SANAZ EGHTEDARI

IranWire

The Beheshtieh Jewish Cemetery is a quiet, lesser-known place on Khavaran Street in Tehran. Nestled behind high red walls and towering trees, its large brown gate conceals the cemetery from the outside.

Guided by Janet and Kourosh, a young Jewish girl and boy, I had the privilege of exploring this serene sanctuary. Established in 1936, it continues to serve as a final resting place for the city’s Jewish community. Upon passing through the brown gate, the first sight is a parking lot with no visible graves. As we venture further, the synagogue comes into view.

Janet offered insights into the synagogue’s significance, explaining, “This is where we bid farewell and recite prayers for the departed. The coffin is positioned on a platform in front of the benches, directly across from the altar, allowing for prayers to be offered and attendees to prepare for the burial ceremony.”

Adorning the synagogue’s walls are several large boards displaying framed photographs of notable Iranian-Jewish individuals. Among them are Loqman Nahorai, Rabbi Yedidiah Sharfat, Shamsi Radpour, the artist and composer Morteza Neydavoud, Ebrahim Beral, the father of laboratory science in Iran, Shervin Rouben Zadeh, the founder of the Mourning Foundation, and Mister Hayyim, the creator of the English-Persian Hayyim Dictionary.

One of the first things that caught my eye was the use of Persian names like Shokrollah and Haj Morteza in the Jewish community. Janet explained, “Jews have always been a small minority in Islamic Iran. To blend in more easily and conduct business, many Jews have adopted common Persian names. ‘Haj’ is used for someone who has made a pilgrimage to the holy Jewish land, Jerusalem or Beit al-Muqaddas, similar to how Muslims use ‘Haj’ for those who have been to Mecca.”

As we continued our tour and reached a specific cemetery section, Kourosh promised to explain more about names like Shokrollah.

We walked past the synagogue, which also houses a small library, several paintings of Israelite prophets, the Star of David, and a matzo oven used for baking unleavened bread during holidays. Upon entering the cemetery’s main path, we noticed the children’s burial section at the entrance to the right. Here, small public headstones without any inscriptions mark the graves, as Jews believe children do not need a headstone or mourning ceremonies.

To the left, we found the adult cemetery. Unlike the well-maintained Muslim cemeteries like Behesht Zahra, this cemetery is overgrown with dry, burnt weeds and tall, crooked trees. The Jewish community managed the cemetery themselves, with no involvement from the municipality.

Janet explained Jewish cemeteries’ unique customs. She said, “Eating and drinking is forbidden, and no one makes food offerings. When someone visits a loved one’s grave, they typically wear a kippah and bring fragrant herbs like basil. They also wash the gravestone with a little water.”

One of the intriguing parts of the cemetery is marked by a sign that reads “Kohanim.” The Kohanim are descendants of Aaron, the brother of the Prophet Moses, who hold a special status among Jews, similar to how the Seyyeds hold significance in Islam >>>