History of the Jews in Syria

Jewish family in Damascus, 1910

Syrian Jews had predominantly two origins: those who inhabited Syria from early times and the Sephardim who fled to Syria after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain and Portugal in 1492 CE. There were large Jewish communities in Aleppo, Damascus, and Qamishli for centuries. In the early 20th century, a large percentage of Syrian Jews immigrated to British Mandate-Palestine, the U.S. and Latin America.

Following the Syrian Civil War, some of the remaining Jews of Syria left the country. [1]In 2024, the number of Jews in Syria are not precisely known but a significant number reside in the old quarter in Damascus alongside Arabs and others.[2]

  1. ^ "President of Syria's Jewish community passed away". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2022-09-22. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  2. ^ Jewish Population Chart in Arab World accessed April 8.2024