For centuries, the minorities, particularly the Jews, in Iran were restricted and prevented from advancement in social and financial circles. By the end of the 19th century, western values, missionary schools and the Iranians’, particularly the Shah’s trips to Europe, allowed the Jews some relief and participation in social life. By the early 20th century, Jews enlightened by what was happening in Europe and their education at the schools of the missionaries and Alliance Israélite Universelle, realized that they themselves had to take care of the needs of their community, as help from the government would be long in coming. In this spirit, many organizations were formed and through them needs of the community were addressed, initially in the shape of clinics and the famous Sapir Hospital. At the same time, Jewish women in each and every city rose to the occasion and began taking care of needs of their community, initially through small gatherings and later larger organizations. This was quite innovative, as Jewish women were a restricted minority among a restricted minority. The most active of these was Sazman-e Banovan-e Yahud-e Iran (The Organization of Iranian Jewish Women), which established not only orphanages, but day care centers, schools for nursing and social work in Tehran (the very first in Iran). In the field of commerce, the Jews had been forerunners in cities like Hamadan from late 19th century. As soon as they were allowed to leave the mahallehs and could improve their financial status, they became very active various industries, among them, plastics, tiles and bathroom fixtures, which were among the first of Iranian products to be exported. Their activities however, were not always appreciated and rivalry and jealousy cause much scrutiny. This presentation will look at the elements that brought such achievements to such a small and downtrodden community and how they made a contribution to the larger Iranian society. It will also examine the role of the Pahlavis in this progress. Community papers, published Jewish and oral histories and memoirs and Iranian and Western travelogues, as well as the Bulletin of Alliance Israélite Universelle, are all sources of this study.