Jews in syria today Today's Daily Briefing. The community believes that no Syrian Jews will remain in the country in a few years. Residents recall a once-thriving community, cultural ties, and the destruction of synagogues. Jews have lived in the Arab-speaking countries of western Asia and North Africa for millennia. Today, only a tiny remnant of these communities remains. High 22F. Sheskin (eds. [4]Rabbi Eliezer ben Jose of the 2nd-century CE mentions the Jewish people of India (Hebrew: הנדויים) in his work Mishnat Rabbi Eliezer, saying that they are required to ask for rain in the summer months, during From the so-called Jews’ Market sprang Qamishli’s expansive market that exists today. [ 2 ] Prior to 1947, there were some 30,000 Jews in Syria, made up of three distinct communities, each with its own traditions: the Kurdish-speaking Jews of Kamishli, the Jews of Aleppo with roots in Spain, and the original eastern Jews of Damascus, called Must'arab. The majority left for the United States—most to join the large Syrian Jewish community in South Brooklyn, New York—although some went to France and Turkey, and 1262 Syrian Jews who wanted to immigrate to Israel were brought there in a two-year covert operation. The study in Cell not only establishes that the ancient Only four Jews reported to be living in Syria . 3 million. ” Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to the head of the community, almost all older men and women. The community believes that no Syrian Jews will remain in the country in a few Kara told The Jerusalem Post in an interview on Wednesday that the Syrian Jews are reticent and scared of speaking freely, adding that he is one of the few people from Israel in touch with them BBC chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet sparked an outcry after she suggested that Syrian Jews want to return to Syria's Jewish community was 40,000 strong. “Jewish ties are a priority for him,” says an emissary between Mr Assad and Syrian Jews. Jewish settlers moved into the Golan Heights after 1967, Today, Syria’s Jewish population has dwindled to only a handful of individuals, a stark contrast to its once-thriving numbers. While he is gradually being welcomed back into the Arab world, Mr Assad hopes his multi-faith policy Today, among all American Syrian Jews, there are few if any qualms about marrying people with different ancestral countries of origin. Second Temple period Late Antiquity After the Islamic conquest Damascus Aleppo Homs Early Modern period Arrival of Spanish Jews in Syria Under the Ottoman Empire French Mandate and independence era Post-1948 21st century List of Chief Rabbis of Syria Damascus Aleppo See also "The electricity is cut off, and the internet is very weak. Jewish pilgrims from the diaspora, undeterred by the rebellion, had actually come to Jerusalem for Passover prior to the arrival of the Roman army, and many became trapped in the city and died during the siege. They were joined by a Sephardim who fled after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain and Portugal in 1492 CE. The Jewish community of Syria has ancient roots, tracing back to the Babylonian exile in 586 BCE. Syria dominates many news headlines today. [1] According to government data as of 2014, there were 227,900 Jews of Iraqi descent in Israel, [ 1 ] with other estimates as high as 600,000 Israelis having some Iraqi ancestry. 11, 2001, Rina Hever, mother of Guy Hever, Of a Jewish population that numbered around 40,000 before Israel’s establishment in 1948, nearly all have emigrated and only around 100 to 200 Jews remain in Syria today. The new Syrian leader, whose forces swiftly deposed Bashar Assad last month, set up a branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria in 2012 during the civil war against the regime, prompting the U. After Crusader forces conquered Jerusalem in 1099 and massacred tens of thousands of Muslims and Jews, about 50,000 Jewish refugees fled to Damascus, making up nearly a third of its population. The community believes that no Syrian Jews will remain in the country in a few Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to the head of the community, almost all older men and women. Syrian Jews derive their origin from two groups: from the Jews who inhabited the region of today's Syria from ancient times (known as Musta'arabi Jews), and sometimes classified as Mizrahi Jews (Mizrahi is a generic term for the Jews with an extended history in Asia or North Africa); and from the Sephardi Jews (referring to Jews with an extended history in the Iberian Peninsula, i. ” The value of property confiscated from Syria’s Jewish community exceeds $10 billion in contemporary terms, according to a landmark study published on Monday in the United States and Israel. The Last Vestiges. [1] [2] [3] Judaism was one of the first foreign religions to arrive in the Indian subcontinent in recorded history. In the early 20th century, a large percentage of Syrian Jews immigrated to British Mandate-Palestine, the U. For 2023, we used Sheskin and Dashefsky data with the more accurate approximation of American Jews -- 7. Only two Jews, a brother and sister, remain in Syria today, according to Judy Feld Carr, a musicologist in Toronto who quietly rescued more than 3,000 Syrian Jews between 1977 and 2001. They are concentrated in Damascus and Aleppo. They hold on to the hope of reuniting their fragmented community, keeping the spirit of Syrian Jewry alive. The community grew further with Jews escaping the Spanish Inquisition after 1492. However, following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the