Yedidia Shofet (also spelled Shophet, and often referred to as Hakham Yedidia; November 14, 1908 – June 24, 2005) was the former Chief Rabbi of Iran and the worldwide spiritual leader of Persian Jewry.
Hacham Yedidia Shofet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 14, 1908 Kashan, Persia |
| Died | June 24, 2005 (aged 96) Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Resting place | Eden Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Nationality | Iranian-American |
| Occupation | Rabbi |
| Spouse | Rabbanit Heshmat Shofet |
| Children | Yaffa Nazarzadeh, David Shofet, Mussa Shofet, Morad Shophet, Abraham Shofet, Naima Abrishami |
Early life
editYedidia Shofet was born on November 14, 1908, in Kashan, Iran.[1][2] He came from a family with twelve generations of rabbis.[1] He moved to Tehran shortly after World War II.[2]
His family, who has a long lineage of rabbis, are Sephardic Jews from Kashan, Iran. He was fluent in several languages, including Persian, Kashi, Aramaic, and Hebrew.
Career
editIn Iran
editShofet served as the Chief Rabbi of Iran.[2][3] He became a liaison and spokesperson for Iranian Jews before the Shah, government officials, and Islamic clerics.[1][2] He was instrumental in persuading the Shah and other government officials in the early 1950s to allow Iraqi Jews, who had been forced to leave Iraq, to find temporary refuge in Iran before eventually immigrating to Israel.
Rabbinic Relationships
editShofet corresponded with rabbinic authorities of his day, such as Ovadia Hedaya[4] and Ovadia Yosef.[5]
Post Revolution
editFollowing the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the execution of Habib Elghanian, Shofet, along with thousands of other Iranian Jews, immigrated to Southern California.[1][2][3] While no longer working as a liaison for Iranian Jews, he continued to serve as a symbolic religious figure, urging Iranian Jewish families to preserve their Jewish tradition.[1] In the United States, Shofet, with his son and other community leaders, helped establish the Nessah Synagogue in Beverly Hills, California.[3]
Personal life
editShofet was married to Rabbanit Heshmat Shofet.[6] They had four sons--David Shofet,[6] Mussa Shofet, Ebi Shophet, and Morad Shophet--and two daughters--Yafa Nazarzadeh and Naima Abrishami.
Death
editShofet died on June 24, 2005, in Los Angeles, California.[1][2] He was ninety-six years old.[2] He was buried at the Eden Memorial Park Cemetery in Mission Hills, California.
Gallery
edit-
Hakham Yedidia Shofet and Rabbi David Shofet meet with Israeli President Moshe Katsav
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Hundreds attend the burial ceremony of Hacham Yedidia Shofet in Mission Hills, California - June 2005
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Iranian Jewish leader Hacham Yedidia Shofet has died, World Jewish Congress, July 01, 2005
- ^ a b c d e f g Karmel Melamed, Iranian Jewish Spiritual Icon Dies, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, June 30, 2005
- ^ a b c Nessah Synagogue website: History
- ^ Yaskil Avdi, vol. 8, Even HaEzer Siman 11
- ^ Yabia Omer, vol. 11, Even HaEzer Siman 54; Mishnat Yosef issue 19, Siman 21
- ^ a b Karmel Melamed, Nessah Honors Rabbanit Heshmat Shofet, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, November 16, 2009