Syrian Jews


Figure 1.-- The Zeibak sisters, four Syrian-Jewish girls (three sisters and their cousin), were raped, killed, and mutilated while trying to flee to Israel (1974). Clockwise from top left are Fara Zeibak, Mazal Zeibak, Eva Saad and Lulu Zeiba. The opepetrators were not procecuted. Source: National Task Force for Syrian Jews of the Canadian Jewish Congress.

Jews have a long history in Syria. Large areas of the Assyrian Empire were part of what is now modern Syria. After the Assyrian comquest of the Jews, substantial numbers were exiled to other areas of the Empire. As these exiles disappeared to history, they became the Lost Tribes of Israel. They are believed to have assimilated with the local population. Other Jewish communities were established during the Roman era. Syria was part of a series of empires (Byzantine, Arab, and Ottoman). The League of Nations after Wold War assigned a mandate to France (1922). At the time of World War II there were about 30,000 Jews in Syria. There were three major Jewish communities in Syria. Kurdish-speaking Jews were centered in Kamishli. Jews of Spanish ancestry were concentrated in Aleppo. Jews desended from the original eastern Jewish community lived primarily in Damascus and were referred to as the Must'arab. The status of these Jews changed radically with the fall of France (June 1940) and the formation of the Vichy Government. Syria and Lebenon (administered as part of Syria) were only two Vichy controlled colonies around the Mediterrean. Vichy also controlled Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Vichy's 1940 anti-Jewish regulations were extended to all these jurisdictions. The Vichy regulations involved a range of persecution and denial of of rights. Committees for Aryanization were established and the citzenship of French Jews was revoked. Camps were established abd many Jews internened. The pattern differed somewhat in each jurisdiction with Tunisia adopting particularly harsh regulsations in 1941. The Vichy High Commissioner in Syria, Henri Dentz, was planning to open concentration camps, but theBritish and Free French forces seized control of Syria before he was able to do so. [Stillman, p. 146.] As a result of Vichy support for the pro-Germanm Rashid Ali revolt in Iraq, British and Free French forces occupied Syria (June-July 1944). About 1,350 Syrian Jews were transported to Palestine in a complicated operation as part of the Aliyah effort. The Jewish community in Syria gained only a brief respite from persecution. After Syria achieved independence, the government prohibited Jewish immigration to Palestine. Other regulations followed as well as attacks on Jews.

Ancient History

Jews have a long history in Syria. Large areas of the Assyrian Empire were part of what is now modern Syria. After the Assyrian comquest of the Jews, substantial numbers were exiled to other areas of the Empire. As these exiles disappeared to history, they became the Lost Tribes of Israel. They are believed to have assimilated with the local population. Other Jewish communities were established during the Roman era. There was a well preserved syyanogue sating to the 3rd century AD at the Roman settlement Dura Europos in what is now eastern Syria. It was larger than smaller churches and had beautiful frescos illustratung Torah/Old Testament stories. Tragically it was destroyed by Isis. We think the frescos had been previously removed to Damasacus.

Empires

Syria was part of a series of empires (Byzantium, Arab, and Ottoman), one Christian and two Islamic. Byzantium oppressed both non-conforming Christians and Jews. The oppression of non-Orthodox Christian sects was a factor in the relatively easy Arab conquest of the Levant, a part of the Bzantine Empire (7th century), and the creation of the Cliphate. The Levnt was controlled by various Arab empires (Arab Caliphate and Egyptian Mamelukes). The Seljuks Turks Turks controlled the area for a while. At the time Muslim regimes, both Arab and Turkish were more tolerant of Jews than both the Byzantines and Christian West. The Crusaders were especially brutal toward Jews (11-13th centuries). When Isabel and Ferdinand expelld the Spanish Jews (1492), many of the Sephardic Jewish exiles soughth refuge in Mediterranean countries, primarily the Muslim countries. This included Syria, which at the time was controlled by the Mameluke sultanate of Egypt. They came in mumbers enabling them to form their own communities, but soon began to achieve positions of rabbinic and communal leadership in Syria. Social distinctions persisted between the new Sephardim and the native Jewish communities. It took decades for the two groups to accept each other, but largely occurred by the end of the century (16th century). Ottoman Sultan Selim I defeated the Mamelukes forces. The Levnt and Eypt becam part of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans were largely tolerant toward Jews. A factor here was that as an imperial power ruling non-Turks, in the cse of Syria and the Levnt in general Arabs, the Jews were basically trustworthy. As a result, the Ottomans tended to protect the Jews from periodic outbreaks of Arab violence. This protection attrached Jews in the Christian West, espcisly Italin, mny of whom were of Sephardic origin (17th-19th centuries). This included Jews whosettled in Syria. Here the numbers were not as large as the wave of Spanish Jews, but in brought in a number of successful merchants. And it created a rather complicated situation. When possible they retained their European nationality. his placed them under the jurisdiction of the consular courts establishged as part of the Ottoman Capitulations. This was a different status than the dhimmis under Islamic law. These newly arrived European Jews became known as Señores Francos. Because of their wealth they adopted a sense of social superiority to the native Jews, both Musta'arabi and Sephardi. They did not build their own separate synagogues, but in many cases held services in their homes. There were also a few Baghdadi Jews who claimed British nationality as a result of family ties in India. There were especially important Jewish communities in Aleppo and Damascus. They were adversely affected by the European maritime outbreak (16th century). Trade between East and West shipted from the overland Silk and Spice Roads to maritime commerce. A huge shift occurred with the Suez Canal (1869). Many Syrian Jews moved to Egypt. We also see movement of the Syrian Jewsin Egypt to Britain. They were following the cotton trade. .[Collins] Some Jews there emigrated to Latin America (Mexico and Argentina), countries where British traders were active. Some Syrian Jews migrated to New York City (beginning about 1908). We are not sure what occurred in 1907/08 that caused this spike of emigration. The Brooklyn community as a result of the Jewish departure from Syria is now the world's largest Syrian Jewish community.

