studies they could become worldly wise and sophisticated, learning French and western

education, while he taught there Hebrew and Torah studies. Following the enlightened

tradition of the family, his daughter Yocheved, born in 1893, was later instructed, as well,

both in French and Jewish education.

Shemuel was respected by the Muslims who called him Nabi Samuel, the Prophet Samuel.

It was told by the family and other Hamedani elders that during the drought that devastated

Hamedan, the Muslim population prayed for rain, but their prayers were not answered. Rabbi

Shemuel intervened, gathered his congregation and called for general fasting. He took a Sefer

Torah and led his people to the burial shrine of Ester and Mordechai. From there, they walked

to the Jewish cemetery, where with his stunning, thrilling voice Rabbi Shemuel chanted the

prayer of Selihot (forgiveness). His beseeching voice, penetrated the heaven above, and

reached the Creator. The rain started falling and nurtured the thirsty earth. From that day on,

in spite of their abhorrence and contempt for the Jews, designated by them as najes (impure),

the Shi’is showed reverence for Shemuel, a man chosen by God, and called him Nabi

Samuel9.

However, the Jewish community was incessantly menaced by the Shi'is and had to seek the

help of their advocate Isaac Bassan, the Alliance emissary from Europe, who simultaneously

was the first principal of the Alliance Israélite Universelle in Hamedan. The latter informs in

7 YUD signifies the Oneness of God, who is indivisible just as the letter which is the smallest letter in the

Hebrew Alphabet. It also implies humility. The name of God and Israel both begin with the letter YUD. It is said

that the people of Israel, the Chosen people, were the smallest and most humble of nations. 8 The Tenth Annual Report of the Anglo-Jewish Association in connection with the Alliance Israélite

Universelle, London: 1880-81 (5640-5641): 38-39 9 These anecdotes, repeated in my mother’s family, were told to me by his nephew, Ezra Ben-Elyiahu (1906-

1998), and by Hamedani elderly men who were children at the time this event took place.




his 1902 report about the persecution the Jews underwent by the Shi’is. He relates in April 2,

1902:

« Vers la fin du mois de mars, les murs des principales mosquées étaient recouverts de placards

invitant la population à saccager le quartier israélite et engageant les tailleurs à ne plus

confectionner d´habits pour les israélites… Cette agitation était dáutant plus dangereuse que dix

jours à peine nous séparaient du mois de Muharrem, pendant lequel les esprits sont tout

particulièrement exaltés10

…. Il y a quelques jours enfin, nous eûmes la preuve quún soulèvement

était fomenté contre les israélites.

Des prêtres demeurant dans le quartier israélite, offusqués par límportance et la réputation

qu’acquiert un Mouchtéhed (prêtre) nouvellement arrivé á Hamadan, et qui, dáprès les

informations prises à une source certaine, est le principal meneur, firent dire à Mollah Ribbi, le

grand rabbin de la Communauté [Rabbi Shemuel Halevy], que des troubles se préparaient contre

ses coreligionnaires, et lui conseillèrent de faire prendre les mesures nécessaires. Ceci se passait le

lundi 31 mars. Le soir de la même journée, les notables de la Communauté se réunirent chez moi

pour arrêter un plan d’action… Des musulmans avaient molesté quelques israélites dans les bazars,

leur demandant pourquoi ils ne portaient plus la rouelle et pourquoi ils coupaient la boucle de

cheveux qui couvraient lóreille (péot)11

… Le lendemain mardi, 1er avril, un prêtre se présenta chez

Mollah Ribbi, disant quíl venait, de la part de Houssein et de Hassan, enterrés à Kerbelah près

Bagdad, avertir les israélites que si dimanche prochain ces derniers ne coupaient pas leurs longs

cheveux, síls ne sábstenaient pas de porter des habits en drap et la ceinture en soie, ordre serait

donné aux adorateurs dÁli de tuer les juifs quíls rencontreraient dans les rues… Ce délégué fut

reconnu comme étant de l’entourage du Mouchtéhed récemment arrivé, Aga Cheik Mohamed

Hassan Bahari. Cette nouvelle se répandit avec rapidité parmi les israélites, qui se réunirent chez

Mollah Ribbi. Celui-ci vint chez moi avec 20 membres de la communauté… Jénvoyai

immédiatement une personne influente chez le gouverneur lui raconter ce que le prêtre avait dit au

rabbin… En partant, le vice-gouverneur rassura les juifs qui remplissaient la rue, se prosternaient

devant lui, et leur dit : « Ne craignez rien, il ne vous arrivera aucun mal tant que je suis à Hamadan.

Retournez à vos affaires et si quelqu’un sáttaque à vous, je le punirai »12

.

As we see, oppression and exploitation of the Jews by the Shi’is was a common place in

Persia at the beginning of the 20th century. Only the fear that Mr. Bassan would report all the

incidents of harassment to the administration in Teheran, which wanted to maintain good

relationship with the UK and France, saved temporarily the frightened Jews of Hamedan.

Consequently, the Persian authorities sent emissaries of good will to placate the Jews, asking

them to return to work and to be reassured that no harm would be done to them. This served

as a warning, though for a brief time, for the Shi’is to watch their steps with the Jews.

Nevertheless, the Shi’is retained their ill-treatment of the Jews, as describe in the same

Bulletin of 1902. On April 3rd, 1902, the last day of the Persian New Year, most of the

Jewish community of Hamedan stayed at home, as per instruction for safety requested by

Bassan and Rabbi Shemuel. However few Jews dared their luck and imprudently went out of

their houses. Venturing outside brought upon them the wrath of the Muslims who harassed

them for ignoring the dictate that Jews had to be easily identified visually: The Jews were

prohibited from maintaining long hair, to be able to distinguish them from the Muslims. The

Jews however, had to maintain their Peots (side-locks) and to wear a patch on their clothes,

again to be easily recognized as Jews. The Jews were, as well, forbidden to wear fancy attires

and belts: “Des juifs avaient été poursuivis, parce qu’ils portaient de longs cheveux à la

manière des musulmans, sans la boucle traditionnelle couvrant la tempe, et dáutres furent

interpellés à cause de lábsence de la rouelle. Des incidents pareils prouvaient que les foules

avaient été haranguées en secret par des prêtres fanatiques13

.

10

Muharram Al-Haram is one of the four months of Islamic Lunar Calendar; along with Rajab al-Murajab, Dhu

al-Qa'dah and Dhu al-Hijjah. The Muharram Al-Haram is pronounced to be sacred by Allah in the Qur'an. 11

La rouelle est une étoffe de couleur rouge, imposée aux Juifs comme signe distinctif par les autorités shi’is. 12

Bulletin de L’Alliance Israélite Universelle: Paris, deuxième série, No. 27, Année 1902 (1902, Janvier): 62-63. 13

Bulletin de L’Alliance Israélite Universelle: Paris, deuxième série, No. 27, Année 1902 (1902, Janvier): 63.





In the month of September 1902, three young Jews—the youngest just 12 years old - set

out from Bourouguerd located near Hamedan to sell some merchandize. On the way the three

of them were robbed, then slaughtered by Muslims from the village of Dé-Kordé. Their

money and merchandize were stolen and their bodies were tortured for two days. The Jews

again approached Yitzchak Bassan for help and he responded on their behalf. He met with the

26 years old prince Salar-EL-Dolleh, son of Chah Mouzaffer-Eddine who governed the

locality. Salar-EL-Dolleh was very compassionate and polite to Bassan and promised to

identify the murderers. The murderers were caught. It was established that no one gets

forgiveness for the sin of murdering a Jewish soul. However, there was an added by-law that

stated that the punishment could be a payment of the amount of 200 Frank—or forty Tomans-

- to the governing authority. Thus, on one hand this action seemed to serve as a warning that

Jewish blood is not dispensable; however, on the other hand, it implied that an assassin of a

Jew can be set free as long as he paid a sum of money for the assassination. Simultaneously, it

provoked a rumor that spread among the populaces, according to which a Fatwa was decreed

by the court and by an elder of the Shi’is saying that he who murderers a Jew will be forgiven

as long as he paid two hundred Franks14. This harassment by the Shi’is that surged again and

again in the life of the Jewish Community of Hamedan, caused anxiety and fear to the whole

community and to Rabbi Shemuel.

Rabbi Shemuel Halevy was a compassionate man who had never turned away a person in

need, be it Muslim, Christian or a Jew. Accordingly, he instilled in his offspring the spirit of

their ancestry; uprightness and human empathy toward their fellow-men as if they were their

immediate extended family. Consequently, his children were, as well, benevolent

humanitarians, dedicating their lives to helping the needy. As a progressive, pragmatic person,

Rabbi Shemuel understood the need of being an integrated part of the universe; thus as we

said previously, additionally to Jewish studies he insisted on edifying children, women and

elders simultaneously with Western scholastic education and open-mindedness. When he died

in 1918, (5677) at the age of 72, he received great honors from both Jews and Muslims.

Yair, the third son of Rabbi Mordechai Halevy (deceased 1900)

Until few years ago, my mother’s family had barely any information of Yair, Rabbi

Mordechai Halevy’s youngest son. My aunt Esther was aware that there was an uncle of her

father, named Yair married to Hanna with a son, David married to Miryam, and a daughter

Gohar. However, recently I was fortunate to find further lineage links to Yair’s family. In

May 2006, I received information from Menashe Amir, the Iranian Kol Israel radio and TV

commentator and a specialist of Iranian affairs, living in Israel. He informed me that in

California, USA, he had a family relative from Hamedan with the family name “Halevy”15

.

His relative’s name was Zion Cyrus Halevy, an Iranian journalist who translated the news

from Yediot Ahronot in Hebrew to Farsi for Iranians residing in Los Angeles. Eagerly, I called

Zion and discovered a wonderful individual. He acknowledged indeed that he was a close

relative of the famous Rabbi Menahem Halevy from Hamedan who was a cousin of his father,

David Halevy, son of Yair Halevy, Mordechai’s son. He confirmed that Yair was married to

Hannah and had a son *** David;

*** A daughter Gohar whose son Yitzchak married David’s daughter, Touran;

*** a daughter Johar who finally settled in the Bucharim neighborhood, of

Jerusalem, Israel. Johar had a daughter named Yocheved.

14

Bulletin de L’Alliance Israélite Universelle: Paris, 2nd serie, No. 27, Year 1902 (1902, January): 65-67.

Yehoshua Ben Hanania, “Matzav Yehudei Paras…” 142. 15

Menashe Amir, who came to Israel in 1959 under the influence of Shimon Ben-Mashiach, my father, who was

sent along with David Siton as emissary to Persia by the Sephardic Organization. In Israel, Menashe Amir has

been a reporter and journalist for the Israel Radio, Kol Israel, analyzing and reporting Iranian issues and

concerns.




Yair’s family story is also a paradigm of the contemporary circumstances the Persian Jews

endured, and the religious upheaval and uncertainty of the era. Just like his father Mordechai

before him, Yair was a travelling merchant voyaging between Russia and Hamedan. He died

in Persia around 1900 when his son David was 13 years old, and his brother Shemuel was still

alive. Yair and David’s lineage resided in three countries and more.

David Halevi or Halevy, the son of Yair (Hamedan 1887 - Los Angeles, 1951) is Rabbi

Menahem Halevy’s cousin. In the tradition of his grandfather Mordechai and his father Yair,

David too became a travelling merchant, though of expensive garments, back and forth from

Hamedan to Russia. He left his commerce in Russia, in 1917, and settled in Hamedan. All

David’s children were born in Hamedan. In 1944, David takes his family to live in Teheran in

order to distant himself from the Shi’is. While staying in Teheran, and in order to shelter his

son from peril having a Jewish name - Zion -, David changed his son’s name from Zion to

Cyrus, a Muslim name. However, as many Jews from Hamedan of this era, David converted

at one point to the Baha’i faith. Later, when he wished to marry Myriam / Maryem, he

converted back to Judaism. Outwardly, David returned to his old faith, but according to what

his son Zion related to me in 2010, in his heart he stayed Baha’i. However, Touran Mehdipur,

David’s daughter says her father followed the Baha’i faith only for few months, and then

returned and became a very dedicated Jew. Thus, Rabbi Menahem who fought ardently

against the conversion to the Baha’i faith had a cousin who for a while had adopted Baha’ism.

David’s son, Zion Cyrus, indeed remained Jewish, and interestingly, he had done what Rabbi

Menahem, his father’s cousin, had done in Hamedan, translating Doar HaYom (its editor was

Ze’ev Jabotinsky) for his congregation in Hamedan, and Zion translating Yediot Aharonot

news from Hebrew to Farsi for the Iranian community in Los Angeles.

In 1952, after David had died in 1951, Zion with his siblings came to Israel with the

exception of Touran Mehdipur who stayed in Teheran, where she married her cousin,

Yitzchak son of Gohar, sister of David. Nevertheless, Touran came later to Israel when

Khomeini took over Iran in 1979. Zion searched for Rabbi Menahem who died in 1940, and

found his father’s cousin Rabbi Yaakov Halevy, Menahem’s younger brother. Wishing to

pray kadish for his father David, Zion went with Rabbi Yaakov Halevy to the synagogue

named for Rabbi Menahem, Beit Menahem synagogue in Hagai Adonyahu HaCohen Street,

in the Bucharim neighborhood of Jerusalem16

. All the siblings with the exception of Said, left

Israel around 1954 and went back to Teheran; except for Iran who went to Hamedan. In 1982,

with all the political upheaval in Iran, Zion Cyrus came to the US and settled in Los Angeles.

David had three sons and four daughters:

Naser Halavi (born in Hamedan died in 2011, Los Angeles), had two children: Bijan, and

Babak

Said Lavi (1934 Hamedan-2000 Los Angeles). Said and wife Shahin Moezinia

From Teheran, got married in 1963.They have two children in Los Angeles: Ramin Afshin

and Shilla, a piano teacher, married to Dr. Hekmat. Shilla has two children: Pouline born

1990 and Keven born 1992.

Zion Cyrus Halevi (1922 Hamedan-2011 Los Angeles). Zion Cyrus married to Aliza, has

four children: Amir, Farzin / Efrayim, Dorit Miller who lives in Israel and Nazi.

Touran Mehdipur (1930 Hamedan; in Israel since 3 December 1979). Touran Mehdipur

married in Teheran her cousin Yitzchak, son of Gohar Mehdipur. Touran has one son and four

daughters:

16

In 1953, the synagogue was moved around the corner to Yehezquel Street. It was given the name Beit

Menahem and was inaugurated in 1953, ג"תשי, סיוון' ח . Shimon Ben-Mashiach, my father, was in charge of the

establishment of the synagogue with the aid of Rabbi Yaakov Halevy, and the event was honored and attended

by Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Halevy Herzog, Head of the Rabbis of Israel and Ben-Zion Meir Chay Uziel, Rishon

LeZion, the Principal Rabai of Israel.





