A widely circulated video on X shows one of Iran’s two chief rabbis standing amid the ruins of Tehran’s Rafi-Nia Synagogue, holding a damaged sacred text.
The synagogue was destroyed in an overnight strike on Monday (April 6), before the ceasefire came into effect. It was among several religious and cultural sites reportedly hit during the conflict involving Israeli and U.S. forces.
Rabbi Younes Hamami Lalehzar and Homayoun Sameh, the Jewish community’s representative in Iran’s Parliament, strongly condemned the attack, for which Israel claimed responsibility.
“Sadly, during Jewish holidays, the Israeli entity targeted us and did not spare Jews in Iran, striking one of our historic and sacred synagogues,” Sameh said Tuesday. “The building was completely destroyed, and our Torah scrolls were buried under the debris.”
Iran’s state-linked Mehr News said the strike hit a residential area, while the Israeli military stated it was targeting a senior figure linked to Khatam al-Anbiya, Iran’s central military command, adding that it regretted any collateral damage.
While exact figures are unclear, Iran’s Jewish population is estimated to be between 8,000 and 15,000, a sharp decline from around 100,000 before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Rabbi Mendy Chitrik, head of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, said communication with the Jewish community in Iran has become increasingly difficult during the conflict. He noted that Iranian Jews remain deeply connected to their country, even as concerns grow among their families abroad over their safety.
Although Iran’s Constitution recognises Jews, Christians and Zoroastrians as protected religious minorities with rights to worship and parliamentary representation, rights groups have frequently raised concerns about discrimination against non-Muslims in practice.
