A delegation of Syrian-Jewish Americans toured Damascus on Tuesday, with approval from the transitional government that took power following the fall of the Assad regime in December.
The visit, organized by the Syrian Emergency Task Force, a Washington-based advocacy group established in 2011 to support the then-Syrian opposition, included prominent figures such as Rabbi Yosef Hamra, a former leader of Syrian Jewry, and Rabbi Asher Lopatin, the director of Community Relations of Ann Arbor, Michigan’s Jewish Federation, alongside other Syrian Jews residing in the United States.
Syrian Jews return to visit their homes in Damascus for the first time in decades.
— Syrian Emergency Task Force (@syrianetf) February 18, 2025
Facilitated by SETF, this latest delegation marks a new chapter for post-Assad Syria, one that welcomes all religions and sects. #Syria #syrianjews #syriajewishcommunity pic.twitter.com/7ebFMXRhUb
During their visit the group toured the Jewish cemetery in Damascus, paying respects at the tomb of Rabbi Chaim Vital, according to Haredi Israeli news portal JDN.
They also visited historic Jewish sites, including the largely destroyed Jobar Synagogue, as well as the Al-Franj and Al-Raki synagogues and the Maimonides Jewish School.
Hamra, who was forced to leave Syria in 1992, described his return to his homeland after 33 years as deeply emotional. He urged Jews in the West to visit Syria and see its changes for themselves, suggesting that some might even consider returning.
