There are currently only four Jews living in Syria, all elderly, according to a report by the Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JJAC) organization. The three men and one woman live in the capital city of Damascus. Rabbi Dr. Eli Abadi, co-president of JJAC, told Ynet that until five years ago, there were 13 Jews in Syria, but some passed away and others left the country. Regarding the few Jews who remain in Damascus, Rabbi Abadi said, “They have their homes and don’t want to leave. They’re already accustomed to life there.” According to Rabbi Dr. Abadi, the four Jews aren’t afraid of the new situation in the country. “They weren’t afraid of the revolution in Syria or the fall of Assad. They don’t feel they’ll be harmed. They can leave but they’re used to life there. They’re already old and aren’t interested in moving to another country. They have relatives in Israel and New York and other places in the U.S.” Of course, there are no minyanim but they have a shul. “Assad didn’t touch them, but the Mukhabarat (Syrian intelligence) surveilled them. I don’t know if it was for protection or surveillance,” Rabbi Abadi said. JJAC Co-President Sylvain Abitbol told Walla: “Syria was home to an ancient Jewish community, with archaeological evidence of continuous presence in cities like Damascus and Aleppo, where at times the number of Jews even surpassed the number of Jews in Israel.” JJAC, which is dedicated to documenting the history of the approximately one million Jews who were displaced from Arab countries and Iran, seeks to raise awareness of the heritage and rights of these communities. “For 75 years, the world has ignored the mass displacement of over 850,000 Jews from Arab countries,” says Dr. Stanley Urman, the organization’s vice president. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)