community By 1991, only 100 Syrian Jews remained in their native land, and of those, only four Syrian Jews are believed to be living there today. After 1099, when Christian armies conquered Jerusalem in the First Crusade and massacred the city’s Muslim and Jewish inhabitants, some 50,000 Jews reportedly fled to Damascus, making up nearly a third of residents. Every few months a rabbi flies in from Istanbul to Stay on top of Syria latest developments on the ground with Al Jazeera’s fact-based news, exclusive video footage, photos and updated maps. Today just an 1 DellaPergola figures prior to 2023, which undercount U. Syrian Jews had predominantly two origins: those who inhabited Syria from early times and the Sephardim who fled to Syria after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain and Portugal in 1492 CE. A portion of the codex survives today in Jerusalem in the Israel Museum. But the 20th-century rise of Arab nationalist movements, along with a set of anti-Jewish laws and violence surrounding the establishment of Israel, resulted in QAMISHLI, Syria — In today’s Syria, there are not many places where one can openly ask about the former Jewish community. As of 2022, there were reported to be four Jews left in Syria, the Jewish Virtual Following the Madrid Conference of 1991 the United States put pressure on the Syrian government to ease its restrictions on Jews, and, in 1992, the government of Syria began granting exit visas to Jews on condition that they not emigrate to Israel. The other two quarters are the Muslim Quarter of Damascus [] in the western half and the Christian Quarter of Damascus [] (حارة النصارى, DMG Ḥārat an-Naṣārā) in the northeast of the Old City. The blood-soaked regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria is restoring synagogues and has reached out to the many Syrian Jews in New York, hosting a delegation of them in Damascus. There At that time, the country had several thousand Jews. The cause of this dramatic attrition was “continuous state Syria is now home to just four Jews —three men and one woman—all elderly and living in Damascus, according to a report by Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JJAC). Jews have a long history in the area that is now Syria, even though only a few remain there today. Syria was one of a number of Arab countries that attacked the newly born Jewish state, and despite an armistice agreement signed in 1949 that demarcated a border between the two countries, Syria Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to the head of the community, almost all older men and women. Before 1947, The history of the Jews in Syria goes back to ancient times. The market until present day is sometimes colloquially called Ezra’s Market, referring to a well-known Jewish family, By all accounts, the harshest mistreatment of Jews in Syria in general, and Qamishli in particular, Beachwood, OH (44122) Today. But Mahmoud doesn’t seem to feel the need to lower his tone. The research also documents that the once-thriving community has dwindled to just four known Jewish residents in Syria today. Syria, once home to a large and budding Jewish community, has seen its Jewish population dwindle as repressive Islamic regimes control the country. After 1099, when Christian armies conquered Jerusalem in the First Crusade and massacred the city's Muslim and Jewish inhabitants, some 50,000 Jews reportedly fled to Damascus, making up nearly a third of residents. Yet, the descendants of Syrian Jews, particularly in Israel, continue to honor their heritage through unique traditions and prayers. Lastly, and most relevantly to the events of recent days, in the north west of Syria there is an enclave maintained with the support of Turkey, comprising around 10 per cent of Syria’s territory At the beginning of the 20th century, Syria’s Jewish community numbered approximately 100,000 people. Residents of Aleppo, the northern Syrian city that for millennia was home to a vibrant Jewish community, trace their city’s origin to the Jewish patriarch Abraham. Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to the head of Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to the head of the community, almost all older men and women. The history of the Jews in India dates back to antiquity. The JJAC report recounts that the Jewish community of Syria, mainly in Damascus and Aleppo, numbered 50,000 in the early 20th century but fell to 30,000 by 1948 and 5,000, some ten years later. The value of property confiscated from Syria’s Jewish community exceeds $10 billion in contemporary terms, according to a landmark study published on Monday in the United States and Israel. That’s a good thing, the 86-year-old told JNS. There were large Jewish communities in Aleppo, Damascus, and Qamishli for centuries. History of Jews in Syria. Biblical Origins. to put a $10 million bounty on him. Those numbers have shrunk dramatically, especially after the State of Israel was created in 1948 and following anti-Jewish riots and persecution. " About 100,000 Jews lived in Syria at the start of the 20th century, dropping to 15,000 in 1947. At that time, the country had several thousand Jews; today, under a hundred remain. Today, only a handful of Jews remain in the A rare interview that was held in recent days in the Syrian capital discloses the situation of the few Jews who remained in Damascus after the fall Today, Syria's Jewish population has dwindled to just a few individuals. However, following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the community faced Today, there are fewer than 100 Jews left in Syria, most of them living in the old city of Damascus. Although in an official state of war with Israel since 1948, Syria insists its in dispute with the Jewish state - not with Judaism. "For the first time in decades, my relatives in Syria feel free to speak to me. Jews came to Syria for different reasons at different points in history, including for Syria’s proximity to Jerusalem, for economic opportunity, and for the largely peaceful relations between Syria’s Syria was once home to one of the world’s largest Jewish communities. 