Thirty years ago this week, philanthropist Habib Elghanian became the first Jew executed by Iran's radical Islamic regime after he was falsely charged and convicted of spying for Israel.
His death by firing squad on May 9, 1979, sent shockwaves through Iran's tight-knit Jewish community, which once lived in relative peace under the Shah. It prompted scores of Iran's nearly 80,000 Jews to immediately sell off or abandon their assets and flee the country.
At least 13 Jews have been executed in Iran since Elghanian.
This week, as local Iranian Jews commemorate Elghanian's death, The Journal spoke with family members, close friends and community activists who knew him affectionately as Haji Habib, a 66-year-old industrialist and community leader.
“My father wanted to return to Iran despite the turbulence there, even though we all implored him to stay in the U.S. He wanted to continue helping the Jewish community that had still remained in Iran and he also wanted to attend to his businesses there.
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