In a stunning shift, Syria’s transitional government has officially recognized the Jewish Heritage in Syria Foundation (JHS), making it the first Jewish organization registered in the country since its independence in the 1940s. The move comes under the leadership of Social Affairs and Labor Minister Hind Kabawat and reflects broader reforms supported by President Donald Trump’s administration following the overthrow of Bashar Assad.
The registration grants JHS the right to open offices, partner with government agencies, and oversee restoration of Jewish sites across Syria. Kabawat praised the decision as a step toward “a more just, tolerant and inclusive society,” highlighting the historic role Jews have played in Syria’s religious and cultural fabric.
“This sends a strong message from the Syrian state that we do not discriminate between one religion and another,” Kabawat added.
The recognition is seen as a major diplomatic win for President Trump, who has strongly backed interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa. Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda officer turned reformist leader, has drawn praise from Trump as a “very strong leader” capable of stabilizing Syria. The Trump administration has responded by lifting major sanctions and urging allies to support Syria’s new direction.
Leading the JHS is Syrian-born American Henry Hamra, the son of a rabbi who fled Syria in the 1990s. Hamra met with officials in Damascus this week and prayed at the city’s only remaining largely intact synagogue. He vowed to restore damaged synagogues, reclaim seized Jewish properties, and make Syria accessible once again to Jews from around the world.
The practical work has already begun. Restoration has started at sites in northern Syria, and a rabbinical delegation from Israel visited synagogues in Aleppo under heavy security. The JHS reports that only one of Damascus’s 22 historic synagogues—the al-Faranj synagogue—remains mostly intact.
“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,” said Joseph Hamra, Henry’s son. “Syria is finally back to its people regardless of faith or ethnicity.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives advanced legislation Thursday to repeal the Caesar Act sanctions—the harshest U.S. penalties imposed on Syria under Assad—signaling growing bipartisan support for Syria’s transitional leadership and the Trump-backed diplomatic reset.
