Tehran – Chabad Hasidim Smuggle Matzot Into Iran

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    Iranian Jew prays in Esfahan Photo: APTehran, Iran – Members of the Chabad organization smuggled a huge quantity of matzot into Iran in order to enable local Jews in the Islamic Republic to celebrate the Passover according to tradition.

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    Some 20,000 Jews currently live in Iran. The authorities allow them freedom to practice their religion, but forbid the import of Israel-made products to the country, an act that could cost a person three years imprisonment or the revoking of his passport for five years.

    The import ban causes a problem for local Jews, who are unable to bake enough matzot to feed the entire community.

    As a result, Chabad launched a secretive operation and smuggled one ton of matzot into Iran.

    The matzot were manufactured in Ukraine, and then delivered to a neighboring country of Iran. From there they were transported into the country through a border crossing where security is known to be relatively loose.

    Nevertheless, Chabad took no unnecessary risks and replaced the matzot’s original packages, which bore Hebrew letters, with blank packages ahead of the delivery.

    The packages arrived in Tehran on top of 10 buses and the operation was declared a success.


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    22 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    why is this being publicized.

    How Chabad!!
    How Chabad!!
    14 years ago

    You guys are just great!!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    please take this down as many people could have a major consequence from this

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    if the matzos were baked in Ukraine . why did they have to smuggle it in .??
    isn’t the ban for israeli products only?

    Son Of Dov Ber
    Son Of Dov Ber
    14 years ago

    Gee , Thanks for letting the whole world know…………

    Lmaan Hatorah
    Lmaan Hatorah
    14 years ago

    You dont think Achmajinijaj (or whatever his name is doesn’t read this).
    There is no point in publicizing this. Another bonehead move by VIN.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    They don’t have to “smuggle” matzos. Iranian Jews make their own in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz, and import kosher products from Europe all the time. It is not true that they can’t produce enough. They have been producing enough for years! Ask Rabbi Weiss in Antwerp! Why use the idiotic term smuggling, which implies something very illegal risking arrest and imprisonment?!

    satmer
    satmer
    14 years ago

    Stupit post! One reportet kills the sucess of it but chabad are just gr8 people

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Take this down!

    Jimmy37
    Jimmy37
    14 years ago

    So go ahead, advertise this to the world, so the Iranians will take extra care not to be embarrassed again.

    Jewish mother
    Jewish mother
    14 years ago

    The Iranian Jewish community of 35,000 bakes its own matzah as they have for 2000 years. What do they need with Chabad matzah from the Ukraine?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    Why is this being publicized??????? Morons…………..

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The way I interpret this is, nothing illegal occurred as they came from Ukraine, not Israel. Unfortunately, someone chose to use the word smuggle which connotes an that it was imported in violation of the law.
    It appears it was not an illegal import, but it was a major operation to get this amount in, so that is why it was newsworthy, but there is no fear of the law finding out by VIN publishing this.

    Just my thoughts.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    14 years ago

    The fact is that u are all right. The matzos were not smuggled in. They were imported. They were baked in Ukraine in the kosher Matzah bakery. It happens to be a fact that the Iranian community bakes enough matzah to cover their needs. The matzos from Ukraine have been imported in the past to Lebanon as well, where Israeli products are not permitted.

    Pushita Yid
    Pushita Yid
    14 years ago

    B”H
    Maybe the price of matzha in Tehran is as bad as it is here and its not they don’t make enuf… just the yidden there don’t “make enuf” (money) to afford it.
    I wast tempted to buy some of that $9 a pound (retail) Ukraine stuff this year but in the end decided to stick with my regular $18+ a pound stuff.

    bigwheeel
    bigwheeel
    14 years ago

    …OK. How was the Matzah “Smuggled” in. Some say they (Chabad) told Iranian Customs and Immigration agents, the Matzah was part of enriched Uranium to be used in their “Peaceful” nuclear (or as President GW Bush would say, “Nu-Killer” power program.!!!