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In Damascus’ former Jewish quarter, optimism about the Syrian Jewish future is hard to muster

JL;DR SUMMARY The Jewish Quarter of Damascus, once vibrant with a community of nearly 100,000 Jews, now stands nearly empty, with only five Jews remaining, including Badriyah Mousa Shatah. 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 HeritageSyriaJewish QuarterPolitical AsylumSyrian Civil WarJewish ExodusDamascusIsrael Syria RelationsSectarian ViolenceDiaspora Jewish Leaders

Places mentioned

Damascus, Syria
"In Damascus' former Jewish quarter, optimism about the Syrian Jewish future is hard to muster."
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
"U.S. President Donald Trump (1st L), Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (C) and Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (R, front) attend a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 14, 2025."
Israel
"Israel has been in high-level talks with the new Syrian government about a potential security agreement between the two countries."
United States
"After the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War in 2011, Shatah attempted to flee to the United States, where her brother lives."

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Cairo Item ID 60626
Cairo Source ID 42
Retrieved 2025-09-03 18:00:19 UTC
Curated 2025-09-03 19:01:20 UTC