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e. Syrian Jews ( Hebrew: יהודי סוריה Yehudey Surya, Arabic: الْيَهُود السُّورِيُّون al-Yahūd as-Sūriyyūn, colloquially called SYs / ˈɛswaɪz / in the United States) are Jews who live in the region of the modern state of Syria, and their descendants born outside Syria.
The Syrian Jews in Lebanon, along with the rest of the Lebanese Jewish community, would largely leave that country for Israel, Europe, and the Americas in later years. The Syrian government passed a number of restrictive laws against the Jewish minority. In 1948, the government banned the sale of Jewish property.
- Jews Have Lived There Since the Dawn of Our Nation. Before G‑d called on him to travel west to the Holy Land, Abraham, the father of our nation, lived in what is now Syria.1 Years later, King David captured much of that territory,2 which attained a status of quasi-sanctity, not quite like the Land of Israel proper, but not like the Diaspora either.3.
- There Are Halabi and Shami Jews. Ancient synagogue in Jobar, near the center of Damascus, named for Elijah the Prophet, and destroyed in the Syrian Civil War in 2014 (photo courtesy of Chrystie Sherman/Diarna.org).
- There Were Many Notable Syrian Rabbis. The classic collection Likdosim Asher Baaretz by Rabbi David Laniado lists hundreds of notable Syrian scholars, each of whom contributed to the advancement of Torah learning.4 Here is a sampling of some of the best-known scholars, some of whom called Syria home and some who just passed through
- Aleppo Had a Giant Synagogue Complex. Postcard showing of the outdoor section of the Great Synagogue of Aleppo (scan courtesy of Diarna.org). The Great Aleppo Synagogue (known locally as al safra, “the yellow”) was actually a complex with several synagogues, including an outdoor sanctuary that was used during the dry summer months.
Syria has had well-established Jewish communities since at least the Roman period. These have included a community of Arab Jews, referred to as Musta’arabi or Mizrahi, from the Roman period, Sephardic Jews who settled in Syria following their forced migration from Spain in 1492, and Jewish merchants from Europe.
Judaism by country. This article deals with the practice of Judaism and the living arrangement of Jews in the listed countries. Country. Jewish populations. Jewish history. Lists of Jews. Albania. Albania. South-East European.
CountryJewish PopulationsJewish HistoryLists Of JewsAfghan Jews, Bukharan JewsSephardi Jews and Mizrahi JewsArgentine Jews (mainly Ashkenazi and ...Kanfa Jews (mainly Ashkenazi Jews)Apr 19, 2023 · Syria covers an area that has seen invasions and occupations over the ages, from Romans and Mongols to Crusaders and Turks. It is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, including Kurds ...
3 days ago · Charles Gordon Smith. Syria, country located on the east coast of the Mediterranean Sea in southwestern Asia. The capital is Damascus. Find a geographical and historical treatment of Syria, including maps, statistics, and a survey of its people, economy, and government, in this article.
