120 Years Undercover: The Remarkable Story of Mashhad's Hidden Jews

"The Anusim", those forced to live openly as non-Jews while secretly maintaining their Jewish faith. Was this only in Spain 500 years ago? Not quite. A lesser-known yet equally difficult chapter is the story of Mashhad's Jews.

For 120 years, an entire Jewish community lived outwardly as non-Jews, practicing Judaism only in secret. This took place in Iran. From 1839 until the rise of the Iranian Shah in 1925, Mashhad's Jews lived as Muslims.

Jews were never beloved in Mashhad. The city was home to the shrine of Ali al-Rida, a venerated Shia Imam. Consequently, Jews were forced to live outside the city walls so as not to "defile" it. Persecution and hardships were their lot. But one strange event sealed their fate. On March 27, 1839, a conflict arose between a Jewish woman and a Muslim boy on a Muslim holiday. Isaac Ben-Zvi describes it thus: "On the 11th of Muharram, 1255, a day of holy fasting and mourning for Shia Muslims, a Jewish woman sought a 'healer' to cure her hand of leprosy. The 'healer', one of the common sorcerers of Persia, instructed her to kill a dog and wash her hands in its blood, claiming it would heal her. The woman hired a Persian urchin to catch and kill the dog at her home. A dispute over payment ensued, and the Persian stormed out, full of vengeful fury, announcing to the Muslim streets that Jews had killed a dog on a sacred day to mock Muslim saints, thus igniting a murderous frenzy."

Following this baseless and brutal pogrom, the townspeople decided to expel the Jews, forcing them to convert to Islam or face death. Rabbi Yosef Hakohen ruled, according to Maimonides' guidance in the Yemen Epistle, that Islam is not idolatry. Hence, it was permissible to outwardly adopt Islam to save their lives. All members of the community followed this decision, converting to Islam outwardly.

Each community member took a Muslim name while keeping their Jewish name used in secrecy. To prevent interfaith marriages, they announced engagements of young girls from infancy. Customarily, engaged girls wore earrings; thus, Mashhad's infants wore them from just a few months old, signaling to Muslims that these girls were already claimed.

Community members bought meat from Muslim shops to avoid suspicion, feeding it to dogs instead. Shops were open on Shabbat, but a child inside would only say, "Dad will be back soon." Ritual baths were dug in house basements, unheated, making winter use exceedingly difficult. They secretly baked matzot, not even telling their children, as Muslim inquiries could lead to unintended disclosures. Ironically, the deep-seated Muslim animosity, labeling them 'impure' even after their conversion, kept them distanced from Jewish—or formerly Jewish—quarters.

This community thrived clandestinely for 120 years, maintaining its structure. Throughout, there was a secret rabbi offering Halachic guidance. Mashhad's Jews discreetly sent donations to the poor in the Land of Israel. At one point, Rabbi Mordechai Akalar began leading public prayers in a sealed sanctuary. They continued their Muslim façade, participating in pilgrimages to Mecca, earning the title of Haji, attending Islamic meetings and conferences, yet Muslims constantly reminded them of their Jewish roots.

With the Persian Shah's ascent, Sharia law was repealed in Iran, allowing Mashhad’s Jews to end their prolonged charade. They all left Mashhad, where they had endured so much suffering. Some emigrated to Israel, founding proud Jewish communities, while others moved to the United States. What is remarkable about the Mashhad Jews is unlike Spain's Anusim, many of whom assimilated and forgot their Jewish heritage, Mashhad's Jews emerged from the shadows fully embracing their Jewish identities, observing every law and custom. Prestigious communities of Mashhad Jews can now be found in Jerusalem, Bnei Brak, and even New York, comprising around 12,000 Jews globally, a testament to their resilience and ingenuity in surviving such a prolonged forced conversion.