A delegate of Syrian Jews residing in the United States arrived, for the first time since their “coerral” departure in 1992.
This visit comes more than two months after the fall of the regime and the appointment of Ahmed Al -Shara as President of Syria in.
The Jewish delegation includes prominent figures from the Syrian community in the United States, including the most prominent faces of the sect, Rabbi Youssef Hamra, and Rabbi Ashir Lionan, along with a number of Syrian Jewish residing there.
Social and cultural dimensions
The visit of the Jewish delegation includes sites of historical and cultural importance, such as the graves of the Syrian Jewish, and the historic Kennis Jobar, which was destroyed by the Assad regime during the years of the Syrian conflict, in addition to the Jewish district in Damascus, and the tomb of Rabbi Haim Vital.
The Assad regime prohibited the remaining Jews in Syria, from visiting the Jobar synagogue, to the day of its fall, for unknown reasons, and the head of the Syrian Jewish community, in the Awkour Shamnhoub, was the first to visit the synagogue, 3 weeks ago.
Activists considered that today’s visit carries social and cultural dimensions, and comes as part of efforts to explore the policies of the new Syrian government, in addition to seeing the conditions of the Musawi community in Syria.
Opening of the new administration
Since it took power, the new Syrian administration has sent the reference after the other to open up to the Syrian Jews, in the indication of some of it to assure Israel over the intentions of the new administration, despite the hard -line Israeli position so far towards the Syrian authorities.
As for the most expressive sign towards Israel, observers say, it came through the “Jews of the Levant” to return to Syria. Where Ahmed Badria, the representative of Ahmed Al -Shara, called on the Jews of Syria to return to the country, and to build it “under the new Syria”, while the “Jews of the Levant” page on the social networking site “Facebook” published a message of thanks to the new government in Syria for its support for the return of the Jews of the Levant, He also thanked the leader Ahmed al -Shara and the actor Ahmed Badria for his invitation to the Syrian Jews to return to their homes.
The publication said: “Thank you to the new government in Syria … Thank you, leader Ahmed Al -Shara, for circumventing the components of the Syrian people in all its sects and doctrines … Thank you for the actor, Mr. Ahmed Badria, by inviting the Syrian Jews to their country, Syria.”
The page called on the Jews of the Levant to return, where she wrote: “Go back, O Jews, to celebrate together and visit the Jobar synagogue and we restore together what they sabotaged .. Go back to your homes that they robbed of you … and for your shortcomings that they forced you to sell .. Here Damascus .. Here the elders of the Jews are from the Jews Those who made the most beautiful thing in Damascus and Aleppo from industries that the world has never made .. Return safely and safely to return the country Packing with you and your love .. Come and open the doors of your homes, your shops, your shops and your sweep .. Come, and Damascus opened its arms to receive you.
Building a church of Eliahu Hanabi
It seems that the reconstruction of the Jobar synagogue will be the top of the priorities of the Syrian -Jewish delegation, as Badour Shamnouneh, the head of the Jewish sect in Syria, announced that continuity took place recently with the expatriate Jews, and that they have expressed their desire to rebuild the “Eliao Hanabi” synagogue in the Jobar Al -Dimashqi neighborhood And that was destroyed during the 13 -year war.
The Eliahu Hanabi Church is considered one of the oldest Jewish temples in the world, and it represents a large part of the history of the Jewish community in Syria, and its valuable holdings were affected by the Syrian war.
The Syrian Jewish diaspora extends to the world, and most of them live in the United States or Israel, but the hope of returning is still present, albeit fraught with difficulties.