*** Sharon Mehdipur is Touran’s son.

*** Shahanaz (called Shani) is Touran’s daughter. She is a writer and worked as a German

broadcaster in Israel where she lives. Now she is retired, volunteering her services to Wizo. Her

children are:

Funeh, married to a Yeshiva student, lives in Bnei-Brak. She is an acupuncturist and

homeopath therapist using Chinese herbs.

Ronny is Shani’s son. He is a veterinarian, living in Los Angeles.

*** Mahnaz, Shahrokh, and Taranhe are Touran’s other 3 daughters.

Iran Monempour (born in Hamedan, died in Los Angeles). Iran's children are:

Soruor, Morad and David

Nahid Fararoo (born in Hamedan, died in Israel). Nahid's children: Ora and Itay

Pary (1939 Hamedan, now in Los Angeles). Pary's children: Vida, Afsanhe, Atoosa

Menahem Shemuel Halevy (Hamedan, Persia 1884-1940 Jerusalem, Israel)

The second wife of Shemuel, Rachel, Menahem’s mother, was the only daughter of a

renowned family of doctors. She was a righteous and good-looking woman. Rachel told that

when Menahem was born they named him Menahem Yitzchak Ben Shemuel HaLevy. Rachel

proudly told how whatever Menahem heard or saw stayed in his memory for ever and he

repeated it to his family and friends. He was a gifted child who read and wrote at the age of 4.

He knew the table of multiplication at the age of 5, and he sang it while thinking and

multiplying. At the age of 7, he was familiar with the five 5 Pentateuch books and their

interpretations. —Rashi—He recited Shirat Hayam word by word, and remembered and

repeated Masechot from the six books of the Mishna. He took his first steps reading the

Gmara at the age of 13 years. His eyes would dance between explanations and hints of the

Talmud. At seventeen he was ordained as a Rabbi but had to wait first for the credentials in

the ritual of slaughtering.

As a child in Hamedan, Rabbi Menahem Shemuel Halevy received his Jewish education in

his father’s Yeshiva Minchat Shemuel and simultaneously attended the Alliance Israélite

Universelle, where he acquired knowledge of French and western education17

. Additionally,

he attended a Public School in Hamedan, where he majored in Education. He was so endowed

that in 1904, at the age of 20, he was appointed as a teacher of French and Hebrew in the

Alliance Israélite Universelle of Hamedan, כל ישראל חברים, ח"כי and in 1910, he acted as the

principal of the school, a position he maintained for twelve years18

. At the same time, he

taught French in a public school and privately tutored some children of the Muslim elite. In

spite of his young age Mollah Menahem headed the Jewish congregation of Hamedan and

fought for equal civil rights for the Jews. His influence reached high places in the authorities,

and thus, on many occasions, he saved many of his brethren from imprisonment, torture and

even death.

As the Shepherd of the Jewish community, he educated and edified children and adults in

the religious, political and nationalistic love of the homeland, Zion. Moreover, he insisted on

teaching elders and youth, boys and girls, the Hebrew language and the respect for the Torah.

He was adamant in the importance of Hebrew as a communicative tool amongst Jews and an

imperative tool for the comprehension of the sacred Bible and prayers (Tefilot).

Ezra Shoshani, who in the 1920’s was a youngster, remembered and revered Rabbi

Menahem as a cantor, orator and a commanding-respect leader of the congregation in

17

Nechama Kramer-Hellinx, “Envoy of the Sephardim: Rabbi Menahem Shemuel Halevy: Zionist, Peacemaker,

Poet, 1884-1940,” International Sephardic Journal, Vol. 2 No. 1 (Spring 2005/ 5765): 213-226. 18

“Hamedan,” Encyclopedia Judaica, vol. 7 (Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House, 1972): 1219-1220; Giora

Pozailov, Chachmeihem Shel Yehudei Iran Ve Afghanistan [Wisemen of Iran and Afghanistan], (Jerusalem,

Sifriat HaMoreh HaDati, 1995): 123-134 (in Hebrew); Mordecai Cohen, ed., Perakim Betoldot Yehudei

Hamizrach, vol. V [Chapters in the History of the Jews of the East] (Jerusalem: Misrad Hachinuch Vehatarbut,

1981): 262-265 (in Hebrew). Amnon Nezer, The Jews of Iran (Tel Aviv: Bet Koresh, World Center of Iranian

Jews in Israel, 1988): 66.




Hamedan. Shoshani recalls how the Rabbi would attract the public to the synagogue where,

from the pulpit, he would read the current events from the Israeli newspaper Doar HaYom (its

editor was Ze’ev Jabotinsky, who later influenced Begin, Herut, and Likud), and

simultaneously translate it along with the Haftara into Farsi. The names Jerusalem and Israel

fascinated the congregation and stirred them into ecstasy. Shoshani further evokes the

memory of November 2, 1917, when Rabbi Menahem announced the Balfour Declaration

from the pulpit, and the congregation burst into tears, while thanking God for returning to

them their fatherland. Even the Muslims came to congratulate the Jews for receiving a

homeland19

.

Rabbi Menahem founded in Hamedan the Hevrat Meorerei Yeshenim organization

(Awakening the Dormant Organization), חברת מעוררי ישנים, to save and return the lost souls

who had suffered forced conversion to Islam and Baha’ism, back to the arms of Judaism. In

addition, he was one of the founders of Hovevei Jeshurun (Lovers of Jeshurun), חובבי ישורון;

Jeshurun being a poetic name for Jerusalem. Both societies celebrated the Hebrew language

and the Zionist sentiments of love for the Promised Land as dictated by the Torah; analogous

to the beliefs of the Mizrachi; “The Land of Israel, for the people of Israel, according to the

Torah of Israel.”20

Simultaneously, Rabbi Menahem established and headed local foundations

to collect funds for building the Homeland of our forefathers, Israel: Keren Hayesod / קרן

He even .קרן קיימת לישראל / and Keren Kayemet LeIsrael ,קרן הגאולה / Keren Hagueula ,היסוד

sent a significant amount of the collected money to the Zionist Union in London.

Mollah Menahem had a political vision for his congregation, and thus he maintained a

rapport with non-Jewish societies, as well as with Jewish ones. He gained the esteem and

respect of the various foreign authorities who came one after the other to Iran -Turks,

Russians, British, and French—, and he was even well received by the Iranian Shah Ahmed.

The Balfour declaration on November 2, 1917, motivated Menahem to establish a branch of

the Zionist Union in Hamedan. Being an enlightened educator, he also established a Zionist

branch for Jewish women, and established as well, an Alumni organization for the Alliance

Israélite Universelle, whose dictum centered on carrying out the yearning for Israel.

The historian Moshe David Gaon praises the Rabbi for his hard work and positive

inspiration on his congregation and recalls Rabbi Menahem’s writings against the Baha’is, in

a book of a collection of articles and speeches against the Baha’i Faith. Gaon admires the

dedication the Rabbi employed in order to eradicate the hold of Baha’ism on the confused

Jewish converts. He also quotes the letters of recommendation the Rabbi received from the

British consul in Hamedan, and another recommendation from the Jewish Hamedani

community board. Gaon also informs that The Alliance Israélite Universelle Jewish

Organization in Paris honored and recognized his accomplishment regarding the suppression

of the upsurge of conversion:

“While a Rabbi, he established the organization “Lovers of Yeshurun” and another society

named “Awakening the Dormant” that had the objective to fight against the Baha’i faith. To

accomplish the goals of this society he dedicated great efforts by arranging lectures on Saturdays,

as well as extensive edification sessions in the synagogues. He was successful in strengthening the

frail hands. He also established the organization of Ki’ach [Kol Israel Haverim] students, and he

was elected by the Jews as representative to the municipality and the national government

19

, ירושלים": צור אות"דפוס )ציון יהושע -בן, עורך. אליהו ומנחם-סיפוריהן של משפחות בן: מאיראן וממקדוניה לירושלים

2002. Me Iran ummkadonia leYerushalyim: Sipureihen shel mishpahot ben-Eliyahu and Menahem [From Iran

And Macedonia to Jerusalem: Stories of Ben-Elyiahu and Menahem families], Ed. Ben-Zion Yehoshua

(Jerusalem: Zur Ot Printer, 5762 2002 / ): 10-11 20

The Mizrachi Organization was founded in Vilnius in 1902, by Rabbi Yitzchak Yaacov Reines as a Zionist

religious organization with adherence to the Torah. Their motto was “The Land of Israel, for the people of Israel,

according to the Torah.” It is the first religious Zionist movement.





established a branch of the Zionist union in Hamed… Close to this time, he also served as a

secretary in the Turkish consulate and in the Chamber of commerce nearby in Hamedan”21

.

As the representative for the Jewish community in the local municipality during the First

World War, he even petitioned and received aid from Europe for the impoverished Jews. His

zeal and love of Zion echoed in his weekly sermons and influenced many Persian Jews in

Hamedan who abandoned the Jewish Faith to return back to Judaism and even to settle in

Israel. The author of few books on Persia, Reuben Kashani praises Rabbi Menahem’s

devotion to return the lost sheep back to the cradle of Judaism:

One of the famous preachers for the return to Zion from Persia was Rabbi Menahem Halevy,

known as well with the nickname Monsieur Menahem. This educator battled through his writings

and his sermons against the Baha’i faith that had won souls in his city, and he founded few

organizations with the name of “Hovevei Yeshurun” and “Meoreri Yeshenim”. After the Balfour

declaration he established the Zionist organization and collected funds for Keren HaGeula to help

the Jews in Eretz Israel22

.

Rabbi Menahem was known amongst Iranian Jews as a courageous, phenomenal man-of-

God and ardent Zionist leader, who devoted his life to the Jewish cause and to defending the

civil rights of the Persian Jews. His charisma and oratorical allure are legendary. He tenderly

reached his hand and compassion to those who had abandoned Judaism, and instilled in them

the faith of the Mosaic Law and the love for the Land of our forefathers. Rabbi Menahem’s

fervent battle against Jewish assimilation and conversion was effective and under his

influence the surge of conversion had subsided and many of those who previously had

converted to the Baha’i Faith, mainly in Hamedan, or Islam, mainly in Mashhad, returned to

Judaism. He dedicated all his efforts for this purpose, distributing pamphlets and preaching

Sabbath after Sabbath in the synagogue23

.

The renowned Amnon Nezer too, refers to the influence the Rabbi had on the Jewish

community:

, שעסקו בעיקר בהפצת תורה". חברת מעוררי ישנים"ו " אגודת חובבי ישורון"הרב מנחם היה בין מייסדי

בשל השכלתו ופעילותו . בהגברת הרגש הציוני ואהבת ארץ ישראל ובמלחמה בהתבוללות, בהנחלת הלשון העברית

ראויים לציון . מוכים לעירוהיה רב לעירו המדאן ולאזורים הס, בקרב העדה נבחר הרב מנחם לנשיא הקהילה

הוא הצליח . שעזבו את היהדות והלכו אחרי הדת הבהאית, מעשיו המבורכים לעצירת גל גואה בין יהודי המדאן

סייע הרב מנחם למשפחות רבות , בשנים שאחרי מלחמת העולם הראשונה. להחזיר משפחות רבות למחנות ישראל

.מאנוסי משהד לעלות לארץ ישראל

“Rabbi Menahem was amongst the founders of “Agudat Hovevei Yeshurun” and “Heverat

Meorerei Yeshenim” who concentrated on the propagation of the Torah, proliferation of the

Hebrew language, amplifying the Zionist fervor and the love of Israel and the war against

conversion. Due to his high intellect and his involvement with the community, he was elected as

the president of the congregation, and he became the Rabbi of the City of Hamedan and the towns

nearby. His blessed deeds deserve veneration as they halted the overflowing upsurge amongst the

Jews of Hamedan, who left Judaism and followed the Baha’i Faith. He was successful in returning

21

Moshe David Gaon , Yehudei HaMizrach BeEretz Israel. vol. 2 [The Eastern Jews in the Land of Israel]

(Jerusalem: Dfus Azriel, 1937): 334- 335 (in Hebrew). 22

Reuben Kashani, Yehudei Paras, Buchara Ve Afghanistan [The Jews of Iran, Buchahara and Afgahnistan]

(Jerusalem: Ahva, 2001): 42 (in Hebrew), ((1002, דפוס אחוה: ירושלים) ,בוכרה ואפגניסטן, יהודי פרס, ראובן קשאני ;

Encyclopedia Judaica, Vol. 7: 1220; Reuben Kashani, Kehilot Hayehudim BeParas [The Jewish Congregation in

Iran] (Jerusalem, 1980): 11, 24 (in Hebrew); Hanina Mizrachi, “Harav Menahem Levy, Z”L [blessed memory],”

Hed Hachinuch, 6-7, Shevat 22 (1940): 144. 23

While Rabbi Menahem’s family is cognizant of the manuscript “Mizan El Hak, a criticism against the Bah’ai

Faith”, in Arabic, I could not locate it as of yet. Rabbi Menahem lists all his published works and manuscripts at

the end of his book Mordechai VeEsther BeShushan HaBira, and one of them is indeed ”Mizan El Hak”. Some

of his writings were placed in carton boxes and given to his brother to guard and some were left with his

children. Rabbi Menahem’s daughter, Shoshana, and her husband, Shimon, kept some of his papers at home, and

only later donated one notebook, still in Manuscript to Ben-Zvi library in Jerusalem.




many families back to the assembly of Israel. In the years after World War One, he helped many

families from the forced-converts of Mashhad to immigrate to Israel” 24.

Azaria Levy, as many others accomplished educators, admires the Rabbi’s combative

attitude against Baha’ism: “Rabbi of the congregation and a brave combatant against

assimilationists and followers of Baha’ism”25

. Later, Azaria Levy recognizes Rabbi

Menahem’s bravery in battling the Baha’i Faith and his devotion to Zionism: “Rabbi

Menahem Halevy embodied in his personage religiousness and Zionism; and already in

Persia he was renowned as a Rabbi and a communal worker, in addition to his occupation

there as an educator in the Alliance and his fight against those who had assimilated and

followed Baha’ism” 26

.

