Iranian chief rabbi reads the Book of Esther at the Tomb of Mordechai and Esther

Footage has emerged of Iran’s Chief Rabbi Yehuda Gerami reading from the Book of Esther and dancing with students at the Tomb of Mordechai and Esther in the city of Hamadan for the holiday of Purim.

According to the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation Kan, Rabbi Gerami and his students danced outside the tomb complex before the afternoon Mincha prayer on the eve of the Purim holiday. The rabbi later read Esther from the megillah scroll in accordance with the Purim custom.

According to a tradition dating back to at least the 1100s, Mordechai and Esther were buried in a mausoleum in Hamadan, believed to be the ancient city of Shushan mentioned in the Book of Esther. The tradition is not generally believed outside the Iranian community.

Some 8,500 Jews live in Iran, primarily in Tehran, Isfahan, and Shiraz.

פורים בקהילה היהודית באיראן: רב הקהילה, יהודה גראמי, התפלל ערבית וקרא מגילה בקבר מרדכי ואסתר בעיר המדאן. הרב רקד עם תלמידיו – שחלקם לומדים לדיינות ורבנות, מחוץ למתחם הקברים@kaisos1987 pic.twitter.com/BXO2mURCPV

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 13, 2025