The Jews of Iran Film Series

Jews have lived in Iran for over 2,700 years, actively contributing to this vibrant multiethnic and multireligious society. The Jews of Iran film series by Project Mosaics features leading historians and memoirists whose voices and perspectives illuminate the complexity of Jewish experiences across nearly three millennia.

The following 7 films will teach your students about Iranian Jewish diversity, intergroup relations, and humanity related to several core concepts. Lesson plans are posted for each of these films as well.

The Scorpion of Exile: 2,700 Years of Jewish Life in Iran – tells the history of Jewish contributions to Iranian history and culture in Iran and introduces the concepts of "continuity and change" and "marginalization and integration" of minority communities.

The Crypto-Jews of Mashdad: An Underground Jewish Community – Jews in the city of Mashhad lived a double life for more than 100 years and experienced resilience and resistance as "carriers" of heritage.

The Tehran Children: Polish-Jewish Holocaust Refugees in Iran – In 1942, Polish Jewish refugees arrived in Iran after years of enduring hardship in the Soviet Union in what some have called "a new kind of Holocaust history."

Being Iranian: 20th Century Jewish Life in Iran – In the 20th century, life for Jews in Iran was transformed repeatedly from revolution, "modernization," nationalism, and competing ideologies.

Womanhood in Shiraz and Rooted in Tehran: Comparing Jewish Women's Experiences – Jews in Iran are not monolithic and Jewish women have had a wide range of lived experiences across the country. This film introduces students to "herstory" by comparing case studies from Shiraz and Tehran.

Iran Loomed Large: Being Iranian and Jewish Above Ground in New York – After World War II, many Mashhadi Jews migrated to New York City. This film introduces students to the concept of cultural "cross-pollination” while showcasing the "walls" and "bridges" Mashhadi Jews encountered when interacting with other Jewish communities in New York.

Rebuilding in Tehrangeles: Sustaining Iranian Jewish Life in Los Angeles – After the Iranian Revolution of 1978-1979, many Jews left Iran and settled in Los Angeles. This film introduces students to the concepts of cultural hybridity, cultural "in-between-ness," and intra-Jewish diversity.

For enrichment, these films are also available for viewing:

Jewish Above Ground – Featuring Esther Amini, this film follows Esther's parents and siblings, shortly after they arrived in New York from Iran, and examines the intra-Jewish tensions and divisions between Ashkenazi and Mizrahi Jews.

Rooted in Tehran – Featuring author Roya Hakakian, this film introduces Jewish life in Tehran in the mid-twentieth century during a period of increased egalitarianism, opportunity, and optimism prior to Roya’s migration to the United States in the wake of the Iranian Revolution.