As his father before him, Rabbi Menahem stressed the need for acquisition of European

languages as a mode of communication with the non-Jewish world that protected the Jews at

his time from the savagery of Shi’a Islam. Moreover, he well understood the importance of

being the Jewish congregation’s representative to the Municipality of Hamedan and as such to

actively participate in the Persian government. At the beginning of the 20th century, the

Persian Jews had enlisted the help of France and England to protect them from the wrath and

hatred of their Muslim neighbors. However, being isolated in Hamedan, quite a distance from

Teheran, they encountered odious attacks, both verbal and physical, not obstructed promptly

by the local governing administration. History reveals to us on paper all the atrocities the Jews

suffered in Persia. Nevertheless, when an individual suffers personally this mayhem on his

own body it sharpens the pain. In spite of his spirituality, Rabbi Menahem found himself, at

times, combating with his fists in order to thwart a malicious assault by Muslim thugs against

his people. When in 1910, Menahem and his brother Yaakov had learned that a group of

Muslims were going to defile and desecrate the Jewish cemetery; they rushed to the cemetery

to prevent the desecration and as a result both were attacked ferociously and injured gravely

by the Muslim rabble. The two brothers were disrobed and were shamelessly marched half-

naked through the streets, while being assaulted verbally and corporally by the mob. They

were on the verge of being lynched. At the last minutes, their lives were spared, when the

governor recognized Rabbi Menahem as the private tutor of his daughters. To feel the pain

and ignominy of these two brothers is to experience the humiliation of the Hamedani Jewish

community. The Bulletin of the Alliance Israélite Universelle of 1911, describes the attack

inflicted on Menahem and his brother Yaakov at the hands of the fanatic fundamentalist

Shi’ites soldiers:

“Mirza Jacob, fut assailli…sous prétexte qu’il était habillé à léuropéenne, fut dépouillé de tout

ce quíl avait sur lui, battu sans merci et traîné sous les vociférations de la foule jusqu´à la

résidence du gouverneur. Le frère de Mirza Jacob, Mirza Menahem [Ha] Lévy, notre professeur

d´hébreu, ayant appris que son frère était malmené par la foule, courut à son secours… En un clin

d´œil, Mirza Menahem fut dépouillé de tous ses vêtements… Les soldats se mirent alors en devoir

dássommer notre professeur avec la crosse de leur fusil. Mirza Menahem fut ainsi traîné à moitié

nu, pendant une demi-heure, sous les huées de la foule et les coups redoublés des soldats… où il

retrouva son frère Jacob, à demi-mort. .. Nos deux malheureux jeunes gens étaient méconnaissables.

Ils avaient la figure et le corps couvert de blessures et ils se plaignaient de vives douleurs internes.

Le gouverneur connaît Mirza Menahem, qui donne des leçons de français à ses deux fils. Il ne put

reconnaître le professeur de ses enfants, dans l´état lamentable où on lávait amené devant luiˮ.

‟Mr. Jacob was assaulted…under the pretext that he was dressed in a European manner, he was

undressed…beaten up mercilessly and dragged accompanied by vociferation of the mob until the

governor’s residence. Jacob’s brother, Mr. Menahem [Ha] Levy, our Hebrew professor, having

heard that his brother was maltreated by the mob, ran to his help… In an eye blink, Mr. Menahem

was disrobed of all his clothes… The soldiers then took aim at our professor and attacked him with

24

Amnon Nezer, The Jews of: 67. 25

Azaria Levy: 134; See as well Mordecai Cohen: 265. ."רב הקהילה ולוחם אמיץ נגד מתבוללים ונוהים אחר הבהאיים" 26

Azaria Levy:140 and 143. See as well, Mordecai Cohen: 265. וכבר , גילם באישיותו דתיות וציונות, הרב מנחם הלוי"

."באהייםובמלחמתו במתבוללים ובנוהים אחר ה, נוסף על עיסוקיו כמורה באליאנס שם, בפרס נודע כרב ועסקן





the butts of their rifles. Mr. Menahem was dragged half nude for half an hour, under the chants of

the crowd and the double blows by the soldiers… where he found his brother Jacob, half dead…

Our two unfortunate young men were unconscious. Their faces and bodies were full of wounds,

and they complained of strong internal pains. The governor recognized Mr. Menahem, who gave

French lessons to his two daughters. He could hardly recognize the professor of his children in the

lamentable state in which he was brought in front of himˮ 27

.

In 1892, a zealous fundamentalist Shiite Muslim, Akund Mullah Abdullah Burujirdi

Hamedani had ordered imminent carnage of the Hamedani Jews and pillage of their property.

Moreover he issued frenzied edicts proclaiming religious intolerance of the Jews, whom he

tried to convert in mass to Islam28

. The two limited choices given to the Jews were conversion

or death. Due to intervention by Great Britain, Mulla Abdullah was transferred to Teheran,

and eventually, after further intervention by international elements, the abuse subsided, to a

certain extent29

. Nevertheless, even though the open religious discrimination decreased, the

total disregard for Jews remained rather evident30

. The founder and first principal (1900-1904)

of the Alliance Israélite Universelle in Hamedan, Yitzhak Bassan, reports in 1900 about the

religious bigotry, persecutions, and indignity that the Jews endured at the hands of the Shi’is.

The Bulletin further claims that the circumstances that the Jews of Hamedan faced recall the

dark Middle Ages. The report recounts how in previous years if two people had testified that a

Jew spoke to a Muslim lady, or heard him speaking negatively of the Muslim faith, the whole

Jewish congregation suffered and had to pay heavy fines. Almost all the attacks on the Jews

were organized by the Mujtahids, the Shi’is wise men. The report describes the circular red

badge of shame the Jews had to wear at the level of the chest, and the forced conversion of

Jews who from fear had to flee Hamedan and go to Teheran or Bagdad, where they could

have returned to Judaism. Furthermore, it describes how many Jews were forced to convert;

looking as Muslim in the streets and at their work place, and behaving as Jews in the privacy

of their home. The Muslim clergy, aware that the Alliance could report this misconduct

against the Jews to the government in Teheran, went softer on the Jews, for a brief time31

.

Bassan comments, as well, on the subject of Najasah, impurity, that prevented the Jews from

even handling the merchandise they wished to purchase, be it food, shoes or clothes. This

definitely recalls the Spanish Inquisition in its darkest days, charging Jews and their

descendants for lacking Limpieza de Sangre ‘purity of blood’32

. There were but brief points in

time when the Jews’ rights were partially restored in Hamedan. Nevertheless, the anxiety and

fear of future abuse were always with the Iranian Jews33

.

Rabbi Menahem gathers the evidence of these historical events pertaining to the history of

his family and his congregation and records it by composing a narration or rather a traditional

Hamedani Legend of Mullah Abdullah, in his book Mordechai VeEsther BeShushan

Habirah34

. He relates that in 1898 Mullah Abdullah, a relentless zealous Shi’ite arrived from

27

Bulletin de L’Alliance Israélite Universelle (1911, January) :69-70. 28

Daniel Tzadik, Between Foreigners: 155-177; Haideh Sahim, “Jews of Iran in the Qajar: 293-299; Hanina

Misrahi, The History of the Persian: 47; Janet Afary, “From Outcasts to Citizens: 139-192. 29

Bulletin de l`Alliance Israélite Universelle, January 1892: 48-54 (lists the 22 prohibitions by Mullah

Abdullah). 30

The Twenty-Third Annual Report of the Anglo-Jewish Association in connection with the Alliance Israélite

Universelle (London: 1893-1894, 5653-5654): 17-18. 31

Bulletin de L’Alliance Israélite Universelle (Paris: 2nd serie, No 25, 1900):72-89; Yehoshua Ben Hanania,

“Matzav Yehudei Paras:141-143. 32

About Limpieza de sangre, see Albert A.Sicroff, Les controverses des Statuts de ‘Pureté de sang’ en Espagne

du XVe au XVII

e siècles (Paris: Librairie Marcel Didier, 1960).

33 Encyclopedia Iranica, 616-618; Ben Hanania: 141-143 ; Tsadik, Between Foreigners: 17-25.

34 Mordechai VeEsther BeShushan HaBira by Rabbi Menahem Halevy, son of Rabbi Shmuel Halevy (Jerusalem:

Dfus HaTehia, 5692 / 1932). The book is a chapter from Divrei Yemei Israel BeParas, MiHatimat HaTalmud Ad

HaYom HaZeh. (Account of the History of Israel, in Persia, from the Conclusion of the Talmud, Until These

days). The book contains a chapter about Customs: Legends related to the place; Legend of the Malkosh; Legend




Burujirard, with diabolic schemes and intents of annihilation of the Jews. He was a gifted

orator who could sway the zealous mob with his feverish anti-Semitic flame to bring

destruction upon the Jews. Hate and darkness engulfed the Hamedani Jews, who feared for

their lives in the hands of their Shi’is neighbors. Once Abdullah achieved a total power over

the rabble, he decreed from El Jami´a Mosque 24 restrictive edicts against the Jews. The

edicts cautioned that if the Jews would not obey and subjugate themselves to the Muslim

mujtahids, emissaries of the Prophet Muhammad, they would be killed, be it a child, a woman

or an elder. The following day, Abdullah summoned Rabbi Mollah Rebi and Rabbi Mollah

Yehuda to come before him. He urged the Rabbis to convert to Islam, declare the Shahadat,

shave their sideburns, convince all the Jews to do the same, and thus, obliterate the memory of

the Jews from the face of the Earth. If his commands be obeyed, Abdullah promised that the

Rabbis’ lives would be spared. On the other hand, if they refuse his offer they and all the Jews

of Hamedan would be put to death. The Rabbis preferred martyrdom to betraying God,

reminding Abdullah that for thousands of years they had followed all the Mitzvoth God

bestowed on them, and just as Mordechai they too would refuse to stoop to him. Angry,

Abdullah dismissed them and called for a meeting for the next day, at 10 o’clock, to declare a

fatwah against the Jews, aiming at killing all of them and pilfering their properties.

The next day as commanded, the Islamic rabble gathered in front of Abdullah’s home

awaiting the call for Jihad. Ruffians walked with donkeys and big sacs in the Jewish

neighborhood awaiting the promised pilferage of the Jews’ homes. Enclosed in their homes

and dreadful for their lives, the Jews awaited the massacre. At ten o’clock sharp, Abdullah

appeared at his porch, holding the Koran in his right hand and in his left, a sword. How

surprised were the thugs, to hear him saying: “Believers and servants of God, I ask you to

forgive the Jews and to ensure them their properties and their rights to follow the Mosaic

Law. You will have to kill me first with this sword, if you plan to harm the Jews. However, I

will keep my eyes on them, and make them wear the insignia of shame, a red patch on the left

side of the chest, a symbol of their baseness and their servitude to Islam.”

It was told that briefly before 10 o’clock, an apparition of an old man dressed in white, full

of majestic grandeur and enveloped in splendor brighter than the sun, entered Abdullah’s

chamber, where they were left alone with no witness to the event. Suddenly, the old man’s

apparition disappeared, and Abdullah, paled face emerged from the chamber and recounted

the secret to his guards. The old man apparition, he told, was indeed the saintly Mordechai

who came to plead on behalf of his people, and urged him never to set his hands upon the

Jews again, since they are dear to him, as the apple of his eyes. As we see, this legend

possesses some historical, factual events strung into the legend of the omnipresence of

Mordechai amongst his Jewish brethren, in Shushan. We should note that Shushan of the

biblical Book of Esther is said to be today’s Hamedan. The legend simultaneously

demonstrates the sad reality of the Jews of Iran at the set of the 20th

century. Two additional

legends in his book, “legend of the Makosh” and the “legend of Mollah Hussein” are narrated

as well as legends.

In 1923, when the atrocities against the Jews became intolerable, Rabbi Menahem Halevy

along with Shelomo Cohen Tzedek, שלמה כהן צדק, the famous Zionist from Teheran, decided

to open the eyes of the world to the savage carnage against the Jews of Persia. They reach out

to the 13th

Zionist Assembly in London to plea for help for the Persian Jews, by writing and

signing a Memorandum or a Report, on behalf of The Zionist Union of Iran and The

Committee of Iranian Jews in Israel. Rabbi Menahem describes the ambience of hate and

fanaticism of Shi’a Hamedan, and the plight and predicaments of the Persian Jews, maltreated

and victimized, by the hand of the Shi’is. The memorandum depicts in strong words the plight

of the Farsi Jews, descendants of the Babylonian exile. It tells about blood libels, false

accusations, deprivation of civil and social rights, murders under the sun, economical

of Mulla Husein; Legend of Mulla Abdullah. It contains, as well, a poem, Mrosh Mekadmei Eretz, and a list of

the Rabbi’s published and unpublished books.





strangulation for thousands of years. It laments that any libel could provoke pogroms against

the Jews even in the metropolis of Teheran. It describes the poisonous influence of the Shi’ite

priests, who incite the people against the Jews, strangulating them economically and

spiritually. The memorandum tells of forced conversion in Mashhad where the Jews could

only follow the Mosaic Law on the hide; of the sign of disgrace Jews had to wear in Shiraz

and Yazd; of Jews chased out of their homes with just a pack of their belongings on their

shoulders; and of murders in daylight in Hamedan. It complains of the Decrees befitting the

Middle Ages, prevalent in Persia, against the so-called impure Jews. It describes the forceful

haircut and shaving of side burns afflicted on Jewish men in public. Consequently to the

social and religious intolerance, many Persian Jews wish to return to the land of their

forefathers. The memorandum implores the Congress for help both against the oppression and

for obtaining entrance permits for the Persian Jews to the Holy Land where with some help

they could participate in agriculture and construction. The memorandum doesn’t beg for help

it demands it. It states that in spite of the intervention of the European countries, the atrocities

still persist. Rabbi Menahem wished to stop this malice and eradicate it before his Persian

brethren will be obliterated from the face of the earth, or convert either to Islam or to the

Baha’i Faith. Thirteen years after the Rabbi was assaulted in the streets of Hamedan, the

malicious abuse of the Jews by the odious Shi’is was still in full force. There are four

additional signatures on the memorandum from the Iranian Jewish Committee in Jerusalem:

Rahamim Melamed Hacohen, Hanina Mizrachi, Rafael Hayim Cohen and Ezra Shoshani35

.

To feel the indignant hurt of the Rabbi, it’s imperative to read the memorandum.

To the XIIIth Zionist Assembly

Highly honored Assembly!

At this important time for the People of Israel, time when all the leaders of the Nation gather for an Historical

Council in order to remove the obstacles from the path of our people and to find the means for its salvation; at

this time of rediscovery of the dormant powers of the ancient nation to rescue its identity, found in the

expressions of the prophets; at this mysterious time, thousands of our Nation’s deportees arrive here from Iran;

they are the descendants of those who stood at the head of the founders, during the return to Zion from Babylon;

they address you to bemoan their interminable misfortune, since the minute they set foot on the land of Persia,

and to ask you to come to their aid.

