The Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor approved the registration of a Jewish organization for the first time in the country’s history on Wednesday.
Hind Kabawat, the first woman appointed to Syria’s transitional cabinet, registered the Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation (JHS), marking a milestone for the country’s Jewish community.
This move will allow JHS to operate fully in Syria, including establishing an office, officially working with the government and local communities, and serving as the recognized entity responsible for protecting Jewish sites.
The registration also allows the foundation to coordinate the return of Jewish property and to bring Jewish delegations to the country on a regular basis.
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Henry Hamra, right, reads the Torah next to his son Joseph Hamra at the Faranj Synagogue in Damascus on December 10, 2025, as a newly licensed Jewish-Syrian organization begins reclaiming previously confiscated property. (Louai Beshara/AFP via Getty Images)
“For decades, Syrian Jews have been denied the right to celebrate their own cultural and religious heritage, and today we are taking a step toward long-term peace, security and stability. We wish the organization success in its efforts to preserve Syria’s Jewish heritage, and we look forward to deeper cooperation and a stronger relationship in the future.”
Syria’s Jewish community, which once numbered tens of thousands, declined dramatically after 1948, as restrictions and regional tensions pushed most families to emigrate.
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Rabbi Henry Hamra (right) and Syrian Minister of Family and Social Affairs Hind Kabawat receive the charter of the newly established Jewish Heritage Association in Damascus on December 10, 2025. (Bakr Al Kasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Only a handful remain in the country today, and most synagogues have since been destroyed after fourteen years of civil war.
“We are ready to start working on the synagogues and for all the people to come and see what we have here: a beautiful place. And we are ready for everyone to come,” he said.
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“It brings me so much joy to be able to travel regularly to Damascus and Aleppo. Syria has been closed to us for so long. The Assad regime would arrest anyone who even met or harbored a Jew. Today, Syria is finally back to its people, regardless of creed or ethnicity.”
Rabbi Henry Hamra offers a prayer as he receives the charter of the newly established Jewish Heritage Association in Damascus on December 10, 2025. (Bakr Al Kasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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 commemorate the momentous event.
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The long-standing Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, seen 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 in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The NDAA passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday and now returns to the Senate for final approval before heading to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.
A Syrian Jewish man looks over the ruins of the Eliyahu Hanavi (Jobar) Synagogue outside Damascus on February 18, 2025, during a visit from the United States. (Louai Beshara/AFP via Getty Images)
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On 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 that is largely intact.
‘It still is [has] their books [and] Torah scrolls,” Hamra said. ‘It’s actually a work of art.’
