Throughline Iran and the Jewish people: An alliance before war
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Mar 5, 2026 
Shahrzad Elghanayan, granddaughter of Habib Elghanayan, recounts her grandfather’s rise from Tehran’s Jewish ghetto to industrial titan. Roya Hakakian, Iranian-American writer, traces centuries of Iranian Jewish life and shifting loyalties. They explore Iran‑Israel cooperation before 1979, Habib’s Plasco empire and execution, and how revolution reshaped Jewish life and regional alliances.
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Cyrus Established A Lasting Jewish Presence In Persia
- Cyrus the Great established a model of tolerance that allowed Jews to return to Jerusalem while many others stayed in Persia and formed an enduring Jewish community.
- The Cyrus Cylinder and biblical praise show this early Persian-Jewish relationship became a lasting origin story for Iranian Jews and is commemorated by Iranians and Jews alike.
From Ghetto To Grand Bazaar Success
- Habibullah al-Ghanayan rose from Tehran's Mahalle ghetto to join his brothers in a successful import business and later industrial ventures.
- Shahrzad Elghanayan recounts the family's move out of the ghetto and Habib's start in Tehran's Grand Bazaar importing watches and women's clothing.
Pahlavi Modernization Integrated Iranian Jews
- Under Reza Shah and then his son, Iran pursued secular modernization that included outreach to minorities, making Jews feel recognized as Iranians.
- The Shah's visits to synagogues and policies opened paths for Jews like Habib to integrate and prosper while Iran cultivated ties with Israel.
