Few Jews persist in Damascus as community battles to regain footing after prolonged periods of conflict
In the heart of Damascus, the Jewish Quarter once bustled with kosher butchers, Judaica stores, and synagogues, reflecting a vibrant Jewish community. However, after the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, Jewish life in the city came to a standstill as all but a few dozen Jews left the country.
One of the remaining Jews in Damascus, Shatah, has watched the Jewish community she knew and loved crumble, with buildings she recalled from her childhood now mostly empty. Many residents' homes and other historical sites have their keys left with the few Jewish residents who remain, or their Muslim neighbors.
Some Jewish historical sites in Damascus have their keys with the Syrian General Security Service to deter theft. The Syrian government, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, has shown a willingness to constructively engage with efforts by the Syrian-Jewish community to document their property that has been lost and to protect the Jewish historical sites that are still standing.
Israel and the new Syrian government have been in high-level talks about a potential security agreement between the two countries. Despite this, Syria is still technically at war with Israel, as the Agreement on Disengagement signed following the Yom Kippur War is not a peace agreement, only an extension of a pre-existing ceasefire.
The homes of Jews who left Syria were transferred to non-Jewish residents under the rule of Hafez and Bashar al-Assad. The Jewish institutions in Damascus that have not yet reopened, despite peaceful talks with Israel by the new Syrian authorities, are the historic synagogues and Jewish community centers, which remain closed due to ongoing political and security tensions.
Shatah, one of the last Jews living in Syria, stated that there are only four other Jews remaining in the country. She and the other Jews left in the city have grown fearful in recent months due to rising sectarian violence. Shatah is still looking for a way to leave Syria but without a visa or political asylum, it appears that there won't be a way for her to reunite with her family in the short term.
Zisser, a member of the Syrian-Jewish community in the United States, believes it is unlikely that the Jewish community in Damascus would become a target of the Syrian government, but he didn't rule out attacks from non-state actors. Hamra worries that the issue will get worse as Syrians who were forced to flee Damascus during the war return to the city, causing a demand for housing in the Old City of Damascus.
The Jewish school, Ibn al-Mamoun, once had 850 to 950 students in attendance. Today, it stands as a silent testament to a once thriving Jewish community in Damascus. As the few remaining Jews in the city grapple with their uncertain future, the prospect of a return for those forced to flee so long ago, even if temporary, brings a glimmer of hope.
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