Dear brethren;

Shameless persecutions, denial of civil and social rights, hideous defamations, murders under the sun, lock-

up within the boundaries of an isolated settlement, spiritual emotional and economical strangulation, all these

have accompanied the Jews of Persia, during thousands years of their exile to our days. In spite of the

constitutional government, in spite of the moral support of the Western States, in spite of the economical

awakening in the Eastern Nations to enlightenment and freedom, one false meaningless intrigue, by whoever

suffices to cause pogroms even in a metropolitan like Teheran. There is no need to stress the venomous influence

of the religious clerics, those religious deities in the Shiite countries, that every utterance from their mouth finds

a strong echo in the heart of the masses. There are no words to describe the numerous exploits of these Sheiks

who set the masses against the Jews, since they are Jews, with slander and despicable vilification… Spiritual

torments of the forced converts… disgracing patches… Jews evicted from their homes and properties with their

packages on their shoulders and wondering sticks in their hands… Murders in broad day light without protest or

grievance. Ask the people of Hamedan! Decrees from the Middle-Ages, in all its terror, oppress the Jews of Iran.

It is forbidden to a Jew to touch any object he buys, since he would defile and contaminate it. A Jew cannot

venture outside to the market when it rains, since he may contaminate the sacred Muslim by his touch; it’s

forbidden for a Jew to ride a horse; it’s forbidden to him to grow hair and with rough hands they would cut his

side-burns, under the sun. God Almighty! Civil and social suffocation, wherever he tries his hand!

Rabbi Menahem persistently searched for ways of rescue from their predicament for

Persian Jews in general and of Hamedan, in particular. Realistically, he realizes the

hindrances in defeating the Shi’is at their home territory, Persia. Thus, in addition to appealing

to the XIIIth Zionist Assembly in London he pleads with the Zionist administration in

35

The original document in the form of a small book is in the Central Zionist Archives, Jerusalem Israel. Folder:

J1/12/2 (in Hebrew).




Jerusalem to facilitate the immigration of Persian Jews into Israel. He is aware that many

Persian Jews were denied visas to the Holy Land, mostly due to their poverty. He is troubled

by what he considers unfair bias and disregard for his people. Thus, Rabbi Menahem solicits a

meeting to be held in Jerusalem between the representatives of the Zionist administration in

Jerusalem, and representatives of the Persian Jewry, on 23 Yiar, 5683 / 1923, ג"ג אייר תרפ"כ ,

to deal with the obstacles of immigration from Persia to the Promised Land. His unique

protective paternal character is revealed in the meeting. Rabbi Menahem understood that he

had to awaken the conscience of the Zionist administration in Israel and bring to their

attention that his people had been besieged by abuse, indifference and animosity, and it’s time

to give them a loving hand and save them from the inferno of Shi’a Persia. He had to shock

the committee in order to win compassion and cooperation from the clerical-mentality of the

committee. With powerful imagery he dramatically depicts the plight of the Jews under the

Shi’a Islam. He used any manipulative method to make the audience feel culpability and

empathy for the dreadful circumstances of his congregation. He did not hold back. He starts

with past historical background and ends with demanding responsiveness and actions. He

demands entrance permits for immigration and decent settlement in Israel for his people,

opening the possibilities for them to work in agriculture. Here again Rabbi Menahem paints

verbally the intense description of the predicament of the Jews in Persia since shortly before

First World War to the present. His speech is a vivid historical pamphlet.

. והם היו מרוצים מגורלם, מצבם הכלכלי של יהודי פרס לפני המלחמה היה טוב בערך כי כל המסחר היה בידיהם

י הייתי נשיא ההסתדרות הציונית אנ. המלחמה ותוצאותיה גרמו שהמצב יורע והמצב הכלכלי הרס את הכל

... עתה השתנה המצב... וכמעט שלא היה מאושר ממני, וגם רב ראשי וסוחר, בהמדאן הידועה בשם שושן הבירה

, איזו צרת לב, לפני המלחמה בהרגיש היהודים איזה כובד... המשבר הכלכלי והעוני שורר בין כל שדרות העם

עתה בטלה השפעתם . בייחוד הבריטי והאמריקני, והמה הגנו עליהם היו פונים אל הקונסולים השונים לעזרה

... כסף אין להם. אחיכם בפרס נמצאים כבתוך חצר גדורה שאין להם מוצא ממנה. והיהודים צפויים לכיליון

אסור לו לרכוב , אסור ליהודי לצאת ביום גשם. וזה עושה את החיים קשים ומכבישים, הגזרות מתרבות מיום ליום

מלוויו עוד , ובדרשו ממונו. והמלווה למוסלמי סכום כסף אין כל תקווה שיחזירו לו... וס וללבוש פארעל ס

... יהודי פרס הולכים וכלים לרגלי המצוקה 00.000. ומקרים כאלה מעוררים לבלבולים וכל העם בסכנה, יהרגוהו

כי , צורפים וכדומה, נגרים, סנדלרים ,חייטים: מלאכה כגון-נמצא ביניהם מספר קטן של בעלי. רובם היו סוחרים

. חיט מחזיק בידו אריג הוא מטמא אותו ואסור למוסלמי ללבוש בגד זה -, קשה היה להם לעסוק במקצוע זה

מטעם , בחקלאות לא עסקו... ואסור למוסלמי לנעול את הנעל, סנדלר תופר נעלים בחוט והרי הוא מטמא את העור

והמה ... אבל לא לקצור כי המוסלמים יאכלו את פרי עמלו, לחרוש ולזרועכי יכול היהודי רק לרכוש אדמתו

אנשים אשר התרוששו בצורה זו במשך , בהמדאן עיר מגורי. ונשאר היהודי בידיים ריקות, שוללים וגוזלים הכל

.היהודים שבפרס 00.000הנה קרוב היום ולא יישאר זכר מכל . איבדו עצמם לדעת, חדש ימים

The economical state of the Jews of Persia prior to the war [World War I] was good more or

less, since all the commerce was in their hands, and they were happy with their fortune. The war

and its after-mass caused deterioration of their condition and decline in their financial state. I was

the president of the Zionist Union in Hamedan known as Shushan Habira, and also a Rabbi and a

merchant, and there was hardly any one happier than me… Now the situation changed…

economical downfall and poverty reign… Before the War when the Jews felt oppression or

distress, they asked the various consulates [European] for help and they protected them, mainly the

British and the American ones. Now, their influence has dwindled and the Jews are foreseen for

annihilation. Your brethren in Persia are found in an enclosed courtyard, without possibility of

escape. They have no money… the decrees multiply from day to day, that which causes life to be

difficult and denigrating. The Jew is forbidden to go out in a rainy day, prohibited from riding a

horse and wearing fine clothes… He, who lends a Muslim a sum of money, has no hope of

recovering it. And upon demanding his money, the borrowers would kill him… The whole

congregation is in danger. 80,000 Jews of Persia are being obliterated due to this distress… the

majority were merchants. There are amongst them a small number of craftsmen like: tailors,

shoemakers, carpenters, silversmiths, etc. but it is difficult for them to maintain their trade; a tailor

holding the fabric contaminates it and the Muslim is forbidden from wearing this article of

clothing; the shoemaker stitches shoes with a thread and he indeed, contaminates the leather, and

the Muslim is prohibited from wearing the shoe… they would not participate in agriculture, since a

Jew indeed could buy a terrain and plough and seed it, but was not allowed to harvest, since the

Muslims might eat the fruit of his labor… They steal and pilfer everything, and the Jew is left with





his hands empty. In Hamedan, the city of my residence, people who became impoverished in this

way, within a month, have committed suicide. Here come the day when there will be no memory

from the 80,000 Jews of Persia36

.

Rabbi Menahem declares that those wishing to come to Israel are not looking for monetary

hand-out since they rather die than accept welfare. It is true that there are amongst them

paupers, but all have self-respect and strong will to work hard and to support their families.

Since the committee is not too enthusiastic about opening the way for the Persian Jews, Rabbi

Menahem insinuates bitterly that there exists discrimination against Persians. He also states

that due to disillusion with the Holy Land, many Hamedani Jews adapted Baha’ism.

ו של השיך בהא אלדין יש רבים מאחינו שמאמינים בתורת. התנועה הלאומית שלובה בפרס עם התנועה הדתית

מספר גדול המירו ... שמת בחיפה [הבן הגדול של באהה אולה, שנולד עם השם עבאס אפנדי, עבדול באהה]אפנדי

שנה נלחמתי אנוכי כנגד הדעה הזו בדיבור 21במשך . את דתם כי אמרו להם שגאולת ישראל היא תוחלת נכזבת

דואר 'בשבתות הייתי מרצה לפניהם ומתרגם להם גיליונות . ובכתב בכדי לנצח אותם ולהטותם מהדרך המוטעית

.וידעו ממציאותה של התנועה הלאומית, למען יאמינו' היום

The national movement is intertwined with the Religious movement in Persia. There are many

of our brethren who believe in the doctrine of Sheik Bahá Aladin Afendi [Abdu’l- Bahá eldest son

of Bahà Ulláh born ‘Abbás Effendí] who died in Haifa… great number converted since they

declared that the redemption expectation of Israel is a deceiving notion. During twelve years, I

fought against this notion in speaking and in writing, in order to overcome them and avert them

from their erring way. On Saturdays, I would preach to them and translate Doar Hayom to them, so

that they might believe and be knowledgeable about of the existence of the nationalistic movement.

He proudly reports that many of the 250-300 Persian Jews who arrived at Israel are

teachers, scientists, intellectuals, alumni of the Alliance, speaking seven and even eight

languages. In spite of it, the Rabbi suggests to start agricultural settlements for them on the

land of the Keren Hakayemet. He is aware that it might be difficult, but he declares that as all

commencements are difficult, they would get used to it eventually, working the earth with

self-respect. With 50 pounds one may buy a cow and some chickens and survive from the

fruits of the earth. When the committee members start arguing and doubting, the Rabbi

belittles them, telling an allegorical anecdote about an ailing man nursed by the priest who

told him marvelous stories of the ever after. “Complained the sick man: ‘Why do I need the

ever-after when I did not as yet enjoy this world.’ This is the impression that your answers

leave”37

.

The executives keep on quibbling and reflecting pro and con about the potential suggestion

of agricultural settlements, and number of people allowed into Israel, and about monetary

issues. Rabbi Menahem loses his patience, realizing that the committee has no notion of the

urgency of the dire situation. Annoyed by their cold business-like manner dealing with the

lives of his congregation, the Rabbi bursts out sarcastically and bitterly:

אם כל האנשים הגדולים כמו כריסטוף קולומבוס ודומים לו היו מתחשבים עם . אין דבר העומד נגד הרצון הטוב

, הקושי והמעצורים למען הוציא רעיונם לפועל בעת שחושבים על אותו דבר ועושים לילות כימים בשביל להגשימו

. ואין דרך ברורה לפנינו, ד זה רע ומצד שני רעמצ. ולא היו ממציאים כלום, כי אז לא היו מתחילים ולא היו יוצרים

.ניקח את המעדר בידינו ונחפור לעצמנו קבר? מה נעשה

Nothing can stand in the way of good will. If all the great individuals, like Christophe

Columbus and alike were to reflect about the difficulties and obstacles of materializing their

objectives while thinking about the same thing days and nights, then they would not have

commenced or created a thing. On one hand it’s bad and on the other hand it’s bad as well, and

there is no clear way for us. What shall we do? We shall take the hoe in our hands and will dig our

own graves.

36

The document containing the minutes of the meeting is found in the Central Zionist Archives, Jerusalem

Israel. Folder: S15/ 20974 (in Hebrew). 37

למה לי עולם הבא : טוען החולה. משל בחולה מסוכן שהכומר יסעדהו בחוליו ומספר לו מעשיות מפליאות מחיי העולם הבא"

." זהו הרושם שעושה תשובתכם. ושטרם נהניתי מהעולם הזה




The shocking figurative description of morbidly using a hoe for digging a grave rather than

for agriculture, and the sarcasm in which it was presented shamed the committee that

consequently allowed him to investigate localities fit for settlements.

In 1910, Rabbi Menahem married Monvar, Rivkah Chanum (1896-1984) by a match

maker, when she had not yet reached the age of 14. She too attended KIACH, Kol Israel

Haverim School in Hamedan. She came from a rich Hamedani family. Her parents, Tauss and

Aziz Bijari came to Israel in 1936/ ו"תרצ with Abraham Ben Ezra. Her father, Aziz (died in

1937 in Jerusalem) was a travelling salesman, going back and forth to Bijar as a salesman of

silk fabrics. He was called Aziz Bijari due to the name of the town where he did business. He

was charitable and benevolent. During the drought he gave flour, sugar and oil and other food

products to poor villagers, whether they were Jews or Muslims. His wife Tauss was a

conservative woman, devoted to her family; attributes which have passed to her daughter,

Rivkah Chanum and eventually to the latter’s children. Rivkah was very friendly, self-reliant,

efficient, and orderly. She was a very intelligent, beautiful person and stunning looking

woman with blue green eyes. She spoke French, Arabic, Farsi and Hebrew very well. She had

an outstanding personality. She refused to accept help from anyone even in her difficult days

of poverty. She preferred to read and write in Persian. Rivkah read the Bible daily; a chapter a

day in Persian, until two years before her death. She had many sad minutes in life. She lost

many infants and toddlers at birth and later. Rabbi Menahem lost all of his assets to a schemer

and the family was left penniless. When Rabbi Menahem died, there was no money to support

the family. As a matter of fact there was no money to buy him a burial plot. A relative, Haji

Shimon Refael from Hamedan, admirer of Rabbi Menahem, had a burial plot in Har-

Hazeitim, in Jerusalem which he bequeathed for the burial of Rabbi Menahem. (Rivkah’s

brother Yoseph, married Zarin, who was the granddaughter of Haji Shimon Refael from

Hamedan). Upon Rabbi Menahem’s death Haji Shimon Rafael sent a letter to Yaakov Halevy,

Menahem’s brother who worked in Hevere Kadisha to authorize the gift of the burial plot.

Whenever we visited my grandmother Rivkah Chanum, she always offered us something

to eat. She forever tried to educate us: “Don’t grab food from a table where we visit, unless

they think you are hungry.” “Don’t speak too loud, unless they think you are not well

educated.” “Don’t bend down, unless they see your underwear.” “Help your mother in the

house-hold.” She loved to giggle when she spoke to us and her stomach shook up and down,

causing us to laugh with her. Initially, Menahem and Rivkah lived in the Mashiach

Robinoph’s building in the Bucharim neighborhood, Jerusalem. Later they built a house for

Menahem’s mother, where my grandparents eventually lived. It was a small house with a

beautiful slate tiled courtyard, draped in scarlet bushes and bougainvillea and grape vines.

