In 1970, the Jewish Charity Association of Khorasanis Residing in Tehran held a meeting at the Livian Synagogue. The meeting was attended by the members of the board of directors and a group of philanthropists and trustees of the Mashhadi community. It was in this session that the decision was made to build a cultural complex consisting of a large synagogue, a reception hall, an association office and an educational center for youth activities. In order to raise funds, a grand celebration was held and all the prominent members of the community were invited. The proceeds from the celebration amounted to 350,000 Tomans, and a considerable amount was also donated by the members of the association to the association’s fund.

As construction began, the shortfall was provided from the gifts that were given to the synagogues that were under the association’s supervision. Rafi-Nia Synagogue contributed two million rials, Levian Synagogue gifted one million rials, and the construction received one million rials by selling the Yosefzadeh Synagogue in Mashhad.

The construction of the Khorasanis synagogue began in 1970 after purchasing a land in the vicinity of the north of Valiasr Street. This synagogue, also known as the Zoroastrian Synagogue, occupied a plot spanning 840 square meters, with a substructure spanning 2000 square meters across four floors. It is located at 96 West-Valiasr Street. It was inaugurated as a Jewish cultural complex in early 1974.

The basement consists of a yard and parking lot, a complete suite for the accommodation of the caretaker, and a large part of it includes a modern and equipped kitchen, refrigerator, stove system, warehouse, and engine room as the heating and cooling system center.

The first floor includes the reception hall. Initially, on Fridays, this space served as a restaurant for lunch and family gatherings. Additionally, a section was allocated for the cultural activities of the youth from Mashhad.

The second floor serves as a spacious hall for hosting celebrations and gatherings, accommodating approximately 500 people. During the initial years of its operation, owing to the substantial turnout of worshipers, particularly during Tefillah ceremonies on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, this space also doubled as a synagogue.

The Khorasanis Synagogue, designed with modern architecture inspired by contemporary synagogues, has a capacity for approximately 400 worshippers, comprising 300 men and around 100 women. Situated on the third floor of this complex, it features a spacious hall adorned with unique ceiling designs, intricate decorations, and meticulously organized interior spaces, including seating arrangements, the prayer leader’s podium, and the Torah ark. Notably, the windows, symbolizing the twelve tribes through stained glass paintings, contribute to fostering a distinctive and spiritually uplifting atmosphere, rendering it a contemporary sanctuary for worship.

Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Haim was the first Chief Rabbinite (i.e. Shaliach Tzibur) of this synagogue. Currently, despite the migration of most of the Mashhadi Jews, Tefillah ceremonies are held on Shabbat and special occasions, and the reception hall continues to operate under the management of Engineer Rahmani to serve other co-religionists.

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