When coming up with a list of countries to “visit” this Sukkot as part of our “around the world” Sukkot experience, we knew we had to put Syria into the mix, given all the current events there – and knowing of its rich Jewish past.
There are two historic Jewish communities in Syria, that date back thousands of years. In both, there are ancient synagogues that will still standing before the current conflict, and perhaps (hopefully!) still are.
THE SYNAGOGUE AT JOBAR
Jobar is a suburb/neighborhood of Damascus that has seen heavy fighting in this ongoing Civil War. Historically it was a Jewish neighborhood, and is home to one of the oldest synagogues in the world. Today it is a rebel stronghold. Visits to the synagogue at Jobar were recorded by visitors going back 500 years, several visitors made note of its 13 large pillars. Many say that it is the synagogue that Rafram bar Papa of the Talmud visited (and was corrected by the congregation) which goes back more than 1600 years. Legend – recorded on a stone in the synagogue – has it that Elijah the Prophet hid in a cave below this building! News sites reported that the synagogue was targeted in attacks last Spring, and again this Fall, but there are no specific details. The last wave of Jews left Damascus when permission was granted in the early 1990’s, but some elderly Jews remained, most living adjacent to the Jobar synagogue. We pray for their safety, as the last remnant of Jews in Syria, from a long and proud history.
THE SYNAGOGUE AT ALLEPO
Allepo (also known as Haleb, or Aram-Zoba) is one of the world’s oldest cities, and was home to an earliest and authoritative version of the Bible. The synagogue of Allepo is remembered in a model built in Tel-Aviv’s Beit HaTefutzot Museum of the Diaspora. No Jews remain in Allepo, and the synagogue has long not been in use, but leading up to the recent fighting it has been said to remain intact.