Israeli rabbis tour archaeological Aleppo synagogues in historic visit - Fraidy Moser

 

​ by Fraidy Moser

The site, located in the Al-Jemayliyah neighborhood, had reportedly been closed for decades. The event also included participation from an association operating in northern Syria.

 

Two Israeli rabbis visited Jewish synagogues and a school in Aleppo city during a religious-cultural event, marking the first visit of its kind in decades on December 2025.

(photo credit: SCREENSHOT/X/VIA SECTION 27A OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT)

 

A Jewish organization, accompanied by two Israeli rabbis, visited formerly closed synagogues in the Syrian city of Aleppo during a religious-cultural event, marking the first event of its kind in decades, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Tuesday, publishing footage of the event. 

The site, located in the Al-Jemayliyah neighborhood, had reportedly been closed for decades. The event also included participation from an association operating in northern Syria.

SOHR obtained video footage documenting the visit. The organization described the event as part of a series of unprecedented Israeli activities in Syrian territory in recent months.

During the visit, the delegation went to the archaeological sites of two synagogues in Al-Jemayliyah and Bab Al-Nasr. 

SOHR sources said security forces cordoned off the street and prevented anyone from approaching the synagogues.

عدسة #المرصد_السوري: افتتاح أول معبد ومدرسة يهودية في #حي_الجميلية بـ #حلب بمشاركة وفد حاخامي قادم من #إسرائيل وتحت حراسة أمـ ـنـ ـيـ ـة مـ ـشـ ـددة pic.twitter.com/l0oEs0nHzE

— المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان (@syriahr) December 9, 2025

The visit reportedly aimed to inspect the former assets of Syrian-Jewish residents. The governor of Aleppo reportedly vowed to address the matter and restore rights after networks of corrupt officials seized assets during the Assad regime.

The visit by the rabbis came weeks after similar activities in Damascus, which included unannounced meetings with local figures, SOHR added.

Since the fall of the Assad regime, the Syrian government, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly the Head of the al-Nusra Front, has shown willingness to constructively engage with efforts by the Syrian-Jewish community to document their property that has been lost and to protect the Jewish historical sites that are still standing. 

 Theia Chatelle contributed to this article.

Fraidy Moser

Source: https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-880005

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