Habib Levy

Dr. Habib Levy is the author of the Comprehensive History of the Jews of Iran: The Outset of the Diaspora. He was born in October 1896 in Tehran, Iran and died in 1984 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 88.

Habib Levy was born to a middle-class family in Tehran, Iran. He began his studies as a youth in Paris, France and was greatly influenced by the social and cultural movements in Europe at the turn of the 20th century. After returning to his native Iran, Levy pursued various memberships and leadership positions in a few local Jewish organizations. In 1920, he was chosen as a board member of the central branch of the Iranian Zionist Movement as Inspector General. In 1926, he was appointed to the post of Vice President. During World War II, Levy played a significant role in the transfer of thousands of Jewish children from Poland who had escaped their war-torn birthplace to emigrate to Israel, while temporarily taking refuge among members of the Jewish community of Tehran.

Over the following forty years, Dr. Levy performed extensive research on the history of the Jews of Iran. No such detailed work had ever been done prior to this endeavor. He traveled to many countries and researched various sources in order to obtain the objective documentation necessary to author his book which was first published in Persian in 1960. Levy was still in the active pursuit of his extensive research on the history of Iranian Jews prior to his death at the age of 88 in Los Angeles, California. He is buried in Israel by his family as he wished.

In 1998, the University of California Los Angeles created the "Habib Levy Distinguished Visiting Professorship In Judeo-Persian Studies". Tel Aviv University's Center for Iranian Studies has dedicated the "The Dr. Habib Levy Program" to the advancement of academic study of the Jews of Iran in his honor.

In 1999, the original 3 volume book written by Levy in Persian was abridged by Hooshang Ebrami, translated into English by George Maschke and published in one volume by Mazda Publishers in Costa Mesa, California.