Ahistoric synagogue in Tehran, originally built in 1958, was destroyed on the Jewish holiday of Passover by Israeli airstrikes on April 7th.
The Rafi-Nia Synagogue, located in central Tehran, was one of the longstanding institutions serving Iran’s Jewish community. Constructed in 1958, it stood as both a place of worship and a symbol of the deep historical roots of Judaism in Iran, which stretch back more than two millennia.
“We are Iranian Jews and we are always ready to sacrifice our lives for our homeland,” Bihdad Mikhail, managing director of the Tehran Jewish Association, told MintPress News as he held back his tears while carrying Jewish books that were destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.
The Mikhail told MintPress that the Jewish community in Iran is vehemently anti-Zionist and have vowed their loyalty to their Iranian homeland against Israeli attacks.
The Mikhail told MintPress that the Jewish community in Iran is vehemently anti-Zionist and have vowed their loyalty to their Iranian homeland against Israeli attacks.
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Raw video footage and interviews with the synagogue director however show that the building was completely leveled, with religious materials, including Torah scrolls, buried beneath the rubble. Israel denies deliberately targeting the historic synagogue, with Israeli officials describing the damage as “collateral”.
Raw video footage and interviews with the synagogue director however show that the building was completely leveled, with religious materials, including Torah scrolls, buried beneath the rubble. Israel denies deliberately targeting the historic synagogue, with Israeli officials describing the damage as “collateral”.
The strike has been condemned not only by Iranian officials but also by members of Iran’s Jewish community who told MintPress that “Israel is an ominous Zionist regime”.
Representatives of the community have emphasized that the synagogue was a purely religious space, with no military function, underscoring the broader implications of the attack.
The destruction of the Rafi-Nia Synagogue highlights the often-overlooked reality of Iran’s Jewish population. Contrary to common perceptions, Iran is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the Middle East outside of Israel, with more than 10,000 Jews and approximately 100 active synagogues across the country. These communities have maintained religious life and cultural traditions for generations.
Judaism is one of the main recognized religions by the Iranian government providing religious protection to this community.
For many, the attack raises troubling questions about the widening scope of the conflict.
Religious and cultural sites have historically been protected under international law, yet recent weeks have seen increasing reports of damage to UNESCO heritage sites across Iran, either directly or through nearby strikes.
The timing of the strike has also intensified outrage. Reports indicate that the attack occurred during a period of religious observance, amplifying concerns that places of worship are no longer being treated as protected spaces in the expanding war.
Beyond the immediate destruction, the loss of the synagogue represents a deeper cultural blow. Sites like the Rafi-Nia Synagogue are not only places of worship but also repositories of history, identity, and communal memory. Their destruction erases physical links to longstanding minority communities that have coexisted within Iran for centuries.
While Israel claims to be a “Jewish State”, this latest attack against an Iranian synagogue shows Israel’s actions are rooted in destruction, genocide and an attempt to sow chaos.
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