In a historic development, Syria’s social affairs and labor minister gave the green light on Wednesday for the establishment of a Jewish organization in the country for the first time.
Hind Kabawat, who made history as the first woman to join Syria’s transitional government cabinet, successfully registered the Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation (JHS). This significant step represents a major milestone for the Jewish community in Syria.
With this new status, JHS is now able to operate fully within Syria. This includes setting up an office, collaborating officially with both the government and local communities, and taking on the role of the formal guardian of Jewish historical sites.
The foundation’s registration also paves the way for managing the return of Jewish properties and facilitating regular visits by Jewish delegations to Syria.
As the newly licensed Jewish-Syrian organization embarks on its mission to reclaim previously confiscated properties, Henry Hamra and his son Joseph Hamra are seen reading the Torah inside the Faranj synagogue in Damascus on December 10, 2025. (Louai Beshara/AFP via Getty Images)
“Judaism and Syrian Jews have been integral to Syria’s religious and cultural heritage. Reaffirming their right to belong, visit, and reside in their homeland is a crucial step toward fostering a more just, tolerant, and inclusive society,” Kabawat expressed to Fox News Digital in a statement.
“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.”
Syria’s Jewish community, once numbered in the tens of thousands, dwindled dramatically after 1948 as restrictions and regional tensions pushed most families to emigrate.
Rabbi Henry Hamra, right, and Syrian Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Hind Kabawat receive the charter of the newly formed Jewish Heritage Association in Damascus Dec. 10, 2025. (Bakr Al Kasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Only a handful remain in the country today, and most synagogues have since been destroyed after 14 years of civil war.
Henry Hamra, a Syrian American Jew and president of JHS, and his son, Joseph, spoke with Fox News Digital from the Jewish quarter in Damascus about the landmark moment.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Rabbi Henry Hamra performs a prayer as he receives the charter of the newly established Jewish Heritage Association in Damascus on Dec. 10, 2025. (Bakr Al Kasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Hamra told Fox News Digital he has returned to Syria four times since former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s government was overthrown last year in a lightning offensive that ended five decades of family rule.
Monday marked 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 momentous occasion.
The long-standing Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, viewed as the United States’ most restrictive sanctions on Syria since its enactment in 2019, is on the verge of being rolled back, 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 heading to President Donald Trump’s desk for signature.
A Syrian Jewish man looks over the ruins of the Eliyahu Hanavi (Jobar) Synagogue outside Damascus on Feb. 18, 2025, during a visit from the United States. (Louai Beshara/AFP via Getty Images)
Hamra told Fox News Digital there are 22 synagogues in Damascus but most have been destroyed.
During a recent visit, he and his team saw the rubble 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.
“It still [has] their books [and] Torah scrolls,” Hamra said. “It’s a work of art, really.”
