Yousef Hamadani Cohen (Photo: Wiki commens)
Iran former Chief Rabbi Yousef Hamadani Cohen dies
Cornerstones of Iran's now tiny Jewish community has died at 98, leaving behind a small but strong Jewish community.
Yousef Hamadani Cohen, Iran's former chief rabbi and one of the cornerstones of its tiny Jewish community, has died. He was 98.
Cohen was the spiritual leader of Iran's Jews from 1993 till 2007, and remained a senior rabbi even after he retired and Rabbi Mashallah Golestani took over.
The representative of the Iranian Jews in parliament, Siamak Moreh Sedgh, said Rabbi Cohen died on Friday and was buried on Sunday.
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Iran's Jews number about 25,000 people - a tiny minority in a population of about 76 million - but are still the Middle East's largest Jewish community outside of Israel.
Before the Islamic Revolution, the community had closer to 100,000 Jews. It is also one of the world's oldest Jewish communities, with historical roots reaching back 2,700 years.
Those who have chosen to remain after the revolution scattered across Iran but are concentrated mostly in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz. There are 10 active synagogues in Tehran.
Recognized as a religious minority, along with Christians and Zoroastrians, the Jewish community has a representative in parliament and appears to be well-integrated in a society dominated by Muslims. It operates schools, a library and a hospital – funded in part by public funds – in Tehran.
AFP contributed to this report