Born in 1896, she died in 1984 at the age of 88 with a clear mind.

Rabbi Menahem and wife Rivkah had 2 daughters and three sons: Esther Halevy, Hayim

Halevy, Shoshana Halevy Ben-Mashiach, Shimon Halevy, Meir Halevy.

We will leave Rabbi Menahem for a while, while following the lives of his

contemporaneous brothers and sister and the respectful offspring of the family.

Rabbi Menahem’s younger brothers

Rabbi Yaakov Shemuel Halevy (1890-1968)

Rabbi Yaakov was born in Hamedan. Like his brother Menahem, he attended his father’s

Yeshiva where he received Jewish religious instruction. With the advent of the Alliance

Israélite Universelle, along with his brother Menahem, Yaakov attended and received

simultaneously religious and secular instruction and obviously fluency in French. Later

Yaakov continued his studies in the American Secondary School where he became fluent in

English. He became a teacher and, in addition, a tutor for the high society in Persia. Alongside

his older brother Menahem, he fought against the Baha’i religion and participated actively in

the Zionist movement. During the British presence in Iran, Yaakov became the official British

interpreter who served as a liaison officer between the British and Iranian authorities. In this





position he was able to help his Jewish brethren and acquire some improvements in the way

they were treated by the Persians. He used his influence and asked the British to afford him a

permit to go to the Holy Land. The permission was granted, and in 1921 he set on the road to

the Land of Israel. He took along with his family, his sister Yocheved’s family and fifteen

additional Hamedani Zionist families, including the renowned Ezra Shoshani’s family of the

Hamedani congregation. The road to Zion was full of obstacles. They left Hamedan in carts

and wagons. First they went to Keremanshah and from there proceeded to Iraq. They planned

to continue through Syria, the shortest route to Israel. When other families followed, the

Arabs put pressure on the British in India to stop the Jews from reaching Israel through Syria

and demanded to send them back to Persia. Again Rabbi Yaakov intervened and pulled

strings, until the group was allowed to travel by boat, the long way through the Persian Gulf

to Bombay.

In Bombay, once again, the Indian and English authorities refused them entry visas to

Israel, in spite of Yaakov’s close relations with the British administration in Iran. His brother

Menahem, still in Hamedan, intervenes with the British authorities, and sends Yaakov a letter

telling him to trust in God to deliver them. Finally, with letters running back and forth from

Iran to Meyer Gar, the president of the Jewish Community in Bombay, the families were

granted a permit to travel through Egypt. They are placed on dilapidated boats, used for

transporting soldiers returning from the First World War. The long travel by boat, over a

month, breaks their spirit and health. Many die on the way and their bodies are thrown

overboard. His sister Yocheved lost her recent born baby. Once in Kunetra, Egypt, new

problems aroused; they were informed that due to conflicts and unstable situation in Palestine,

they are not allowed to proceed. Yaakov called for a fast, and everyone sat on the floor,

crying and saying the Selichot prayers. God up in Heaven finally heard their pleas. The British

connections and the local authorities were moved finally and the whole group boarded a train

that brought them to the Land of their forefathers on a Saturday. They were given initially a

place in Jerusalem in a school in Yemin Moshe, and later welcomed into the home of relatives

in the Bucharim neighborhood38

.

In Jerusalem, Yaakov worked as a teacher in The Alliance school, in the Machaneh Yehuda

neighborhood in Jerusalem, teaching, French, Hebrew and Jewish studies. He married Michal

Halevy, called by my mother Jenamu Chanum. They had seven children: Avraham, Moshe,

Aharon, Shemuel, Rachel, Shulamit and Yehuda.

Avraham Halevy: He completed his studies in Paris. Was a high official in a Housing-

company (Amidar). Was married twice and had 2 daughters: Nira Halevy and Ruth who has

two children. Avraham died in 2011.

Moshe Halevy: Was never married. He was a high official in the Berkley’s bank.

Died around 2006.

Aharon Halevy: Aharon joined the British army in World War II. He was a high official in

the Ministry of the Interior. He has two children. He died in 2007.

Shemuel Halevy: He too, served in the British Army, during World War II.

In 1944, while on a short leave he went to refresh himself in the Mediterranean Sea in Tel

Aviv where he drowned on Friday 26 of Yiar, TASHAD, 1944, when he was 26 Years old.

Judah Halevy: Born on 1925 and had his Bar Mitzvah on 1937. He was a high official in

the Ministry of Justice, Real Estate Listing Department. He was wounded twice: During the

war of Independence when participating in the battle at Mount Zion, he was shot and injured.

The second time he was severely injured was in 1975, in a terrorist attack who booby-trapped

a refrigerator on Jaffa Street corner Ben-Yehuda Street in Zion Square, Jerusalem. He

38

This episode is well described in Me Iran U-Makadonia le Yerushalyim: [From Iran And Macedonia to

Jerusalem: Stories of Ben-Elyiahu and Menahem families], Ed. Ben-Zion Yehoshua (Jerusalem: Zur Ot Printer,

5762 1001 / ): 10-12.




suffered all his life, until his death in 2008. He was married in Jerusalem and had three

children.

Shulamit: She lived in Haifa. She was a kindergarten teacher. She was married to Hillel

and has two daughters, one teacher at a High School and one a medical doctor.

Rachel: Was married in Jerusalem to a fabric merchant. They had two sons and two

daughters who are married with children. Rachel died around 2008 and so did her husband.

When Rabbi Menahem came to Israel, Yaakov and Menahem shared a house, each brother

with its respectful children lived in separate rooms. However they shared the tiny kitchen and

wash room. The beautiful big yard had many flowers, ivy, trees, bushes of roses and many

colorful plants decorating any available space. Chickens ran free and were cared for and loved

by my grandmother, who called them with soft voice, “BiYa BiYa TiYa TiYa” (come, come,

food, food), and the cats tried to hunt the chickens and were chased away. When once my kids

left their little ducks under the care of my grandmother, the cats were indeed successful in the

hunt, but my children were never told. In Israel, Yaakov participated actively in the

committees of the Sephardim in Jerusalem and eventually became a member of the committee

of Hevrah Kaddisha (burial society) for Yehudei Hamizrach, (Oriental Jews) and Sephardim.

He helped in establishing the Halutzei HaMizrach and Hapoel HaMizrachi movements. When

his oldest brother Menahem died he was elected by the congregation to take his brother’s

place as a Rabbi and president of the Hamedani congregation in Jerusalem. Later Rabbi

Yaakov moved to live in an apartment in Rashi Street, Mekor Baruch, Jerusalem, leaving the

big house to Menahem’s children.

Rabbi Yaakov was a kind, giving person, helping the needy in their happy events -

wedding, bar-mitzvah—and in the sadder times of death. He headed charity groups for the

poor obtaining food and books; physical and intellectual nourishment, for the children of the

poor, mainly during the holidays. He was the Rabbi who served in my wedding, with smiles

and verses from King Solomon referring to love between a man and a woman. He was there

in the Shivah (seven days of mourning) of my paternal grandmother, Sara, smiling and

winking at my husband who was caressing me, saying: “King Solomon said ‘when you find

honey, benefit and devour it all.” When I worked for about a year as a social worker

apprentice, in the Social Welfare Organization in Jerusalem, he encouraged me to maintain it

as my vocation, since helping people was my family heritage bestowed upon me by my

grandfather. I remember how, whenever we met him, not only as children but as adults as

well, we reached for his hand, kissed it, lowered our heads in respect, and then trembled as he

placed his hand over our heads and blessed us with a smile. Rabbi Yaakov Halevy lived a full

life, and in 1968 died at the age of 78, in Jerusalem.

Yoseph Halevy: (Hamedan 1900-1954 Colon, Panama)

The youngest of Rabbi Shemuel’s children was Yoseph who was born in 1900, in

Hamedan. In his youth, Yoseph attended the Alliance Israélite Universelle where he learned

French. He arrived in the Holy Land with his older brother Yaakov, after many tribulations on

the road. In 1923, at the age of 23, in Israel he meets and marries Simcha Sarfati from Hebron

where her family resided. His first born, Samuel Ramon Levi Sarfati, was born in Israel, on

August 30th

, 1927 and died in Panama on August 29, 2002.

When Yoseph arrived in Israel, work was scarce and hard to come by. Many of the Iranian

community members suffered poverty and had to sell many of their belongings in order to be

able to feed and dress their family. Yoseph tried very hard to sustain his family with a small

dry-goods store in Hebron, but in 1929, due to the Arab pogroms against the Jews in Hebron,

the family had to move elsewhere. Ruined financially, with heavy heart, he had to take the

difficult decision to go and try his luck in Venezuela. When the boat arrived at the port of

Maracaibo, the Venezuelan government forbad the family entry, due to being Jewish. The

next port of call at which the boat arrived was Panama, where the family settled. Yoseph





opened a kiosk in Colon where he sold cold drinks. Three girls were added to the family in

Panama, thus having in total 4 children.

Being raised with the love of Zion, and longing for the land of Israel and his family,

Yoseph makes another attempt at settling in Israel. He takes the family back to Jerusalem,

hoping for the best. Nevertheless, the difficult economic situation in Israel persisted, and

again they had to embark back on the French vessel Columbi to Panama at 1938 just as World

War II engulfed Europe. Suffering from heart ailment since childhood, Yoseph died at the

young age of 54, on October 13, 1954. Yoseph and Simcha had 4 children:

Samuel Ramon Levi Sarfati, was born in Israel, on August 30th, 1927 and died in Panama on

August 29, 2002. Samuel had 2 children:

Shoshana Levi (born in Panama, October 4th, 1961);

Rubén J. Levy (born in Panama November 28th 1963)39

.

Bruria Tikva, born on August 15, 1930, in Panama. She has two children:

Jose Mehlman, born in Panama on August 02, 1953;

Paulina Mehlman Levy, born on March 10th, 1932 in Panama.

Rachel Ziona was born in Panama on December 13, 1931, and is married to Bill Segal. They have

three children:

Edina Segal Hochman, born on October 9th, 1961;

Joseph Segal Born December 29th, 1963;

Bruce Segal, born on December 31st, 1965. All reside in New York, USA.

Chaya Viki born in Panama on January 24, 1937. She is married to Bob Kleinberg and resides in

New Jersey, USA. They have three children:

Joy (Simcha) Kleinberg Kuchinsky, who was born on February 25th, 1960;

Sheryl Kleinberg Jarvis, born on February 20th, 1962;

Michael Kleinberg, born May 18th, 1966. All reside in the USA.

Yocheved Ben- Eliyahu (Hamedan 1893-1980 Jerusalem)

Yocheved was born in Hamedan where, due to her charm and enlightenment, she was

called Chanum Tila, “Lady Gold”. She was educated in the family tradition in western studies

in addition to religious education and with love for the zionist dream of returning to Israel.

She got married to Eliyahu, a traveling Shochet, (a Jewish slaughterer), and thus the family

received the last name of Ben-Eliyahu. She left Hamedan in 1921, while pregnant, with her

husband and children, Ezra, Miriam and Victoria. They accompanied her brother Yaakov

Halevy, the Reuben Shoshani family and few Hamedani zionist families, to go to the Holy

Land. The road to Zion was full of obstacles. On the way Yocheved gave birth to a baby girl,

who eventually died on the road. In Jerusalem however, she gives birth to her youngest

daughter, Ruchama.

In Jerusalem, Israel, her son Ezra (1906 Hamedan-1998 Jerusalem) started laundry services

at their backyard on Shemuel HaNavi street, at the intersection with Yechezquiel street. Due to

hardships and prevailing poverty, everyone in the family, including Yocheved and her

husband Eliyahu, helped in this family business. She lived in harmony with her son, his wife

Bella, and six children. I recall Yocheved who was called Dada, by her immediate family and

Ame, by my mother, as a soft spoken noble woman, always with a smile on her face and

carrying a Sidur, the prayer book, in her hands. She was gracious in the way she attended to

people. My mother cherished her, and mentions her in her life diary again and again. As

children, we used to run to their house, 3 minutes run, to call for help, when emergency

39

Samuel’s son Rubén wrote with admiration a tribute for his father, in which he recounts his father’s fight for

justice and liberty for all. He also quotes some of his father’s maxims: “Perder plata pero no cara” (lose money

but not face); “No hay loterías en la vida” (There is no lottery with life) and “Uno saca de la vida lo que invierte

en ella”(one gets from life what he invested in it). He maintained high values and was adamant about the worth

of truth: “Es correcto o no lo es” (it’s either correct or it is not.)




happened. She always attended to our anxiety with tender, calming words. She died in

Jerusalem in 0890 at an advanced age.

Ezra, Yocheved’s first son married Bella, from Macedonia, a wonderful delicate and

beautiful woman. She demised at an early age of forty-eight. He married a second woman,

Naomi, with whom he had no children. Ezra and Bella have had six children: Shlomo, Rachel,

Avner, Tikva, Ruth, and Eyitan.

Shlomo was an inspector in the Board of Education, and continued working in the field of

education. He married Nechama with whom he has three children: Bilaha, Eyal-Zvi, a

professor, married to Hila, and Talia, married to Dudi Pathi.

Rachel was a teacher. She married Johnathan Arnon, a businessman, with whom she has a

son Gadi, and three daughters: Tamar, Osnat, Efrat. All the children have their own children.

Avner, married to Bat Sheba, was a bank clerk. He has one daughter, Galit.

Tikva was married to Ben Zion Yehosha, a renowned author who worked at the publishing

house of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Tikva was an instructor in a club for seniors.

She was a bright, kind and sensitive human being. Tikva died in 2010. She had a son and two

daughters.

*** Rafael, her son and wife Shifra live and work in New York (Their children are: Ben,

Yitzchack, Keren, Yael).

*** Michal, Tikva’s first daughter is a psychologist and her husband Amir Kadri is a lawyer (Their

children are: Shira, Ella, Yuval).

*** Nurit Tikva’s second daughter and her husband Alon were high ranking officers in the Israeli

army. At the present they are in Washington DC as emissaries of the Israeli Army. Nurit’s daughters

are Tamar-Ruth and Noah.

Ruthie was a teacher. She was married to Shalom Shaul who died around 2000.

They have together three children:

*** Yuval is a sculptor and a painter. His wife Ornah is in the business of women garments

(children: Itay, Ohed, Alona).

*** Ayelet, is a teacher for seniors. Her husband Ilan Porat works in the field of medicine and he is

a photographer, as well (children: Noah, Tomer).

*** Daphna is an office clerk married to a Micha Goldberg, a computer specialist

(daughter: Maya).

Eytan the youngest of Ezra’s children was a high ranking officer in the Air-Force and

eventually became the Commander in Chief of the Israeli Air-Force. He and Nily have a son

Asaf, who is a lawyer, and a daughter Gabi, married to Shiran Tzairi and has two children.