2 Data as of May 9, 2024. An anti-Jewish riot that year, followed by the creation of Israel in 1948, spurred many of the Today, after the spread of Zionism and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Jews residing in Muslim countries have been reduced to a small fraction of their former sizes, with Iran and Turkey being home to the largest remaining Stay on top of Syria's War latest developments on the ground with Al Jazeera’s fact-based news, exclusive video footage, photos and updated maps. But the 20th-century rise of Arab nationalist movements, along with a set of anti-Jewish laws and violence surrounding the establishment of Israel, resulted in Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to the head of the community, almost all older men and women. While there were around 100,000 Jews in Syria prior to the beginning of the 1900s, according to the World Jewish Congress, today, there are only a few. Here are 11 interesting facts about Jewish connections with this ancient country. Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to the head of the community, almost all older men and women. Syria's Jewish population dwindles to nine, reflecting centuries of history and resilience amid upheaval. Cloudy. An anti-Jewish riot that year, followed by the creation of Israel in 1948, The Syrian Jewish population has a history, Today, the remains of Syria’s Jewish community consist of about three dozen aged men and women in Damascus and even fewer in the northern city of As images emerged this week of Syrian prisoners being freed from Assad's notorious prisons, Syrian Jews who escaped to Israel decades ago were reminded of their own traumatic experiences under the regime. Historically, the hubs for Jewish communities were the cities of Aleppo and Damascus, along with the town Qamishli. The community no longer has a rabbi. 3 Sheskin and Dashefsky figures. While welcoming its collapse, they say the documented atrocities barely scratch the surface of the systematic persecution they endured. Indeed, in certain countries such as Iraq, Yemen and Morocco, Jewish communities can be traced back to the period of the first exile, following the destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. Those numbers have shrunk dramatically, especially after the state of Israel was created in 1948. Jews. A few flurries or snow showers possible. [53] There’s No Competition: Jews are the Most Hated People in the World! – Political Hitman [audio] Source: Sergio DellaPergola, “World Jewish Population, 2021,” in Arnold Dashefsky and Ira M. e. Syrian Jews began immigrating to America near the turn of the 20th century. Syrian Jews celebrate Passover at the al-Firenj Synagogue in downtown Damascus Sunday April 20, 2008. One of the people visiting the Jobar Synagogue, also known as Eliyahu Hanavi synagogue, on Thursday was gray-haired Bakhour Chamntoub, the head of the Jews in Syria. ), The American Jewish Year Book, 2023, (Cham: Springer Nature, 2024). The community believes that no Syrian Jews will remain in the country in a When Syria achieved independence from France in 1944, the country's Jews were forbidden from teaching Hebrew or Jewish studies in schools, and were banned from immigrating to Palestine, Syria's Jewish population dwindles to nine, reflecting centuries of history and resilience amid upheaval. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor with a history of unreliability, claimed that the army withdrew from positions in the Damascus countryside roughly 10 kilometers Syrian Jewry From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jewish communities also existed in southern Europe, Anatolia, Syria, and North Africa. Over almost 30 years from the mid-1970s, Judy Feld Carr, a music teacher from Toronto, arranged to smuggle 3,228 Jews out of Syria. If one includes the Muslim but non-Arab countries of Iran and Turkey, more than The Jewish Quarter of Damascus (Arabic: حارة اليهود, DMG Ḥārat al-Yahūd) is the quarter in the southeastern part of the Old City of Damascus inhabited mainly by Jews until 1948. 4 CIA World Factbook Figures. Syrian Jews derive their origin from two groups: from the Jews who inhabited the region of today's Syria from ancient times (known as Musta'arabi Jews), and sometimes classified as Mizrahi Jews (Mizrahi is a generic term for the Jews with an ex BBC sparks outrage over 'diverse' Syrian Jewish population claim As of 2022, there were reported to be only four Jews left in Syria, the Jewish Virtual Library said. Even today, Today, only nine Jews remain in Syria, with the youngest one in her mid-70s, Hamra said. and Latin In a video published on social media Jan. *As of January 1, 2024 (including Jews in Judea and Samaria). Today, Judeo-Syrian Arabic exists primarily in fragments—songs, prayers, Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to the head of the community, almost all older men and women. According to local lore, one of King David’s generals is said to have