Iranian Jews in the United States: Twenty-five Years After Immigration
Leah R. Baer
Independent Scholar
Incorporated into all arenas of American life
and drawn into the mainstream instead of being excluded, Iranian
Jews are reformulating the meaning of their identity. In American
ideology, “equality” implies
equality of respect as well as equality of opportunity. For Iranian
Jews, this meant a new reality. In Iran , the environment did not
facilitate socialization with followers of other religious belief
systems. There was always the sense of “otherness.” The sense of “otherness” has
metamorphosed to the American Jewish community; it is expressed
by a reluctance to adopt American-European Jewish traditions or
cultivate intimate involvements with American Jews.
Other changes
center upon elements of their ethnic heritage. American values
and beliefs feature a strong future orientation with emphasis on
individual achievement as well as equality of participatory liberties.
As a result of the unprecedented freedom for women and the opportunity
for children to attain their own objectives and aspirations, the
family and household authority that once was the exclusive realm
of the husband and father has been compromised. While families
are willing to adapt their traditional beliefs and conform to a
modern viewpoint for the benefit of their children, it may lead
to a weakening of their cohesiveness and identity. The success
of Iranian Jews in the United States , the development of Iranian
Jewish institutions and activities and the diversified patterns
of participation in various spheres of American life do not assure
the continuity of their collective life and creativity.
