In a moment that many thought would never come, Syria has officially recognized a Jewish organization for the first time in its modern history, marking a dramatic shift in the country’s approach to its Jewish heritage and minority rights. On December 10, 2025, Syria’s minister of social affairs and labor approved the registration of the Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation (JHS), a milestone that comes just a year after the fall of the Assad regime and at a time when the country is tentatively stepping into a new era.
The move, reported by Fox News Digital and the Associated Press, allows the JHS to operate fully in Syria, establish an office, work with government and local communities, and serve as the recognized entity responsible for protecting Jewish sites. It also gives the group the authority to coordinate the return of Jewish properties and to bring Jewish delegations to Syria regularly—something that would have been unthinkable under the previous regime.
Hind Kabawat, the first woman appointed to Syria’s transitional government cabinet, was the driving force behind the registration. In a statement to Fox News Digital, she said, “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 added, “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.”
The Jewish community in Syria once numbered in the tens of thousands, but decades of restrictions and regional turmoil, especially after 1948, drove most Jewish families to emigrate. Today, only a handful remain. The country’s civil war, which raged for 14 years, left most synagogues in ruins. According to Henry Hamra, a Syrian American Jew and the president of JHS, there are 22 synagogues in Damascus, but most have been destroyed. “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.
Hamra and his son Joseph returned to Syria four times in the past year, after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad’s government in 2024. Their visits have been filled with both hope and heartbreak. During a recent trip, they visited the Jobar Synagogue, also known as Eliyahu Hanavi, one of the oldest synagogues in the world, now reduced to rubble. “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,” Hamra said. The Faranj Synagogue, he noted, is the only one that is largely intact, still housing its books and Torah scrolls. “It’s a work of art, really,” he remarked.
The registration of the JHS is seen as a landmark not only for the Jewish community but for Syria’s broader effort to rebuild after years of war and dictatorship. Monday, December 9, 2025, marked the first anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime, with tens of thousands of Syrians taking to the streets of Damascus to mark the occasion. The atmosphere in the capital was described as jubilant, yet reflective—a nation grappling with its painful past but looking forward with cautious optimism.
The timing of the JHS’s registration is particularly significant. As reported by Fox News Digital, the long-standing Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act—America’s most restrictive set of sanctions on Syria since 2019—is on the verge of being repealed. The full repeal is written into the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed the House on December 10, 2025, and is now headed to the Senate before landing on President Donald Trump’s desk. The potential lifting of sanctions could open doors for more international engagement, economic recovery, and, crucially, the return of minority communities who once called Syria home.
The Associated Press highlighted that the new Jewish organization was registered by a group of Syrian-American Jews as a nongovernmental organization, with the goal of restoring Jewish heritage in a country where the once-sizable religious minority has “shrunk to almost nothing.” This NGO’s mission is to preserve and restore the cultural and religious heritage of Syrian Jews, many of whom have maintained deep emotional ties to the land despite decades of exile.
The JHS’s establishment is not just about bricks and mortar—it’s about identity, memory, and the right to belong. For years, Syrian Jews abroad have watched as their ancestral synagogues and cemeteries fell into disrepair or were destroyed. Now, with official recognition, there is hope that these sites can be restored and that the history of the Jewish community in Syria will not be lost to the ravages of time and conflict.
Rabbi Henry Hamra, who leads the JHS, performed a prayer as he received the charter of the newly established organization in Damascus on December 10, 2025. The moment was captured in photographs showing Hamra, his son, and Syrian officials holding the official documents—images that would have been unimaginable just a year ago.
Still, the challenges ahead are formidable. Most synagogues are in ruins, and the Jewish population in Syria is minuscule. The restoration of sites like the Jobar Synagogue will require significant resources, expertise, and, perhaps most importantly, a sustained commitment from both the Syrian government and the international Jewish community. Yet, for the first time in decades, the path is open.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, speaking with Fox News Digital, noted the challenges facing Syria’s new government as it seeks to rebuild a society torn apart by war and sectarianism. The recognition of the JHS, he suggested, is a step toward a more inclusive and tolerant Syria—one that acknowledges the diverse threads of its history.
For many, the registration of the Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation is more than a bureaucratic milestone. It’s a symbol of resilience, hope, and the possibility of reconciliation. As Syria stands at a crossroads, the world will be watching to see whether this moment marks the beginning of a genuine revival of its Jewish heritage—or simply a fleeting gesture in a country still searching for its soul.
The story of Syria’s Jews is one of endurance and longing, but now, at last, it may also become a story of return.