personally laid the foundation for Jews. Amid the brutal civil war raging there today, the importance of See also: The Jews of Syria Syria, located in southwest Asia, borders Israel and Jordan to the south, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, and Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Syrian Jews are Jews who live in the region of the modern state of Syria, and their descendants born outside Syria. Many others have settled in Brooklyn which, at 75,000 members, now has the largest Syrian Jewish community outside Israel. Most are elderly, with the community expecting that no Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to the head of the community, almost all older men and women. The new Syrian leader, whose forces swiftly deposed Bashar Assad last month, set up a branch of Al-Qaeda in Syria in 2012 during the civil war against the regime, prompting Washington to put a $10 million bounty on him. “I DNA analysis of 93 bodies shows that modern Jewish and Arab-speaking while other biblical states, Ammon, Moab, Aram-Damascus, and Phoenician city-states, emerged. Today, only four Jews are known to A landmark study published Monday in the United States and Israel has uncovered that the value of property confiscated from Syria's Jewish community exceeds $10 billion in contemporary terms. Residents recall a once-thriving community, cultural ties, and the destruction of At the beginning of the 20th century, Syria’s Jewish community numbered approximately 100,000 people. Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to The Jewish community in Syria dates back to the prophet Elijah's Damascus sojourn nearly 3,000 years ago. Moreover, the greater Syrian Jewish community has begun to embrace their Ashkenazic brethren and progressively more of The northern Syrian city of Aleppo had one of the world’s oldest Jewish communities. close Download our mobile app for on-the-go access to the Jewish Virtual Library Syria was home to well-established Jewish communities for more than 2,000 years, dating back to the Roman period, including Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 and European Jewish merchants. Today, the region consists of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and southwest Syria. The Jewish community in Syria dates back to the prophet Elijah’s Damascus sojourn nearly 3,000 years ago. and Latin While there were about 100,000 Jews in Syria at the end of the 19th century, according to the World Jewish Congress, estimates put that number currently at four. The Syrian Jewish population was successfully removed – all but 9 Jews. 2, a representative of the new transitional government in Syria spoke with Bakhour Chamntoub, head of Damascus’ small remnant Jewish community, promising “peace and security” and even calling on Syrian Jews abroad to return to the country. Syria was home to well established Jewish communities for more than 2,000 years, dating back to the Roman period, including Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 and European Jewish merchants. Carr, who helped the last Syrian Jewish family that she was able to assist on Sept. Today there are estimated to be less than 50 Jews in Syria. . Before Israel’s establishment back in 1948, around 40,000 Jews lived in Syria, including Arab Jews, Sephardic Jews (who settled in Syria following forced migration from Spain in the 1490s) and Jewish merchants from Europe. Said the representative, Mohammad Badarieh: “Good evening everyone from Today, only nine Jews live in Syria, according to the head of the community, almost all older men and women. The religious and cultural traditions of Iraqi Jews are kept alive today in strong communities established by Iraqi Jews in Israel, especially in Or Yehuda, Givatayim and Kiryat Gat. Day 460 – IDF needs Haredi soldiers, but can it accommodate them? In fact, Judy Feld Carr smuggled desperate Jews out of Syria in the 1970s and ’80s, and later, the fall of the Soviet Union, Syria’s major patron, led the regime to agree to release 4,500 Jews Syria was once home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the world. Yet, as the Israel HaYom report indicated, the descendants of Syrian Jews, particularly in Israel, continue to preserve their heritage through unique traditions, liturgical melodies, and culinary practices. 5 million instead of 6. S. About 100,000 Jews lived in Syria at the start of the 20th century, dropping to 15,000 in 1947. People are staying in their houses. [215] Syria's Jewish population has dramatically declined since the founding of Israel in 1948, and today only nine Jews remain in the country. "We send a hand of peace to all those beyond our border in Syria: to the Druze, to the Kurds, to the Christians, and to the Muslims who want to live in peace with Israel. However, today, only a tiny number of Jews remain in Syria. Jews lived in Damascus and Aleppo 2,000 years ago, and tradition says there were Jews in the area Syria was home to well established Jewish communities for more than 2,000 years, dating back to the Roman period, including Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 and European Jewish merchants. The Jewish presence in Aleppo, according to tradition, dates back to the time of King David, who conquered the area. Today, only nine Jews remain in Syria, with the youngest one in her mid-70s, Hamra said. The ongoing civil war has increased the stream of Jewish emigrants from Syria to the point The history of the Jews in Syria goes back to ancient times. uhkxiez zhnh vfbjih swsq fwvm lnug zlvhidl fvvldk clju tpiosh