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Regarding the pilgrimage trip of the Jews from the Tomb of Harav Oursharga in the city of Yazd, Hassan Sarbakhshian, the photographer and journalist of Associated Press, and Parvaneh Vahidmanesh the Journalist of the Cultural Heritage Department, prepared a special report for Ofogh Bina magazine, which report is published here for your information: ********* Every year, in 28th of Hebraic month “Heshvan”, Iran’s Jews gather at the tomb of the Harav Oursharga to respect the prominent position of this Jewish mystic and religious scientist and benefit from his bounties more and more. Either before or after his death, he was (and still is) and a famous scientist among the Jews and non-Jews of Yazd and Iran. In the current year, more than 500 Iranian Jews from all over the country gathered in Yazd and they put flowers on the tomb of this religious leader, who died more than 200 years ago. At 8:00 a.m, almost all the buses gathered in the old region of Masjed-e-Jameh (General Mosque), which leads to the Jews’ district in Yazd, in which there are two old synagogues which still have prosperous activity, and they were ready to transfer the Jews. People and shopkeepers strangely look at the mass of population who are heading for Hadash Synagogue and they carry candles, which they have bought from candle-selling old man opposite the Mosque. When I walk from the earthen alleys of Yazd and I pass from the short and old corridors of the Synagogue and get to its pleasant yard, I encounter an astonishing ballyhoo. I see a large number of people, and the voice of prayer and devotion, laughs and greetings, new friendships and people who are receiving the breakfast dishes reveal the live presence of the people who are and will be alive. With my eyes I pause on the faces of the pilgrims who have come to this place from different cities and regions. 3 buses from Tehran, one bus from Shiraz, one bus from Isfahan and those people who have arrived in Yazd by their own cars or train, to get benefit from this spiritual atmosphere. I hear the acclamation and this is a 13-year old boy who, as of this date, has got to the age of Bar-Mitzvah, and can join the Jewish men. He is very lucky that his adolescence is celebrated at the presence of this population and with this manner. Chocolates are thrown to the air and acclamation and cheers continue. Everyone has chosen a corner and the members of every tour have gathered together. Local bread, Halva Ardeh (a special sweet), eggs, the smell of the tea and the voice of a man who is reading Bible. Life is going on in this place and one has a strange feeling. Aron and Mishkan are in the yard of the Synagogue. Men take out the holy Bible from the stand. Bible is brought to the Mishkan. The crowd stand up. Different accents and languages, next to each other, respect the one and only God. All this enthusiasm and devotion are due to the man for whom the monotheists still gather at his tomb after 200 years since his death. Old women and mothers standing on the platforms of the yard are looking at the young girls, whose chance for marriage may arrive one of these days. Zhila says she has come here to select a wife for her son and she will ask the Harav Oursharga to make them fortunate. An old man from Shiraz has chosen a girl from Tehran and she is looking for a paper and pen to write her phone number. Sometimes fathers come to help the mothers and so there are many proposals here. Zarrabian says; “such places are the best ones for finding the future spouse. It is a difficult job for the minorities to find a spouse and these places allow us to have a better selection.” Some of the young people and the Jews have also come. The young people whose noises double the spirit and joy of the atmosphere. Sometimes old men are seen telling their remembrances for their friends and young people. Parviz Minaei who has organized the travel of one of the buses from Tehran talk about his remembrances and about his relatives who have immigrated. Those who were present in the past years and now their seat is empty. Around 10:00 AM, the crowd are scattered from the eastern side of General Mosque (Masjed-e-Jameh), which is a Jewish neighborhood in order visit the historical city of Yazd. Most of the people go to Bazaar and they come back to the buses with bags full of souvenirs from Yazd. Then, they go to the Tomb of Harav Oursharga and the 2 sons. The tomb of Harav Harav Oursharga is situated in a large area with young olive and pine and … tress. On the way to Oursharga Tomb, there are some graves, on which no name is engraved, but they seem to be very old. On the transom of the tomb, next to the name of Harav Oursharga ben Harav Samouel, 135th descendant of the Prophet David, and the two sons, the Date 17 Iloul 5756, equal to September 1996 which shows the endeavors of Isaac Goharian and the Jewish Community inside and outside the country in reconstruction and renovation of his tomb. The Jews gather at his tomb and pray. There is a special silence in the small space of the tomb. A young person weeps and somebody has called to seek praying. A lady passes by and she talks about the benevolences of the mystic Oursharga , who could find the secretes of people by looking at their faces. Dian says; “Harav Oursharga was able to teach the Bible from the mouth of Elyahou Hannavi , and there is a quotation from Harav Bal Shem Toub that, although there was a long distance between them, but he has been in contact with him.” The crowd put their oblations into a small box opposite the tomb. Daniela, a Tehrani 10-year old girl prays for health of all people and she prays for her father David and her mother. She says she has come so that Harav Oursharga may satisfy her need. Hadieh Minaei wants to be successful in all stages of her studies and Albert says he likes to marry with his beloved girl and he hopes luck and fortune for himself. I look at the garden and the olive and palm trees. There is no shelter for the pilgrims to escape from the noon hot sunshine of Yazd, but they are sitting on the platforms of the garden and praying. We come out from Harav Oursharga ’s tomb. My companions are waiting for us in the shadow of the trees to come back to Tehran. In their faces, I can see a full hope to tomorrow, a hope one can find in a pious person after a spiritual day. The bus moves and everybody says goodbye to yazd and Harav Oursharga . When I sit in the bus, I review the history of Jews’ presence in Iran and I stare at the faces of every individual companion. One from Touyserkan, another from Isfahan, the other from Shiraz, and another from Kerman, and …. The bus passes the night and it stops at Qom roadside so that men read Tefila towards Ourshalim. And this is the presence of God in all minutes of human being… The nearby passengers and cars look at Jewish men surprisingly and anyone asks a question. I point out the spires of the mosque behind us, and I say; “and the God of the world is one and only God”. We arrive at Tehran at midnight. Everybody moves towards their homes. The trip is now over, but the trip of life and living as a human is still going on. |
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