The gravesite of Mordechai and Esther, situated in Iran, recently fell victim to a devastating fire, occurring just a few days after the last Lag B'Omer. This unfortunate incident transpired on May 14, 2020, which holds historical significance as it marks both the declaration of the State of Israel and the Nakba of the Palestinian people

Investigation and Damage Assessment: About a month after the fire, inquiries were made regarding the extent of the damage, the restoration efforts, and the anticipated reopening of the site. A contact within the intelligence community was approached to gather information. Following an investigation, it was reported that the damage was more severe than initially claimed. The fire had reached the wooden boards enveloping the gravestones, causing damage to carpets and furniture, and leaving most of the walls covered in soot.

About a month after the fire I asked a friend from the intelligence community what happened there? What is the extent of the damage, does anyone take care of the renovation, and when will the place reopen? He promised to check for me

The next day he called me and said that the damage was serious, although officials in Tehran claim that the damage was very light. The fire licked for the bottom of the wooden boards that wrapped the gravestones, and the carpets and some of the furniture also caught fire. Most of the walls were covered in soot. I asked for photographs and references, and he referred me to a man who was born and raised in the Hamedan city, and immigrated to Israel as a teenager with his parents many years ago

Our meeting was delayed because of the Covid19. After a while, I met that person, whose name begins with the letter S, and he's keeping anonymity for fear of the safety of his family members left in Hamedan. A resident of Hamedan, identified by the initial 'S,' shared his childhood memories of living near the tomb of Mordechai and Esther. He used to frequent the site to pray for success in school exams. To provide insights into the condition of the site, He said that in his youth he lived near the tomb of Mordechai and Esther, and used to pray there for success in school exams. S' reveals that the tomb site had already reopened. The Iranian regime promotes a façade of "pluralism," purportedly not opposing Judaism and Jews but vehemently opposing the State of Israel and Zionism. This situation reflects the complex dynamics surrounding the Jewish heritage sites in Iran

Photographs were requested, with a promise to send images from his nephew in Hamedan. Recently, photos and a video from Hamedan finally arrived. Although the video quality was subpar due to an old-model cellphone. S' gives us a virtual tour of the place with the help of the video and photos

Tomb Architecture and Interiors: The tomb building is constructed from reddish-brown bricks, standing at two stories with a turret topped by a dome. This dome crowns the room housing the tombs. The entrance, reminiscent of Rachel's tomb, requires a symbolic bow to Mordechai. The entrance door is made of stone about 10-inch-thick and is less than 3 feet high. To enter, you have to bend, in a kind of bow to Mordechai. In the center of the door is a hole in which the tomb guard puts his hand in to release a hidden internal safety latch. Then he pushes the heavy stone with great force, and open the door wide

 Inside, three rooms serve various purposes, from lighting candles to reciting Tehilim. The walls feature inscribed verses and dedications, with posters in Arabic and Hebrew adorning the space

The walls are decorated with black stone panels, on which are inscribed verses and dedications. Posters in Arabic and Hebrew with prayers and explanations also hang in the room

Two steps down from one corner of the room leads to another gate, merely 2.5 feet high, with iron doors. This gate opens to the room containing the tombs of Mordechai and Esther. Each tomb is adorned with intricately carved wooden panels featuring verses from the Book of Esther. The tomb of Mordechai reads, "A Jewish man was in Shushan the capital, and his name was Mordechai ben Yair ben Shimhi ben Kish," while Esther's tomb bears the inscription, "Esther, daughter of Abigail, to keep this Purim again."     i

The current wooden boards covering the tombstones differ from those remembered by 'S' from his childhood. Today, they are made of heavy mahogany and bear a glossy varnish. It remains uncertain whether these are renovations or exact reconstructions of the original carved panels. Above each tomb, triangular wooden roofs are adorned with colorful silk scarves, symbolizing prayers for health and prosperity

Above each tomb is a kind of triangular wooden roof, on which are covered with colorful silk scarves. Iranian Jews had a custom that anyone who prayed for health would place a scarf on Mordechai's tomb. And one who prayed for subsistence and economy would spread a scarf on Esther's tomb

Crossing the small room, visitors encounter a stone covering the opening of a pit, once believed to connect to a narrow tunnel reaching Jerusalem, according to local legend. The room's walls feature stone plates inscribed with Hebrew verses

A remarkable aspect contributing to the preservation of this Jewish site is its significance to Muslims. Older Muslim women visit Esther's tomb to pray for safe childbirth for their daughters in advanced stages of pregnancy

Above the tomb of Queen Esther once hung a box containing a golden crown, which King Ahasuerus placed on Esther's head when he crowned her under Vashti. About a century ago the crown was stolen and later discovered at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The Jewish communities in Iran and France raised an outcry to return the stolen property. The museum quickly removed it from the display, and to this day they deny its presence in their hands. The Jews of Hamedan suspected the tomb keeper of stealing the crown and selling it. It was said that a curse rested on his family, as each of his children died prematurely before the age of 20

Adjacent to the tomb room is another small room. S' remembers that in its western wall facing Jerusalem there was a niche, inside which was a Torah scroll. In the video that we got from Hamedan, we do not see such a niche. It may have been covered with concrete and plaster as part of recent renovations. In this Torah scroll they used to read the "Maftir" on "Shabbat Zachor" before Purim

On the eve of Purim, thousands of Jews from all over Iran and abroad came to read the Megillah in Shushan. On the morning of "Shabbat Zachor" they prayed in various synagogues in the city, and after the reading of the Torah, they would come to the tomb to read the "Parshas Zachor" in this room, on non-stop shifts throughout the Shabbat. Only 20 worshipers could be crowded standing into the small room, so they hurried out and vacated the small space for other worshipers. The Haftorah and the Mussaf prayer were continued outside the tomb

History repeats itself. As in the days of Ahasuerus, also in our generation there are in Iran evils who think "to destroy and kill and to lose all the Jews from youth to old age". The evil Haman prepared a tree for the hanging of Mordecai, and in our generation the evil Ayatollahs are preparing nuclear arrowheads. The goals of the evils are the same, and only the technology is changed and updated

Conclusion: The enduring significance of Mordechai and Esther's tomb in Hamedan, Iran, reflects a cherished aspect of Jewish heritage, marked by resilience and renewal. The tale of preservation and shared reverence among various communities adds a unique layer to this historical site, reminding us of the enduring importance of its cultural and religious significance. We pray that the miracle of Purim will also happen to us "to pass on the evil of the Agagite Haman and his thought which he thought on the Jews", and we will also have the privilege of flying to visit Shushan and to pray on Mordechai and Esther tombs site

Photo: Wikipedia and Jacob Maor