Syria approves the first registration of Jewish organizations in the history of the country

Syria minister of social affairs and labor on Wednesday approved the registration of a Jewish organization for the first time in the history of the country.

Hind Kabawat, the first woman appointed to the cabinet of Syria’s transitional government, registered the Jewish Heritage Foundation in Syria (JHS), marking a milestone for the country’s Jewish community.

The move allows JHS to fully operate in Syria, including setting up an office, officially working with the government and local communities and serving as the recognized entity responsible for the protection of Jewish sites.

The registration also allows the foundation to coordinate the return of Jewish properties and to bring Jewish delegations to the country on a regular basis.

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“Judaism and Syrian Jews they have long been part of Syria’s religious and cultural landscape. Restoring their right to belong, visit and live in their homeland is a natural step towards a more just, tolerant and inclusive society,” Kabawat told Fox News Digital in a statement.

“For decades, Syrian Jews have been denied the right to celebrate their cultural and religious heritage, and today we are taking a step towards long-term peace, security and stability. We wish success to the organization in its efforts to preserve the Jewish heritage in Syria, and we look forward to deeper cooperation and a stronger relationship going forward.”

Syria’s Jewish community, once numbering in the tens of thousands, declined sharply after 1948 as restrictions and regional tensions pushed most families to emigrate.

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Only a handful remain in the country today, and most of the synagogues were destroyed after 14 years of civil war.

Henry Hamra, a Syrian American Jew and president of JHS, and his son Joseph, spoke to Fox News Digital from the Jewish quarter in Damascus about the landmark moment.

“We are ready to start work on the synagogues and to start getting all the people to come and see what we have here – a beautiful place. And we are ready for everyone to come,” he said.

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“Being able to travel regularly to Damascus and Aleppo brings me so much joy. Syria has been closed to us for so long. Assad regime arrested all those who even met a Jew or welcomed a Jew. Today, Syria has finally returned to its people, regardless of faith or ethnicity.”

Hamra told Fox News Digital that he has returned to Syria four times since the government of former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled last year in a lightning offensive that ended five decades of family rule.

Monday marked the the first anniversary of the fall of the Assad regime, and tens of thousands of Syrians took to the streets of Damascus to mark the occasion.

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Caesar’s long-standing Syria Civilian Protection Act, seen as the most restrictive US sanctions on Syria since its enactment in 2019, is on the verge of being repealed, with a full repeal written into the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The NDAA passed the House on Wednesday and now returns to the Senate for final approval before going to the president. By Donald Trump signature desk.

Hamra told Fox News Digital that there are 22 synagogues in Damascus, but most have been destroyed.

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During a recent visit, he and his team saw the ruins of the Jobar Synagogue, also known as Eliyahu Hanavi, one of the oldest synagogues in the world.

The Faranj Synagogue, he added, is the only one largely intact.

“He still (has) his books (and) Torah scrolls,” Hamra said. “It’s a work of art, really.”