Miriam, Yocheved’s second child, was born in Hamedan and came with her mother to

Israel in 1922. She got married, in 1930, to Yehuda Ben Meir Benayan who also was born in

Persia and came to Israel in 1924. Miriam a beautiful intelligent woman was a house-wife,

while Yehuda was a merchant; later a clerk in the post office, and eventually the phonebook

editor. Yehuda’s brother, Mordechai Benayan was a tailor. He had 2 sons and 3 daughters.

One of the sons, Elyhu Ben Onn, has a Radio Show in Kol Israel, interviewing Jews of the

diaspora. Miriam and Yehuda had five children:

Shemuel Ben-Naeh (previously Benayan), was a teacher of literature in Jerusalem.

His wife Jannet is an aartist. They had 5 children.

Imanuel Ben-Naeh (previously Benayan), is a PhD in Jewish Studies. Served as a

Superintendent in the Board of Education. He was a popular lecturer in Judaism and a guide

of Israeli sites. His wife Lidia Cohen came from England to Israel in the 1960’s and worked

as a nurse. They have 5 children.

David Ben-Naeh (previously Benayan), married to Helen Najari from Hamedan, Persia.

David served in the Jewish Agency as an educator and an agent for the Jewish communities

abroad. He retired from the Army in the rank of Lieutenant. He was a functionary in the





establishment of schools for the Board of Education. Additionally, he was a CEO for the

Department of Education and Culture abroad and, as well, in the Diaspora Spiritual Services.

David is a co-founder of the religious Zionist neighborhood in Mitzpeh Nevo community in

Maaleh Adumim where he served as Deputy Mayor in charge of the city education. Among

other honors bestowed on David is “Friend of Religious Education in Israel”. David received

the honor of Yakir Yerushalyim (Friend of Jerusalem). David and Helen have five children:

*** Yaron Ben-Naeh, the first-born, a Ph.D in Jewish History, is a senior lecturer in the

Department of Jewish History in The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Director of “Misgav

Yerushalyim". He is married to Rachel and has two children. He published two books about Jewish

history.

*** Shai Ben-Naeh, Electronic Engineer. He works for the Office of the Prime Minister. His wife

is Gilly with whom he has three children.

*** Ronit, married to Aharon Beret resides in Kibutz Saad, in the south of Israel. She is an English

teacher and she is a coordinator of the nucleus of young Israeli children from the USA. She has four

children.

*** Sharon married to Moshe Aharon. She is a medical secretary in Sharei TzedekHospital. She

has four children.

*** Miri, married to Chagai Lavi who is a teacher and class coordinator in Boyer High-School in

Jerusalem. She is a sales manager of Leonardo hotel in Jerusalem.

*** Nili Ronen, a social-worker. Was widowed from her husband Matti Ronen and they have 4

children.

Hanna Benyamin, married to Eli Benyamin. Hanna was a secretary and Eli, a teacher. They

have 4 children.

Ayalah Ben-Naeh, Miriam’s youngest daughter.

Victoria, Yocheved’s third child was married to Avraham Cohen. They had four children:

Uzi, Hayim, Yael and Sara.

Ruchama, Yocheved’s youngest child is married to Elyahu Ben Aharon, a rug merchant.

They have three children:

*** Avikam, Ruchama’s son is a lawyer, married to Bat Shevah. They have three daughters: Shay,

Leeor and Adi.

*** Leeora, Ruchama’s daughter is married to Tom Kleiman, an electric engineer with whom she

has a son, Matan, and daughters, Naama, Eyla and Tamar. Leeora is a teachers’ mentor in the Board of

Education.

*** Offer, Ruchama’s son is married to Leeat. He took over his father rug business in New York

where they reside. They have a daughter Avisag and a son Itamar.

Menahem Halevy’s Children

Shoshana Ben-Mashiach, Halevy (1922-1986)

Menahem’s second child Shoshana, born in Hamedan, was a precocious, bright, and

extremely beautiful child who adored her parents. From them she inherited her keen

intelligence, sensitive poetic outlook of life and a sense of humor. She attended the famous

Schpitzer School for girls in The Bucharim neighborhood, and did well scholastically.

Nevertheless, her free spirit did not go well with the strict discipline of the school, and she

was transferred to the Alliance school where her uncle Yaakov worked as a teacher. She

excelled in school and mastered the French language as a native. In addition, with the consent

of her liberal-minded Rabbi father, she became an athlete and joined the HaPoel and Macabi

organization. At the age of 16, Shimon Ben-Mashiach (1908-1963), 14 years her senior, and

future cantor of the Hamedani congregation, smitten by Shoshana who came to his shop to

purchase some school supplies, approached Rabbi Menahem, and asked for Shoshanna’s hand

in marriage. In her diary she tells how painful was for her to leave school because she was

going to be engaged: “I was just a little girl and I was ashamed to have a boy-friend. My life

was the Alliance School.” She left a note, in her school desk for the teacher and her friends,

packed her books and notebooks, and left school on the hide, without permission or goodbyes.




They got married in 1938 and had six children. Throughout her life she kept a diary in which

she wrote about her sentiments, opinions and all the events of her life. She never sat idle. She

wanted to make up for the studying in the Alliance she had missed. She forever was taking

courses: She took a course in the Magen David Adom - First Aid - to serve as a nurse-aid,

passed the tests and volunteered in the hospital. She took a course in making silk flowers. She

took courses in cooking and sewing - she sewed our wedding dresses with her own hands. She

joined the YMCA and took English classes with a South African teacher Ronny Hope, who

told me that she was one of his best students ever. She also took swimming classes in the

YMCA. Later she took courses as preparation to become a secretary. She had difficulties only

in fast typing. When visiting me, her daughter, in the USA, she accompanied me to courses in

political science as preparative for citizenship and took notes as an active student; she

accompanied me to exercise classes, swimming, and bicycle riding. She learned and mastered

English and used the dictionary as a 16 years old student. In spite of being like a child herself,

she gave birth and raised six children:

Amiel Ben-Mashiach (1939-2011), an electrician and businessman. Married to Victoria

with whom he had five children:

*** Shimona married to Nisim Peretz (a teacher and mother of ten children);

*** Shimon (1964 in Jerusalem-December 15, 2008 in New York), fathered a son by the name of

Ami;

*** Chagai, married to Tamy (has 4 children: Ami, Vicki, Rosie, Lorraine);

*** Yion, married to Rachel and they have 8 children (Shalva, Tehila, Menahem, Ahuva, Shira,

David, Adina, Ariel);

*** Eli is Amiel’s youngest son.

Nechama Kramer-Hellinx (born 1940 in Jerusalem) is a bilingual teacher and Ph.D. in

Spanish, residing in New York with husband, Willy Hellinx. Has 2 children with Peter

Kramer (1937-1995). All reside in the USA:

*** Monique Kramer (1968) a holistic-medicine veterinarian;

*** Dorian (1969) an acupuncturist and holistic Chinese herbalist. He is married to Debrah, with

whom he has a daughter Callie (October 15, 2010).

Hadassa Shuali (1942), a clerk in the housing bureau in Jerusalem. Married currently

to Meir Levi. She has three children with Eliezer Shuali:

*** Sigalit, married to Offer Simcha and has one son named Tom;

*** Meyrav is Hadassa ‘s second daughter.

*** Dror is her youngest child.

Menahem (1945), married to Dalia and is a businessman. They have two sons. All reside in

Israel:

*** Shimon (March 29, 1973) married to Etti (March 2, 1976) and has 4 daughters;

*** Oren, married to Yael and has 5 children.

Ruth Cohen Yinon (1948), a teacher. She has 4 children:

*** Anat (1970) married to Assaf Shuval and has 4 daughters: Noah, Tamar,

Nogah and Royit;

*** Yaron (1975) married to Hila Musaee and has two children: Amit and Itai;

*** Daniel and Shira, Ruth’s, youngest are twins born in 1983.

Hedva Cohen (1952) was married to Roberto Cohen, son of Morris Cohen and Nelly

Vitali. They have six children. All with the exception of Moshe reside in France:

*** Moshe Shimon married to Joy Amos and father of Sivan and Daniel Reuven;

*** Shoshana (Shanni), married to Jackie Iluz and mother of SheLeeor, Anael, and Eimy;

*** Azar Menahem, married to Laurence, and father to Noya;

*** Nelly Sara;

*** Lea-Ann Rivkah;

*** Natan Amiel.





Shoshana Ben Mashiach Halevy was a childish, loving human being, with great insight for

the feelings of others. She played jumping rope with us her children; she made bubbles with

the chewing gum, bursting the bubbles, cursing Hitler “BaKever Shel Hitler” (In Hitler’s

Grave). We giggled to no-end with her. She always stayed as our sister and as a daughter to

her husband Shimon. She took the books I borrowed from the library and read them. In her

dairy of 14 years old she recounts reading about Alexander the Great. She returned her soul to

her Maker at the age of 64, in a hospice Tel Hay in the Katamon neighborhood of Jerusalem.

Ima, Shoshanna

Like a Rose among thorns (Song of Songs)

"יהי שם יהוה מבורך, יהוה נתן ויהוה לקח"

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;

Blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job I: 21).

In the whisper of the night I heard your voice.

Yearning murmurs for winters past.

Olive leaves caressing your tearing eyes.

Lily of the valley, pure smile;

Tender Rose, soft as your maternal love.

Your gentle hands encasing my face,

Timidly offering forgiveness.

Tinges of happiness;

Soft quivering lips, ask me to recall.

Yes Ima, I recall.

Yes Ima, I wonder why.

Why does a mother weep?

Why does a child repent?

Why is love expressed by hurt?

Charcoal tears, weeping willows, her eyes,

The cypresses moan with me, at dawn.

Dying pain, ashen grin, for she is, but is not.

Rose of the valley, dismembered are her petals.

Gazelle of years past, shattered are her limbs.

Extinguished flame. Fading ember, odious death.

Cyclamens I offer you, shy and humble as your soul.

And we shall walk in the fields beneath the balcony.

Anemones we’ll gather, and trees we’ll climb.

For Heaven is but a reach away!

Nechama Kramer-Hellinx, Ben-Mashiach

My mother ‘Shoshanna’, in English ‘Rose'

22nd years have gone by 6th Adar I, 5768, 1986

Hayim Levy (1923-Jerusalem, Israel-2005 Toronto, Canada)

Hayim was the first son to be born alive to Rabbi Menahem Halevy. His name in birth was

Hayim Sam in memory of his grandfather Shemuel. As his father’s son, he wished to become

a teacher. He attended first the Gymnasia Bagrut in the neighborhood of Mekor Baruch in

Jerusalem. In a Hebrew Grammar contest of all the schools in Israel, Hayim won the second

place in the country. His cousin Ruhama who attended the same class told me how Hayim

solved a Math question on the board, when his own teacher had failed to solve it, to the

amazement of all the students. Hayim later attended the Tachchimoni school for boys in




Jerusalem, and was an excellent student. He wanted to join the secular Shomer Hazair youth

movement, and his father, who was very open-minded, allowed him so. However, when he

was mocked for wearing a Kippa, he joined instead the Benei Akiva religious movement. He

was but 13 years old when his father died, and since money was scarce he had to work and

study simultaneously, with the help of his older sister, Esther, a teacher in the public school

system. He attended the Liphschitz Seminar for teachers, and simultaneously learned French

from his uncle Yaakov. He obtained a position as a teacher in the religious Tachchimoni

school for boys, where he had been a student in the past. Since he was recognized as an

exceptionally bright man, he was asked by the principal, Mr. Benbenisti to go as an envoy of

the Jewish Agency to Greece, to teach Hebrew to the Jewish Community. He was an

autodidact and taught himself Greek, and later Arabic, English, Spanish and Russian. He

marries Rachel Parente, daughter of Marcel and Clara from Solonika, in August 24, 1958 in

Monasteriotis Synagogue in Solonika, Greece. They return to Israel where their first son, Nir,

is born. Eventually, the family moved to Toronto, Canada, where two more children were

born: Leeor and Ron. Hayim taught French in the Public School system and Hebrew in the

Jewish Community Sunday School and After-School Programs. He possessed an affinity for

languages, and an astounding knowledge of the Bible, and Jewish Law. He could complete

any verse of the Bible, and indicate its origin. His knowledge of the Hebrew Language was

impeccable. He wrote a manuscript, denying Christian beliefs and the miraculous nature of

Jesus. He was versatile in many fields of knowledge, be it music, art, literature, history,

philosophy and palm reading more. Hayim died in 2005 in Toronto, Canada, with his three

children Nir, Leeor and Ron surrounding his bed. He is buried in Toronto alongside his

beloved wife Rachel.

Esther Halevy (1921-2006)

When Esther was born in Hamedan, Persia on 1921, she brought happiness to her parents

who had lost few new born previously. Esther was very fragile and delicate physically but

from young age demonstrated high intelligence, love for books and education and talent for

writing poetry, painting and drawing. Her childhood games consisted of pretending to be a

teacher. In 1923, the family, her parents and her newly born sister Shoshana, left Hamedan

and have arrived in Jerusalem through Iraq and Syria.

Since their arrival, the family permanently lived in the city they most cherished, Jerusalem.

Since very young age she attended the Spitzer school, in the Bucharim neighborhood.

Endowed and outstanding student, she was loved by all and skipped classes due to her

knowledge. Her scholastic level was so high that she became the teacher-assistant, while a

student. Additionally, she became a tutor for her classmates in Bible studies, in reading and in

Hebrew writing. This influenced her future as a super teacher for the rest of her life. Her

father saw her as a copy of himself and he referred to her lovingly as the “future teacher.” By

the age of 16 she began her studies in the Mizrahi seminary for teachers. In comparison to the

rest of the students, she looked like a little girl with big intelligent eye. She was humble and

shy and focused on her studies. Here too, she was, in spite of her young age, a studious high

achiever. The principal of the school, Mr. Yilan who was fascinated by her talent invited her

father the Rabbi to let him know about his daughter’s anticipated future in teaching. Mr. Yilan

took advantage of having the Rabbi there, and asked the Rabbi to give a demonstration class

for the benefit of the students and in the presence of the educators H. Hanoch, Dr. Shlezinger,

the board of education superintendent, Rabbi Berman, and Ms. Nechama Libovitz. Decades

after the event, Esther spoke, wrote and described the magical demo-class her father had

given. The event was commemorated again and again since the staff of the school were all

renowned teachers who observed this demo class, and set it as an exemplary class for their

student.

