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Yehuda Gerami is the Chief Rabbi of Iran and spiritual leader for the Jewish community of Iran since 2011.[1]
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Gerami was born in Tehran. His father, Shlomo Gerami, was a surgeon in many hospitals in Tehran including the Dr. Sapir Jewish Hospital. He went to Talmud Torah. At the age of 15, he went from Turkey to Jerusalem to study in Yeshivas Ateres Yisrael, under Rav Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi. He then came back to Iran for a year and then continued his Jewish studies in Yeshivas Ner Israel in Baltimore, Maryland which has a government-sanctioned arrangement with Iran. He continued his studies in the United States until he got his rabbinical ordination under Rav Moshe Heinemann at the age of 25. He then returned to Iran and served as Chief Rabbi. Under this position, he oversees the Jewish community and supervises synagogues, mikvehs and kosher slaughter. [2] In 2021, Gerami took part in the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States' first summit in Istanbul, Turkey.[3]
In November 2021 Gerami visited Jewish communities in the United States and met with many Jewish organizations such as Chabad Lubavitch. He was criticized by many American Jewish leaders for his public denunciation of the State of Israel and Zionism, and his visit to Qasem Soleimani's house in the aftermath of Soleimani's death.[4][5][6] Speaking to an American audience, Gerami has justified his statements as having been made out of concern for the safety of the Jewish community in Iran.[7]
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