Two thousand five hundred years ago, after the destruction of the first temple, some of the Jews were allowed to live in Iran. The national religion was Zoroastrian. About one thousand four hundred years ago, the Arabs invaded and conquered Iran and made everyone convert to Islam. But the Jews resisted the pressure and kept their identity intact. However, they continued to exist under oppression and as second-class citizens.

With the coming of Islam, a host of restrictions were imposed on the Jews, namely:

• Jews were considered unclean and dirty (Najes) and were not allowed to have physical contact with Moslems. Therefore, on rainy days Jews were not allowed to go out, with the chance that they might splash rain water on the Moslems.
• They weren't allowed to walk in the middle of the road where they might accidentally brush against Moslems.
• Jews had to live in restricted ghettoes. The ceiling and the gate to their houses supposed to lie low, and they could not paint the house white.
• In some periods, Jews had to wear certain type of clothing so that they would be identified.
• Jews were not allowed to open shops in main bazaars.
• Jews were not allowed to testify in legal matters.
• Jews were not protected by law in criminal matters.
• If a Moslem killed a Jew, he would pay a fine and would be free. But, if a Jew killed a Moslem, he would be hanged.

From time to time, there were movements to force Jews to convert. There were threats of being massacred or driven out of town. There is a city in northeast of Iran called "Nashad" where the whole community of Jews ostensibly converted, but were able to keep the religion underground. And eventually, they openly practiced the religion when times were better.

In order to adapt to the oppressive conditions, we grew to be timid, shy, overly cautious and afraid of confrontation. Jews made their living by being peddlers, small shopkeepers and moneylenders.

During Pahlavi ruling, there was some relief and protection that was when Reza Shah put mullahs out of power. The Jews then were able to make major inroads in commerce and medicine. I was never made to feel a true citizen of the country and never felt I belonged. I was often reminded that I was a Jew and different.

Now about The United States:
What has especially impressed me here is the significance and the power of the First Amendment and its ramification. For me, it has been like a breath of fresh air. Even though there is subtle and covert anti-Semitism in this country, I must say that I have not been hampered as a Jew or being a foreign born. What makes this country thrive is the lack of class-consciousness, diversity and the laws that discourage overt discrimination.

On the other hand:
This is a young nation, only two hundred years old. As much as I cherish the great Constitution, technological advances and tremendous economic opportunities, something here is missing. That is a sense of roots and connection. There are some who still enjoy the connection with the old country, but not all. We generally have substituted connection and security with placing importance on the tangibles and materials. We are driven by accumulating wealth, and once we reach that goal, there is nothing.