The remaining few Jews in Syria are now able to visit the Jobar Synagogue, one of the oldest synagogues in the world, after the fall of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.
The synagogue, located in the Jobar suburb of Damascus, was partially destroyed during the Syrian Civil War, the Associated Press reported on Monday. The area was heavily restricted by Assad’s forces from 2018 until just a few weeks ago.
Syria only has nine Jewish people remaining in the country, the head of the Syrian Jewish community, Bakhour Chamntoub, told the AP.
Chamntoub, 74, took reporters with him for his first visit in 15 years.
“This synagogue means a lot to us,” he told reporters.
Syria's tiny Jewish community—now just nine members strong—revisits the 2,700-year-old synagogue in Jobar, Damascus, heavily damaged by the Assad regime.It’s great to see Syrian Jews returning to Syria. pic.twitter.com/rqmXkdCkpl
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) December 30, 2024
Upon returning to the site, however, the head of Syria’s Jewish community was shocked by the state the synagogues were left in.
“I am frankly disturbed,” he told the AP.
He recalled Torah scrolls made on antelope leather, rich tapestries, and chandeliers. He believes looters have taken it all.
Historic Jewish landmark
The temple, also known as Eliyahu Hanavi Synagogue, was reportedly built atop a cave that, legend has it, was used by the prophet Elijah to hide from persecution from King Ahab. It’s believed that Elijah’s successor, the prophet Elisha, built the synagogue around 720 BCE.
Chamntoub stayed in Syria during the 13 active years of the civil war while all 12 of his siblings left. He told the AP that he never incurred discrimination in Syria but added that others prefer not to speak out in the same way he does for safety reasons. He told the AP that he was contacted by Jewish people from around the world looking to help.
Syrian Jews believe no Jews will remain in the country within the next few years; there were around 100,000 Jews in Syria at the start of the 20th century. Much of the community left for the US or Israel around 1948 following Israel’s creation and the tensions and restrictions that followed.
Chamntoub told the AP he hopes Syrians will see more freedom in all areas of life after Assad’s fall. He noted that before the fall of the regime, he had been unable to give interviews to the media without state clearance. “I am a Jew, and I am proud of it,” he told the AP.
The new HTS-backed government in Syria says it will allow all religions to practice freely. However, there have already been documented attacks against members of the Alawites, the ethnoreligious group Assad was part of.