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How a small delegation of US Jews got to Syria for the first time in decades

Summarizing Andrew Lapin in JTA · Published Wednesday, February 26, 2025
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JL;DR SUMMARY After the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, a small delegation of Syrian Jews visited their ancestral homeland for the first time in over 30 years. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish Diaspora  Golan Heights  Jewish Community  Jewish Heritage  Interfaith Relations  Syria  Syrian Civil War  Bashar Al Assad  Israel Syria Relations  Cultural Reconciliation 

Places mentioned

Damascus, Syria
"Under the auspices of the new Syrian government, a small delegation toured Jewish heritage sites in and around Damascus last week, just two months after the fall of the dictatorial Bashar al-Assad regime."
New York, United States
"The Hamra family resettled in New York, along with thousands of other Syrian Jews who maintain a vibrant and distinctive community, but retain dreams of returning to the Damascus of their past."
Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
"Lopatin, who works for the Jewish Federation of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has no Syrian heritage; he joined the group at the behest of a Syrian Muslim interfaith coalition partner."
Israel
"Even as tensions between Israel and Syria ramped up in recent days, a small group of Syrian Jews recently celebrated a milestone that once seemed unthinkable: a return visit to their home country."
Qatar
"Travel into Syria was its own logistical challenge, with much of the group flying in from Qatar, while another small contingent drove in from Lebanon, where Israel has troops stationed in response to the war with Hezbollah that followed Oct. 7."
Lebanon
"Travel into Syria was its own logistical challenge, with much of the group flying in from Qatar, while another small contingent drove in from Lebanon, where Israel has troops stationed in response to the war with Hezbollah that followed Oct. 7."

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Retrieved 2025-02-26 18:00:39 UTC
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