The Jewish presence dates back nearly 3,000 years.
Although Iran and Israel are bitter enemies, few know that Iran is home to the largest number of Jews anywhere in the Middle East outside Israel.
About 25,000 Jews live in Iran and most are determined to remain no matter what the pressures - as proud of their Iranian culture as of their Jewish roots.
It is dawn in the Yusufabad synagogue in Tehran and Iranian Jews bring out the Torah and read the ancient text before making their way to work.
It is not a sight you would expect in a revolutionary Islamic state, but there are synagogues dotted all over Iran where Jews discreetly practise their religion.
"Because of our long history here we are tolerated," says Jewish community leader Unees Hammami, who organised the prayers.
He says the father of Iran's revolution, Imam Khomeini, recognised Jews as a religious minority that should be protected.
As a result Jews have one representative in the Iranian parliament.
"Imam Khomeini made a distinction between Jews and Zionists and he supported us," says Mr Hammami.
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What makes you think they have to be discreet? I live in a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood, and I've only very rarely seen certain men in the whole traditional attire, but it doesn't automatically follow that Jews in my neighbourhood in the UK are forced to be discreet, does it?
Tolerated! That is even sader.
What is wrong with welcome acceptance?
I think you're reading too much into it. 'Tolerated' and 'accepted' mean the same thing in the context of that sentence.
Yes. Or 'da', for my Russian mateys. Discretion is the better part of valour.
Or something.
But I genuinely didn't interpret it as meaning Jews are forced to keep a low profile, the opposite of your interpretation. In my experience, Jews tend to keep a low profile in general - no shame in that. I myself tend to keep myself to myself, but nobody would say I'm forced to be that way.
Yeah, I'm pretty discrete in practicing Islam as well.
The middle east has always been rich in diversity of religions and cultures. There were larger populations of Jewish people living across the middle east, including India and China, until Israel was created.
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