Syria registers first Jewish organization in nation's history

Syria's minister of social affairs and labor on Wednesday approved the registration of a Jewish organization for the first time in the country's history.

Hind Kabawat, the first woman appointed to Syria's transitional government cabinet, registered the Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation (JHS), marking a milestone for the country's Jewish community.

The move allows JHS to fully operate in Syria, including establishing an office, working officially with the government and local communities and serving as the recognized entity responsible for protecting Jewish sites. 

The registration also enables the foundation to coordinate the return of Jewish properties and to bring Jewish delegations to the country on a regular basis.

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"Judaism and Syrian Jews have long been part of Syria's religious and cultural landscape. Restoring their right to belong, to visit and to live back in their homeland is a natural step toward a more just, tolerant and inclusive society," Kabawat told Fox News Digital in a statement.

"For decades, Syrian Jews were denied the right to celebrate their own cultural and religious heritage, and today we take a step toward long-term peace, security and stability. We wish the organization success in its efforts to preserve Jewish heritage in Syria, and we look forward to deeper cooperation and a stronger relationship going forward."

Syria's Jewish community, once numbered in the tens of thousands, dwindled dramatically after 1948 as restrictions and regional tensions pushed most families to emigrate.

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Only a handful remain in the country today, and most synagogues have since been destroyed after 14 years of civil war.

Henry Hamra, a Syrian American Jew and president of JHS, and his son, Joseph, spoke with Fox News Digital from the Jewish quarter in Damascus about the landmark moment.

"We're ready to start working on the synagogues and to start getting all the people to come see what we have here - a beautiful place. And we're ready for everybody to come," he said.

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"Being able to regularly travel to Damascus and Aleppo brings me so much joy. Syria was closed off to us for so long. The Assad regime would arrest anyone who even met with a Jew or hosted a Jewish person. Today, Syria is finally back to its people regardless of faith or ethnicity."

Hamra told Fox News Digital he has returned to Syria four times since former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad's government was overthrown last year in a lightning offensive that ended five decades of family rule.

Monday marked the first anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime, and tens of thousands of Syrians took to the streets of Damascus to mark the momentous occasion.

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The long-standing Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, viewed as the United States' most restrictive sanctions on Syria since its enactment in 2019, is on the verge of being rolled back, with a full repeal written into the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The NDAA passed the House on Wednesday and now returns to the Senate for final approval before heading to President Donald Trump's desk for signature.

Hamra told Fox News Digital there are 22 synagogues in Damascus but most have been destroyed.

During a recent visit, he and his team saw the rubble of the Jobar Synagogue, also known as Eliyahu Hanavi, one of the oldest synagogues in the world.

The Faranj Synagogue, he added, is the only one largely intact. 

"It still [has] their books [and] Torah scrolls," Hamra said. "It's a work of art, really."