Rabbi Smuggles Sukkot Supplies to Iran, Syria

He smuggled goods to Syria in the midst of its civil war and to Iran in the face of international sanctions, but Rabbi A.H. is no arms dealer or James Bond. He’s just a guy selling lulavs.

A.H., a community rabbi in Europe who insists on anonymity, told Ynet that he managed to get 150 etrogs and five lulav kits to Jewish communities in Iran and Syria through a network of secret messengers and collaborators — and by handing out plenty of bribes.

Last year, the rabbi told Ynet, he tried to send etrogs to Iran through official channels, but they arrived at the Jewish community there full of holes. “These operations are so heroic and complex that they are just like Mossad activities,” he said. “If the details were revealed, people would faint.”