Syria registers first Jewish organization in nation's history

Syria’s curate of societal affairs and labour connected Wednesday approved the registration of a Jewish enactment for the archetypal clip successful the country’s history.

Hind Kabawat, the archetypal pistillate appointed to Syria’s transitional authorities cabinet, registered the Jewish Heritage successful Syria Foundation (JHS), marking a milestone for the country's Jewish community.

The determination allows JHS to afloat run successful Syria, including establishing an office, moving officially with the authorities and section communities and serving arsenic the recognized entity liable for protecting Jewish sites. 

The registration besides enables the instauration to coordinate the instrumentality of Jewish properties and to bring Jewish delegations to the state connected a regular basis.

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Henry Hamra (right) reads the Torah adjacent to his lad Joseph Hamra wrong the Faranj synagogue successful Damascus connected Dec. 10, 2025, arsenic a recently licensed Jewish-Syrian enactment begins enactment to reclaim antecedently confiscated properties. (Louai Beshara/AFP via Getty Images)

"Judaism and Syrian Jews person agelong been portion of Syria's spiritual and taste landscape. Restoring their close to belong, to sojourn and to unrecorded backmost successful their homeland is simply a earthy measurement toward a much just, tolerant and inclusive society," Kabawat told Fox News Digital successful a statement.

"For decades, Syrian Jews were denied the close to observe their ain taste and spiritual heritage, and contiguous we instrumentality a measurement toward a agelong word peace, information and stability. We privation the enactment occurrence successful its efforts to sphere Jewish practice successful Syria, and we look guardant to deeper practice and a stronger narration going forward."

Syria’s Jewish community, erstwhile numbered successful the tens of thousands, dwindled dramatically aft 1948 arsenic restrictions and determination tensions pushed astir families to emigrate.

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Rabbi Henry Hamra (right) and Syrian Minister of Family and Social Affairs Hind Kabavat (left) person the charter of the recently formed Jewish Heritage Association successful Damascus connected Dec. 10, 2025. (Bakr Al Kasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Only a fistful stay successful the state today, and astir synagogues person since been destroyed aft 14 years of civilian war.

Henry Hamra, a Syrian American Jew and president of JHS, and his son, Joseph, spoke with Fox News Digital from the Jewish 4th successful Damascus astir the landmark moment.

"We're acceptable to commencement moving connected the synagogues and to commencement getting each the radical to travel spot what we person present — a beauteous place. And we're acceptable for everybody to come," helium said.

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"Being capable to regularly question to Damascus and Aleppo brings maine truthful overmuch joy. Syria was closed disconnected to america for truthful long. The Assad authorities would apprehension anyone who adjacent met with a Jew oregon hosted a Jewish person. Today, Syria is yet backmost to its radical careless of religion oregon ethnicity."

Rabbi Henry Hamra performs a supplication arsenic helium receives the charter of the recently established Jewish Heritage Association successful Damascus connected Dec. 10, 2025. (Bakr Al Kasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Hamra told Fox News Digital that helium has returned to Syria 4 times since erstwhile Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s authorities was overthrown past twelvemonth successful a lightning violative that ended 5 decades of household rule.

Monday marked the archetypal day of the autumn of the Assad authorities and tens of thousands of Syrians took to the streets of Damascus to people the momentous occasion.

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The long-standing Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, viewed arsenic the United States’ astir restrictive sanctions connected Syria since its enactment successful 2019, is connected the verge of being rolled back, with a afloat repeal written into the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The NDAA passed the House connected Wednesday and present returns to the Senate for last support earlier heading to President Donald Trump’s table for signature.

A Syrian Jewish antheral looks implicit the ruins of the Eliyahu Hanavi (Jobar) Synagogue extracurricular Damascus connected Feb. 18, 2025, during a sojourn from the United States. (Louai Beshara/AFP via Getty Images)

Hamra told Fox News Digital determination are 22 synagogues successful Damascus but astir of them person been destroyed.

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During a caller visit, helium and his squad saw the rubble of the Jobar Synagogue, besides known arsenic Eliyahu Hanavi, 1 of the oldest synagogues successful the world.

The Faranj Synagogue, helium added, is the lone 1 mostly intact. "It inactive [has] their books [and] Torah scrolls," Hamra said. "It's a enactment of art, really."