In brief
Prominent members of the Syrian Jewish community, led by Henry Hamra and his father, are lobbying for the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria to restore the country's historical Jewish sites devastated by civil war and economic sanctions.
In a poignant homecoming, Henry Hamra, a Syrian Jew who left Damascus over 30 years ago, recently returned to his homeland for the first time since the civil war began. Alongside his father, Rabbi Yosef Hamra, he visited significant Jewish heritage sites in Syria, facilitated by the new government under President Ahmed al-Shara, a leader with past jihadist ties. Despite the hope the visit ignited for Hamra, he was dismayed by the damage inflicted on these sites, including the ancient Jobar synagogue and historic cemeteries, largely due to years of conflict and U.S. sanctions.Recognizing the profound need for rebuilding, Hamra has allied with Syrian American advocacy groups to lobby the U.S. government for sanctions relief. This request marks a strategic pivot from their earlier opposition to Bashar al-Assad's regime to advocating for support for the new government. Hamra asserts that the constraints of sanctions are the primary barriers to the reconstruction efforts essential for preserving their cultural heritage. However, the situation remains complex, as officials like Marshall Whittman from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee insist that any changes in U.S. policy should follow a track record of positive behavior from the new Syrian administration. The path ahead remains challenging, but the determination of members of the Syrian Jewish community signals a significant shift in their approach to support their ancestral homeland.