French Mandate

The League of Nations after Wold War assigned a mandate to France (1922). At the time of World War II there were about 30,000 Jews in Syria. There were three major Jewish communities in Syria. Kurdish-speaking Jews were centered in Kamishli. Jews of Spanish ancestry were concentrated in Aleppo. Jews desended from the original eastern Jewsish community lived primarily in Damascus and were referred to as the Must'arab. French authorities at the time discouraged Zionism and any expression of it. They saw Zionism as a tool of British colonial policy which is rather surprising given British policy in Palestine. Presumably they were influenced by the Nlfour letter offering Jews a honelnd in Palestine. The Syrian Jewish community accustomec to protection by Ottoman and French officials showed little interest in Zionism. There was little appreation for future independence and how they would be treated by an Arab majority governmnt. Anti-Semitism began to rise in the inter-War era. The Grand Mufti and many clerics in Palestine objected to and began to resist Zionism and the influx of Jewish immigrants. This affected Arab thought throughout the Levant and Egypt. As a French territory, French law prevailed in Syria. This fully enrachised Jews, giving them even miore rights than under Ottoman rule. This and the rise of the NAZIs resulted in increasing animosity and even attacks on Jews. As a result, for the first time Jews in Syrin and Lebbon (another French Mndate) began taking an interest in Zionism nd tryong to get to Pslestine. Most Syrian Jews were shocked by the fall of France and thge Vichy actions againstr Jews. As a result, after the British seized Syria during World War II, you begin to see Syrian Jewish migration to Palestine. About 4,500 Jews arrived left from Syria and Lebanon for Palestine (1942-47). [Zenner, p. 82.]

World War II

The status of these Jews changed radically with the fall of France (June 1940) and the formation of the Vichy Government. Syria and Lebenon (administered as part of Syria) were not the only two Vichy controlled colonies around the Mediterrean. Vichy also controlled Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Vichy's 1940 anti-Jewish regulations were extended to all these jurisdictions. The Vichy regulations involved a range of persecution and denial of of rights. Committees for Aryanization were established and the citzenship of French Jews was revoked. Camps were established abd many Jews internened. The pattern differed somewhat in each jurisdiction with Tunisia adopting particularly harsh regulsations in 1941. The Vichy High Commissioner in Syria, Henri Dentz, was planning to open concentration camps, but the British and Free French forces seized control of Syria before he was able to do so. [Stillman, p. 146.] As a result of Vichy support for the pro-German Rashid Ali revolt in Iraq, British and Free French forces occupied Syria (June-July 1944). About 1,350 Syrian Jews were transported to Palestine in a complicated operation as part of the Aliyah effort.

Independence

We have seen different asswssments concerning the number of Jews in Syria, rangunbg around 15,000-40,000. The Jewish community enjoyed only a brief respite from Vichy persecution. France granted Syria independence (1946). This mean that French law which recognized no dufference in relgion was replaced by majority Arab rule. The Arab officials who took control included many secuarists, but even so they had generally negative attitudes towards Jews and Zionism in neigboring Palestine. They also understood the anti-Semetic attitudes of much of the population. Violent attacks on Jews escalated. Boycotts were called for in Mosques on Jewish businesses. Anti-Jewish laws and regulations soon followed. The Syrian government immediately banned Jewish immigration to Palestine. The penlties for trying to reach Paslestine included death penalty or imprisonment at hard labor. The Government began resticting the teaching of Hebrew in Jewish schools. The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, which involved an independent Israel outraged the Arab population (1947). Old fashioned Arab pogroms resulted, the attacks in Damascus and Aleppo were particularly bloody. And unlike Ottoman and French authorities, the new Syrian Government officals were not all that interested in controling the violence. The Aleppo pogrom staggered the Jewish community. It left 75 Jews murdered and hundreds injured. More thsn 200 Jewish homes, shops, and synagogues were destroyed. Authorities did not procecute those responsible for the violence. Syrian Jews began emigrating in the thousands. Many illegally crossed the border into Palestine, especially after the First Arab-Israeli War broke out and they had open aid from the Israelis (1948). Violent attacks on Jews continued in Syria. Arab terrorists launched a grenade attack on the Menarsha synagogue in Damascus (August 1949). The attackers killed 12 people and injuring dozens.

Sources

Collins, Lydia. The Sephardim of Manchester: Pedigrees and Pioneers (Manchester: 2006).

Stillman, Norman. The Jews of Arab Lands in Modern Times (New York: Jewish Publication Society, 1991).

Zenner, Walter P. (2000). A Global Community: The Jews from Aleppo, Syria (Wayne State University Press: 2000).






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Created: 7:25 PM 10/31/2018
Last updated: 2:22 PM 9/25/2020