By COLlive reporter
Photos: Itzik Roytman
It was an unusual sight in New Square on Sunday, when a different kind of delegation arrived to meet with the Skverer Rebbe Rabbi David Twersky as part of an awareness project amongst Persian Jews who immigrated to America.
The Skverer Rebbe hosted Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar and Rabbi Yehuda Gerami, Chief Rabbi of Iran and Executive Board of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States.
With all four of his sons seated beside him, the Skverer Rebbe took great interest in learning about the life of Iranian Jews. He asked about their existing educational institutions as well as about those that are in the planning stages.
He was especially pleased to hear about the ongoing connection of Rabbi Lazar with the community, as well as about the groups of young Rabbis from Iran who fly to Moscow periodically in order to study shchita and learn about Jewish leadership.
Joining the meeting was educator Rabbi Zalman Leib Markowitz of Monsey and Rabbi Zalmy Loewenthal of Merkos Suite 302 in New York.
This visit was preceded by a meeting held in Monsey with many friends, who heard about the Jewish activity for the first time in their lives, being that only recently was a narrow window opened to catch a glimpse of Jewish life there.
The participants heard from Rabbi Gerami and Rabbi Markowitz about what is happening with Iran’s Jews now and expressed their great admiration.
I’m assuming this is all a Warm up for shluchim to Iran. I mean Thousands of yidden there, are waiting to learn the Rebbe’s Torah Chassidus vechulu.
What does that mean to be the Cheif Rabbi of Iran? What type of learning and Jewish life is going in there? Even according to Rabbi Sholom Ber Hechts book, he was sent to Iran by The Rebbe in the 70 or 80’s , there are not very knowledgeable of yidishkeit in Iran? No proper schools, or kosher etc, so what are this guys credentials?
Obviously you know nothing about Iran. There are 20,000 Jews there now. And 4 yeshivas. And 5 kosher restaurants. Rabbi Gerami is a shochet, sofer, and a Rav. I’d say he’s pretty qualified to be the chief rabbi.
Does the chief Rabbi from Iran speak in?
Farsi, Hebrew, probably English too