Esther was my aunt and served me as a second mother and educator. She definitely had a

positive impact on my life. As children, there was a lot of poverty in Jerusalem. We didn’t





have toys. We didn’t receive presents. Fortunately, there was Doda, Aunt Esther, who every

Purim warmed our heart with presents. She was the one and only. She also allowed me to

play with her hidden treasure of jewelry. They were beautiful colorful beads. Today, I still

collect this kind to please my eyes. When I was about 3 or 4 yrs. old, I took a walk to Esther’s

class without permission. Esther didn’t scream at me. She had a photographer in the school,

and allowed me to sit in the middle of the picture. Then, she took my hand and led me home

to my hysteric mother. Esther used to paint and draw. When I once asked Esther to draw me a

picture of a Zabra Cactus and a child, I didn’t reveal that it was for a competition in my

school. I won the competition. I was happy and told Esther what happened. She gave me a

speech about honesty. I confessed to the art teacher and returned my award. Esther didn’t

force me to do it. She only told me about honesty.

Later, Esther attended the Hebrew University majoring in biblical studies, literature and

Hebrew language and grammar. Her Hebrew was very impeccable. She was a living

dictionary, and a specialist in grammar and Bible quotations. Esther was my living

Dictionary. Any doubt I have had about grammar, spelling, synonyms etc. she just declared it

as if a book was in front of her. If I asked her for the origin of a quote that I believed to be

from the Bible, not only she told me, book, chapter and verse, but she quoted the verses

before and after the few words I had. Her Hebrew, like her brother’s and sister’s, and cousins’

was music to my ears. I felt always embarrassed with my clumsy Hebrew. She corrected me

gently, and gave me confidence to be able to ask again and again. Her knowledge as her

brother’s Hayim was the result of their father’s education. His Hebrew was decorated with

verses of the prophets and Tehilim Psalms. The Bible was their origin of pride and love for the

Holy Land of Israel: “The land of Israel for the people of Israel, as declared in the Bible”.

That paralleled the motto and ideology of the Zabutinsky movement, and his follow-ups:

Irgun (ארגון ); ETZEL: Irgun Zevai Leumi; Herut; Hamizrahi; Likud’ and of course Menahem

Begin. Esther had pictures of Begin and Jabutinskey on her walls, both at home and at work.

She and her father, Rabbi Menahem, were recruited by the Irgun, and the Rabbi allowed the

underground to use his school for meeting of the Irgun during the British domain. Initially,

Moshe Nehmad from the Rabbi’s congregation introduced the Rabbi and Esther to the Zeev

Zabutinsky’s movement, the ETZEL. Thus the Irgun received permission to allow meetings in

the Rabbi’s Talmud Torah school. In her diaries, Esther mentions, how many of the students,

eventually joined the Irgun, and how many got injured and many have sacrificed their lives

and died.

Her loyalty to her country, Israel, and to the Herut/Likud party lasted until her last minutes

on this earth in 2006. This love and devotion came from her education at home. Her father the

Rabbi who allowed the Jewish underground to meet at his school, allowed his handicapped

daughter to volunteer in the Irgun. Small stature, thin and walking with a limp, no British

soldier would suspect her of spying and transporting messages harmful to the Brits. Sadly,

one day in 1941, on Passover eve, she was stopped and searched. She was placed in jail for

terrorists in Beit-Lehem for three months. Eventually, when she was freed, a teacher, Siman

Tov Cohen, her friend and protector, arranged for this fragile girl to be sent to Persia, with a

false passport and with the pretense of a conference for teachers in Yazd. She stayed there for

five months and then returned to Israel against all advices in 1942, only to continue what she

was doing before jail for her country. She studied and worked during the day, and spent her

nights with the underground ETZEL. She graduated from the university as a teacher of Bible,

literature and Hebrew language. On top of it, since the death of her father in January 1940,

she was the bread earner in the family. She was in the HaYirgun; Her brother Shimon was in

the HAGANA; Her cousin Yehuda Ben Yaakov Halevy, in HA-LECHI. Shimon was shot

twice during his participation with the Hagana. Yehuda was injured as well while in the

Lechi, and later in life was burned during a terrorist attack in Kikar Zion Jerusalem.

Esther’s love, unlimited devotion and sacrifice for her students was legendary. She worked

as a teacher and students visited her home, and cried on her shoulders, and were loved by her




as her own family. She called her students “my children.” They stayed her family until her

death. There were always students visiting her at home. She was always invited to their happy

and sad moments; theirs and their children and grandchildren. When she departed from this

world, her ex-student, had her headstone carved and decorated with the name they all called

her: “HAMORAH ESTHER (Esther the Teacher).”

When she retired as a teacher, she volunteered at the Herut and Likud office in downtown

Jerusalem, every day of the week, except Shabbat. Esther would wake up every morning

ready to start her day in the Likud office. She did it until one day before entering the hospital

where she returned her soul to the Creator in 2006. She answered the phones. She welcomed

people into the office. She spoke softly and explained to any visitor, where and what, not as a

nasty secretary but as a teacher, step by step how to achieve their aim. I visited her in the

office every time I was in Jerusalem. When laying on her death-bed, she received calls from

the office asking her for clients’ phone numbers and information of how to write and to

whom. She was recognized as a courageous patriot and was awarded, on January 20th, 1972,

ו "ט the honor of Yekirat Yerushalyim (Friend of Jerusalem) from Teddy Kolek the ,בשבט

mayor of Jerusalem. She left us in 2006 at the age of 85 with a clear mind, and took away

from me my only living computerized dictionary who could inform me about family, Hebrew

and the Bible.

I visited her as a teenager in the Nahshon school, located in Romema at the entrance to

Jerusalem40

. I could not understand how students behaved so respectfully to their teacher. The

principal of the school, Hannina HaLevy, told me that I had the honor of being the niece of a

teacher like Esther, who had been as second father and mother to the students.

Her burial ground is in the selected ETZEL section in Givat Shaul, Jerusalem, dedicated to

honoring the participants who fought against the British occupation of Israel and their

underhand fortification of the Arabs.

Meir Halevy (April 25, 0814-November 10, 2012)

The youngest of all, Meir, was 4 years old when his father died and when his mother had to

start working to feed her children. In my mother’s diary, she describes an infant who cried

excessively and needed desperately to have his sister by his side lulling him to sleep. Meir

was a sweet boy, who in all probabilities had some educational handicap. He was a poor

student and a follower of mischief. He caused a lot of anxiety to his widowed mother, who all

her life treated him as a baby. He demanded care and attention from his mother and his sister

Esther, and many times he misbehaved hurting them. I was amazed to see, however, that he

could read and write well. When Esther demised, he died spiritually. He could not believe that

there was no mother-figure to care for him. After a severe stroke, he was hospitalized in a

hospice. He died at the age of 78. I always wonder what my grandfather Rabbi Menahem felt

up in haven scrutinizing the agonizing life of his youngest son.

Shimon Halevy: (Born Jerusalem, Israel in 1929)

As he was still a little boy when his father Rabbi Menahem died in 1940, Shimon did not

follow the profession of his family in education and languages. However, he was married to

Dvora Siman-Tov (1934-1995) who was a teacher and later a principal in KorChack School

( אק'קורצ ) of the public school system of Ber Sheva, Israel. They have 3 children:

Menahem-Booky, born in Jerusalem on March 5th, 1959;

Tali, was born in Israel on March 18th 1961. Tali is married to Zvikah Biran and they have

2 children: Leeor and Ronny (July 2nd, 2005);

40

The school was first in the Old City and then moved to Romema. Mr. Zion Cohen was the Assistant Principal

and then became the Principal when Hanina Mizrahi transferred to Neveh Yaakov.





Ronit, Shimon’s youngest daughter, was born on September 2nd, 1972. She has a lovely

son, Ariel Green, born July 17, 2005. Ronit is a teacher of Physical Education and English.

Shimon dedicated his life to his homeland of Israel. He participated in the Haganah and

later when he was injured, he kept on participating in the liberation of Israel from the British.

He was twice injured and he still has shrapnels from the bullets travelling in his body. Shimon

was an extremely handsome and happy going youth. He had a good sense of humor. He

forever laughed at the shrapnel’s pieces travelling freely in his body. He gave me a

Palestinian flag he had possessed from the War of Independence, 1948. He was a driving

instructor and forever was walking many KM’s a day. At a late point in life he had a severe

stroke. That did NOT stop him from walking every day 5 Km and going swimming, until his

body won and left him handicapped. He refused help and tried to do his laundry and his

cooking with his tired hands. This is the inherited trend of character of the Halevy family;

courage, stubbornness and selfreliance. Today he lives in a Senior Citizens Home. His entire

family lives in Israel.

In June 2005, I participated in a conference in Bar Ilan University in Israel dealing with

Iranian culture. During the breaks, I was surprised to be approached by many elders and

Middle age Iranian Jews. Many came to hug and kiss me and to talk about my grandfather,

Rabbi Menahem. My aunt Esther, the Rabbi’s daughter attended and people of her generation

gathered around her and nostalgia and memories filled the air. I was in a shock, since I

suddenly realized that there are yet living witnesses to his life and deeds. I heard again and

again about his support and benevolence for the congregation in Hamedan and Israel. I was

asked why the family did not memorialize his life and services in a book. Many were

youngsters at the time he served as their Rabbi. Some recalled their own parents’ and

grandparents’ comments.

I met an ex-student of my grandfather, rabbi Menahem, by the name of Yehudah Yeshuah

who showed me Rabbi Menahem’s old school in Rehov David, the Bucharim section of

Jerusalem, gave me pictures of the classes and reminisced about his spiritual teacher who

affected every step he had followed in life.

It is told in the family that some followers of the Baha’i Faith in Hamedan sent an assassin

on Yom Kippur eve of 1922 to kill Rabbi Menahem as he left the synagogue. When

encountering the Rabbi face to face and looking into his eyes, the assassin’s hands started

trembling as he realized that he was in front of a divine person. He confessed his evil mission

to the Rabbi and advised him to flee Persia, because other assassins would follow to complete

the task. This motivated him to travel sooner that foreseen to the Holy Land with number of

families of his congregation.

When Rabbi Menahem departs from Persia to the Holy Land, in 1923, some members of

his congregation feel deserted by their spiritual shepherd, yet some joined the caravan. Jewish

and educational organizations and individuals who stayed behind considered the Rabbi to be

the official Persian Jewish representative to Israel, who would open the doors to the Promised

Land for his people. On 8th of Adar, 5683/1923, he receives a letter in Hebrew from the המדאן-ועד הקהלה לעדת ישראל

“Communauté Israélite-Hamadan”

(addressed to all Jewish entities on the way):

From Hamadan to Jerusalem

8 Adar ג"תרפ , 5805 /1923

אדונים נכבדים

י נשיא משרד מר מנחם שמואל הלו[ המאור הגדול]ה "המא, מתכבדים אנחנו להציג לפניכם את מעלת הרב הגאון

זה העסקן הציבורי והמטיף הלאומי אשר טפח ורבה את החינוך , הרבנות וועד הקהילה וסניף ההסתדרות הציונית

אין מילים לתאר את [. המדאן]לסדר את מצב היהודים בעירנו , העברי ולא ידע לאות להקריב קרבנות ומרץ ושכל

עשה לילות , פעולותיו הבכירות ורוחו האמיץ, יותו הגדולהבמומח. ומסירותו הרבה לרעיון הלאומי, עבודתו, הבנתו

ולעזור במסירות לעליה ...והזכיר לנו מה שהשעה דורשת מאתנו, להגן עלינו בימים היותר מעורפלים... כימים

. ולעולים




. ומלבד אחינו גם המושלמים נהנו ממנו בעצה ותושייה, פעמים אחדות נבחר כחבר לעירית העיר

בתור בא כח רשמי מאת כל יהודי פרס לעלות אל הארץ ולהתמסר בכל לבו לעבודת בנין ביתנו , תבנסיעתו זא

עד אשר יגיע למחוז ... באנו לחלות פני קדשכם לעשות למעלת כבודו את כל הכבוד הראוי להרב הראשי, הלאומי

מקודם את רחשי תודתנו חפצו בשלום להגשים את כל שאיפותינו הלאומיות בבירת תקוותנו והננו מוסרים לכם

.העמוקות

בברכת התחיה ושיבת בנים לגבולם

, המזכיר

חאי בן משה

Respectful Gentlemen

We are honored to introduce to you his highness the learned Rabbi Menahem Shemuel Halevy, the

president of the rabbinical office, the congregation committee and the Zionist Union branch; he is the

public worker and national preacher who nurtured and increased the Jewish education, and never tired

from sacrificing himself, using his energy and intelligence, to fix the situation of the Jews in our city

[Hamedan]. There are no words to describe his talents, his understanding, his work, his deep loyalty

for the national cause. With his great expertise and his daring spirit he functioned and worked always,

day and night… to protect us in these cloudy days, and he reminded us what is demanded of us at this

time… thus, help dependably the immigration and the immigrants.

He was often elected as a member to the municipality of our city, and in addition to our brethren,

the Muslim too benefited from his advice and insight.

In this journey as an official representative for all Iranian Jews, to immigrate to Israel and dedicate

with all his heart to the work of building our national home. We came to request from your holiness to

aid his honor with all due respect deserving for a chief Rabbi… until he arrives to his destined place in

peace to fulfill all our national expectations in the capital of our hopes, and we extend our deepest

gratitude ahead of time.

With the blessing of rebirth and returning the children to their homeland [Jeremiah XXXI:16].

Secretary,

Hai Ben Moshe41

The Committee of the Jewish Congregation in Hamedan, as well, presents him on 02

Kislev 5891/ January 22, 1923, as the head of the congregation and as ardent Zionist who

spread Zionism amongst the people. The recommendation is in Hebrew:

לכבוד

א"ישראל תובב-הועד הלאומי ליהודי ארץ

אדונים נכבדים

מר מנחם ]המאור הגדול, הוד מעלתו]ח "הננו מתכבדים להודיעכם כי הודות להשתדלותו של האדון הנכבד המא

ה העסקן הציבורי והציוני הנלהב ז, [ההנהלה הציונית]צ "ר ועד הקהילה ונשיא הכבוד של הסניף הה"לוי יו

ולהפיץ את הרעיון הציוני בהרצאותיו ' המתבטל תמיד ממלאכתו והקדיש את רוב עתותיו ללחום מלחמת ה

מעוף הרעיון הציוני עבר כאווירון . ל והמתקבלים מצד אלפי השומעים ברגש ובהתלהבות"המתובלים בדברי חז

…בכל ערי פרס בכלל ובהמדאן בפרט

בקשים ממעלת כבודכם למסור לו גם מכבודכם את התפקיד ההיסטורי והקדוש הזה במהירות האפשרית לכן אנו מ

.דבר המאפשר למטרתנו זאת ניצחון גדול, במברק

ההד הדרוש לבניין בירת תקוותינו , הקרן היסוד תמלא בקשתינו[ בעזרת השם וישועתו]ו "מבטיחים אנחנו כי בעה

, את עמו ונזכה כולנו לראות בתחיית עמנו' י עד אשר ירחם ה"על דלתות א ולעזרת אחינו העולים והמתדפקים

.הפרחת ארצנו ושיבת בנינו לגבולם

[ההנהלה הציונית]צ "מזכיר סניף ההנה[ על החתום]ח "עה

ועד הקהילה לעדת ישראל[על החתום], ח"עה

המדאן

41

My family possesses the original document and intends to give this and all original historic documents we

possess to a library or archive where it would receive the best attention the Jews of Iran deserve. This will be

done after I finish the book I am writing about the life, literature and achievements of Rabbi Menahem Shemuel

Halevy.





