At present, only nine Jews remain in Syria, according to the leader of the Jewish community, with nearly all of them being elderly men and women. The community fears that in just a few years, there will be no Jews left in the country. In a suburb of Damascus, the remaining Jewish individuals can once again visit one of the world’s oldest shuls, a place where people from across the region once gathered to pray.
The shul, however, suffered significant damage during Syria’s 13-year civil war. Parts of the structure, including walls and ceilings, have collapsed, and numerous religious artifacts are now missing.
Since the insurgents overtook President Bashar Assad’s government in early December, it has become safe for people to visit the Jobar suburb, which had been heavily bombarded by government forces while under opposition control.
Syria was once home to one of the largest Jewish communities globally, but that population has dwindled drastically, especially after the establishment of Israel in 1948. Currently, only nine Jews remain in the country, with most being elderly, according to the head of the community. The community believes that in a few years, there will be no Jewish presence left in Syria.
On Thursday, one of the visitors to the Jobar shul, also known as Eliyahu Hanavi, was 74-year-old Bakhour Chamntoub, the head of the Jewish community in Syria. “This shul means a lot to us,” Chamntoub said during his first visit to the site in 15 years.
Chamntoub had heard of the shul’s destruction but was not prepared for the extent of the damage, finding part of the building reduced to rubble. “I am frankly disturbed,” he remarked, adding that Jews from around the world had been contacting him, offering assistance for its reconstruction.
Despite the war, Chamntoub chose to remain in Syria while his 12 siblings left the country. He expressed contentment with his life in Syria, where he is surrounded by people who respect him.
Chamntoub also shared that he was one of the few Jews in the area who publicly expressed his faith, never facing discrimination. He noted that many other Jews chose to stay silent about their beliefs for fear of being labeled spies or collaborators, given the widespread hostility toward Israel and its perceived enemies in Syria.
The Jewish community in Syria dates back nearly 3,000 years, with roots in the time of the prophet Elijah. After the First Crusade in 1099, when Christian forces captured Yerushalayim and massacred its Jewish and Muslim populations, around 50,000 Jews reportedly fled to Damascus, constituting nearly a third of the city’s residents. Later, following the Spanish Inquisition of 1492, another group of Jews migrated to Syria.
By the early 20th century, Syria’s Jewish community numbered around 100,000. However, after the creation of Israel, Jews in Syria faced growing tensions and increasing restrictions, prompting many to emigrate, particularly to Israel, the U.S., and other countries.
Under the Assad regime’s 54-year rule, Jews in Syria were allowed to practice their religion freely, although they were restricted from traveling abroad, particularly to Israel, until the early 1990s. After the lifting of travel restrictions in connection with Arab-Israeli peace talks, a larger number of Jews left the country.
Before the outbreak of the civil war in 2011, Chamntoub and other community members regularly gathered on Saturdays at the Jobar shul for prayers. He remembered the Torah scrolls written on gazelle leather, along with the chandeliers, tapestries, and carpets, all of which have since vanished, most likely stolen by looters.
Barakat Hazroumi, a Muslim who grew up near the shul, recalled how worshipers would ask him to turn on lights or light candles on the Sabbath, as Jews are not allowed to perform such tasks. “It was a beautiful religious place,” Hazroumi said, adding that at one point, the shul was safeguarded by rebels. He noted that the entire area, including the shul, “needs to be reconstructed from scratch.”
Although Assad’s forces regained control of Jobar in 2018, strict security measures have made it difficult for many people to visit the area.
Under Syria’s new rulers, the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, there have been assurances that people of all faiths will be allowed to practice their religion freely. While sectarian violence continues, much of it has targeted members of Assad’s minority Alawite sect.
After visiting the shul, Chamntoub returned to his home in the old city of Damascus, close to the Maimonides Jewish school, founded in 1944 but now closed. Hebrew-language posters are still visible on the walls of the school.
This area, known as the Jewish quarter, contains many old homes, some of which are sealed with metal and marked with signs in Arabic stating, “The real estate is closed by the state’s Higher Committee for the Affairs of Jews.”
As the Jewish population dwindles, obtaining kosher food has become increasingly difficult. Chamntoub receives meat shipments from his siblings in the U.S. annually, delivered by travelers to Syria. In the past, he would visit the chicken market with a Jewish friend who would slaughter the chickens, but that friend is now too frail to help.
Nowadays, Chamntoub mainly prepares vegetarian meals, cooking for himself and Firdos Mallakh, an 88-year-old Jewish woman in the area who no longer has relatives in Syria.
Mallakh, when asked to greet an AP reporter with “Shabbat Shalom,” responded that it was not yet time, noting that “Today is Thursday and tomorrow is Friday.” She sat on a couch wrapped in two blankets.
Chamntoub, who works as a landlord, asked Mallakh why she had not turned on the gas heater. She replied that she was trying to conserve gas.
Chamntoub expressed hope that with Assad’s downfall, Syrians might experience more economic freedom. He added that in the past, the authorities had prohibited him from giving interviews without prior permission from security agencies. “I am a Jew and I am proud of it,” he affirmed.
With so few Jews left in Damascus, the city’s shuls hold no tefillos. Chamntoub is marking Chanukah alone at his home.
{Matzav.com}