We are honored to inform you that thanks to the honorable Sir Menahem Halevy, the

chairperson and president of the congregation, the public agent and the enthusiastic Zionist who

always renders his work and dedicates most of his time to fight God’s wars and to spread the

Zionist ideology, through his speeches, spiced with the maxims of our sages and are welcomed

with enthusiasm and emotions by thousands of listeners, the flight of the Zionist ideology took off

as in an airplane throughout all the cities in Persia in general and in Hamedan in particular…

Therefore, we request from your highness to render him respect for his historical and sacred

concern too, as soon as possible in a telegram, that which will allow great success for our goals.

We promise that with the help of God, Keren Hayesod will accept our requests, the needed

resonance, in order to build our expectations and help our brethren who immigrate and knock on

the doors of Israel, until God will take pity on his people and we all will triumph to see the rebirth

of our people, flowering of our country and the return of children to their homeland [Jeremiah

XXXI:16].

The Persian Board of Education and Culture of Hamedan, as well, provides him with a

recommendation letter, in Farsi, dated 28 KAOS 1301 (1923):

While you lived in Hamedan you worked devotedly for the Persian Department of Education

and Culture. Your performance is worthy of commendation. You deserve our gratitude and respect

for your accomplishments. We express our gratitude from the lines of this letter42

.

Signed, Kefil Matbet, Hamedan, the Principal of the Department of Education

The Governor of Hamedan representing The Interior Department of Hamedan gives him the

following letter:

Department of the Interior, Government of Persia, In the City of Hamedan and Azadabad

9 Rajah 7 [sic] Hut (Pisces) 1300; [February- March of 1923]

Honorable Mirzah Menahem,

During the time I served as the local governor of Hamedan, I noticed that you dedicated your

efforts for the Education and Culture of the Persian Jews. I commend you, and especially

appreciate your deeds for the sake of your people and congregation. From the lines of this letter I

thank you from the bottom of my heart, and with great admiration43

.

Signed by, Governor of Hamedan, Muvathagh al Dawlah

Rabbi Menahem immigrates to Israel through Iraq and Syria, and heads a caravan of many

families, among them old people, youth, women and toddlers; they need help and protection

along the way. In Baghdad, The Rabbi received yet another letter from the Iranian Consulate:

General Consulate of Iran in Mesopotamia [Iraq], Bagdad

21 Hut 1301 [march 1922], no. 2390

As is recorded in The Review books of the Foreign Department in Kermanshah, Rabbi Mirza

Menahem [H] Levy served for many years in the Department of Education Hamedan. These days,

the mentioned above is getting ready to journey to Eretz Israel and thus, I request from all the

respected representatives and ambassadors of the Persian Government along the roads through

which he might cross, to do everything in your power to facilitate his Trip.

Please extend him your full cooperation. Signed, Persia’s Consul in Bagdad 44.

As soon as he arrives in Israel Rabbi Menahem is deemed to be one of the leaders of the

Iranian congregation. He heads the Iranian congregation and is a leading member of Vaad

HaSephardim, and the Histadrut Haluzei HaMizrachi of Jerusalem. He is respected and

befriended by the chief Rabbis to Israel: Jacob Meyer, the Chief Rabbi of Palestine, Rishon

Le Zion, and Chief Rabbi of Palestine Rabbi Isaac Herzog. He establishes in Jerusalem, a

synagogue for the Hamedani Congregation in the same building as the Mashhadi synagogue,

in the Bucharim neighborhood of Jerusalem. People from all over Israel would come to listen

42

The letter is written in Farsi. 43

The letter is written in Farsi. 44

The letter is written in Farsi.




to his sermons and to bask in his spirituality. Hanina Misrahi, a writer and one of the leaders

of the Persian community in the 1940’s, describes the Rabbi’s celebrated speaking aptitude:

In Rabbi Menhahem, of blessed memory, there was a fine blending from Jewish wisdom and

European culture. In his sermons he interwove and embroidered as a superb artist all the sublime

and the lofty of our sages’ wisdom, be their memory blessed, to one wonderful, attractive and

absorbing embroidery. He knew to tie very nicely the words of the Rambam with the words of the

Talmudic sages, sermons and compilations, and to intertwine at times in them quotes and proverbs

from the beautiful literature of the West. With fiery religious speeches and with mighty power of a

par excellence speaker, he knew how to captivate his large public and to bring them into sublime

religious ecstasy. Dead silence reigned in the assembly of his congregation when Rabbi Menahem

Levy, blessed be his memory, expressed his uplifting sermons45

.

He is sought by one organization after the other to teach, lecture, lead and travel. In 1924,

the Vaad Haleumi of the Jews of Eretz Israel appoints him as a Justice of the Peace Judge in

the Hebrew Court of Jerusalem. His talent of persuasion influenced many organizations to

seek him as their emissary to variety of countries, to attract Jews back to the Holy Land and to

collect funds for Israel. He is sent as an envoy by Keren Hayesod, by HaMizrachi, by B’nai

Brith, to Aden (Yemen), Aram Naharyim (Mesopotamia), Beirut (Lebanon), Sidon, India,

Egypt, Burma, China, Damascus (Syria), Egypt. Wherever he went he received written praises

for persuading the Jews to return to the Holy Land and to contribute for the cause of Israel.

His last trip took him to India where he met with Gandhi who had a negative assessment of

the Jewish people establishing themselves in Israel. On February 3, 1939, Meir Berlin

president of the The Mizrachi Organization World Central sends Rabbi Menahem a thank you

letter for establishing a Mizrachi branch in Bombay. He also acknowledges the importance of

his meeting with Gandhi, and expresses the hope that the meeting with Rabbi Menahem might

have opened Gandhi’s eyes since the latter became very antagonistic to the settlement of Jews

in Israel.

ודבריו שפרסם , כנראה שהמושלמים צדו אותו ברשתם. כמו כן יש להחשיב חשיבות מיוחדת את פגישתו עם גנדי

אולי יעלה , חשובה איפוא מאד פגישתו איתו, י ועל היהודים לדעתנו התפרסמו בעולם כולו"בזמן האחרון על א

.אנו מחכים לפרטים מלאים על פגישה זו -לשכנע אותו לטובתנו' בידי כב

It is imperative to give a great importance for your meeting with Gandhi. It seems that the

Muslims captured him in their net, and the negative comments he published lately about Eretz

Israel and about the Jews was published in the whole world. Thus, your meeting with him is of

great importance. Maybe your honor had the power to have changed his mind to our favor. We are

waiting to hear full details about the meeting46

.

Rabbi Menahem tried to change Gandhi’s negativity and did tell his older son Hayim that

this meeting caused a deep anguish to the Rabbi as he could not understand why the People of

Israel were treated in that manner.

This trip to India, in 1939, affected his fragile health negatively, and upon return, he feels

exhausted and worn out. He rushes to see his students. He wanted to teach them about the

world and about India. This is where he came across Dr. A. I. Brauer, an activist in

HaMizrachi who watches him rushing to school somehow bitter from his experience in India.

The Rabbi looks sick, but he insists on attending to his students. Few weeks later Dr. A. I.

Brauer, in the obituary, remembers him and calls him: “A Teacher who Never Rested”. He

recalls his visits to Rabbi Menahem’s unique school:

הכניס המוני , צמצם את צרכיו והסתפק בשכר לימוד פעוט. אשר לא דרש הרבה, והנה נמצא מורה למופת

היה . עבד בחורף ועבד כל ימי הקיץ ללא חופש, עבד ביום ועבד בלילה. תלמידים לכיתותיו והרבה בשעות עבודתו

שלא הייתה עוד , ותה של הסוסההלך מחיל לחיל והשתלם והגיע כמעט לשלמ. מזכיר ושמש גם יחד, מורה ומנהל

ראיתי את בית ספרו מלא ... כרע ונפל תחת סבל העבודה -והנה קרה לו מה שקרה לאותה סוסה. זקוקה למזונות

המורים . בני גילים שונים בכתה אחת 50-80צפופים ישבו על ספסלים רעועים . וגדוש בני עניים בימי החופש

45

Hanina Misrahi, “Rabbi Menachem Halevy, blessed be his memory,” Hed Hahinuch, 6-7, 15 of Shevat, 1940,

p. 144. 46

The letter is in Hebrew





הנושא במשרת מנהל ושמש גם , מנחם שמואל הלוי' על ר והעול של העבודה רבץ, שבתו בימי החופש

.שבת כעת לעולם, המורה שלא שבת בחייו...יחד

And here we found an exceptional teacher who did not ask for much. He minimized his needs

and he was satisfied with a meager tuition. He admitted many students to his classes, and worked

many hours. He worked day and he worked night, he worked in the winter and he worked all

summer long, without vacation. He was a teacher, a principal, a secretary and a custodian, all in all.

He went from success to success and improved and became perfect like the mare that did not need

any more food for substance. And thus, it happened to him what happened to the mare—he

succumbed and fell under the weight of his work-…I saw his school full and over flowing with

impoverished children during the vacation days. They sat close to each other, on unstable benches,

50-60 from different ages, all in one class. The teachers rested during the vacation, and the yolk of

work was left for Rabbi Menahem Shemuel Halevy, who served as a principal and custodian, as

well...The teacher who never rested in his life-time is resting now forever47

.

In an obituary for Rabbi Menahem in 1940, another student of the Rabbi, Moshe Nehmad,

representing the Hamedani congregation in, recalls his importance in general and his ability to

persuade the converts to return to their forefathers’ religion:

Many recall with praise, even today, his deeds and success in every endeavor: His many

lobbying appeals to the local authorities, the Turks, the Russians, and the British, that came one

after the other to Iran; the financial and food assistance he obtained for the Jewish congregation

that had suffered during the years of the last war [1st World War]. He organized, in his time, and

headed the “Lovers of Zion” movement, in Hamedan, and many of the young men, who had

assimilated, at that time, into the Baha’i Faith, returned to Judaism and became good Zionists 48.

Rabbi Menahem Halevy left his family and congregation on the 19th of the month of

Shevat ש"ת February 1940.

The day of his funeral was a somber stormy day. His widow and orphans were frozen with

pain and disbelief at his passing. The hills of Jerusalem covered with angry black clouds

watched sadly while preachers eulogized his contributions to Zionism, to the State of Israel

and to the Iranian communities. The crowd bemoaned his demise with loud sighs of grief.

Heaven with powerful rain and shrieking winds was bereaving the loss of Rabbi Menahem

alongside the mourners. Tears and raindrops covered the gloomy faces of thousands of people

who came to Jerusalem to accompany him on his last voyage: Chief Rabbis, judges,

professors, writers, journalists, leaders of the various Jewish communities, heads and

members of the Sephardim Communities, of the Histadrut HaMizrachi Organization, of

Keren Hayesod, of HaVad HaLeumi and many more organizations he represented in his

missions abroad. Iranians he saved from assimilation and from death at the hands of the Shiite

came to give their respect and gratitude to the philanthropic Rabbi. Most important was the

presence of hundreds of students, young and older, boys and girls, all bewildered as to how

and why their spiritual father, their shepherd, their beloved teacher, would have been taken

from them at such young age. Prayers and hymns for his soul sounded like dirges. The funeral

procession started at his home in Mahanaim, continued to his synagogue in Habucharim

neighborhood, stopped again in synagogues along the way in Mea Shearim, and concluded at

his final resting place, Mount Olives. He was returned to the earth of the land he so dearly

loved, the earth of Zion, about which he wrote numerous poems. This was the Holy Land the

Creator of the Universe promised to Abraham to give to the Chosen people. This was the

Land to which the biblical prophets promised to return the remnant of Israel. Rabbi Menahem

Halevy had voyaged from anti-Semitism and persecutions in Hamedan to the Land of milk

and honey, the Land of our forefathers, Zion, to live, die, and be interred in its bosom.

47

Dr. A. I. Brauer, “Moreh Shelo Shavat: Leftirat Hamoreh Harav Menahem Shemuel Halevy Blessed Memory

[A teacher who did not rest: Passing of Menahem Shemuel Halevy, Blessed memory], HaAretz, February 6th

,

1940 (in Hebrew). 48

Moshe Nehmad, “Rabbi Menahem Halevy, Blessed Memory: seven days to his demise,” Haboker (February 6,

1940).




Résumé

Le Rabbi Menahem Shemuel Halevy − une famille de rabbins en Iran


Le rabbin Menahem Shemuel Halévy, mon grand-père maternel, également connu sous le

nom de Mollah Menahem, est né à Hamadan, en Perse, en 1884 dans une famille vénérable de

dix générations de rabbins. Il a passé son enfance et sa jeunesse à Hamadan et est retourné à la

Sion biblique, la Terre Promise, en 1923.

Il a été envoyé par Israël comme ambassadeur dans de nombreux pays – la Birmanie,

l'Inde, l'Egypte, Sidon, l'Irak, et beaucoup d'autres – avec les recommandations de

HaMizrachi, Bnei Brith, Vaad HaSephardim, Keren Hayessod, celles des grands rabbins

d'Israël Yitzhak Herzog , Jacob Meyer, Rishon Lezion.

J'ai beaucoup de documents originaux et des extraits de journaux au sujet de son poste

d'ambassadeur dans de nombreux pays au nom d'Israël – l’un avec le neveu de Weitzman – et

de sa rencontre avec Gandhi.

Je possède sa correspondance avec l'Organisation sioniste à Londres en 1923, pour obtenir

de l'aide pour les Juifs d'Iran souffrant sous l'islam chiite.

Il publié quelques ouvrages en Israël et un manuscrit, que j’ai transcrit en hébreu, conservé

à la bibliothèque Ben-Zvi de Jérusalem en Israël.

Je peux retracer sa généalogie jusqu’à son grand-père et son père, tous deux rabbins en

Iran.

SABA GENEALOGY PARIS MY ARTICLE Newsletter 13

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