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Streetwise in Syria

JL;DR SUMMARY Sharona embarks on a journey to Syria, joining a delegation of Jews of Syrian descent to visit the grave of Rav Chaim Vital despite recent grave vandalism. 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 HeritageSyriaPeaceNormalizationSyrian JewsDamascusAssad RegimeRav Chaim VitalGrave Vandalism

Places mentioned

Damascus, Syria
"As I scanned the faces of passengers on the Damascus-bound flight, wondering why all these people were actually flying to war-torn, cratered Syria, one thing I knew: Meeting locals and some political VIPs, walking the streets and market alleyways, and even helping fix the vandalized grave of Rav Chaim Vital, would give me a glimpse into a country trying to pull itself out of the rubble that most people never see."
New York, United States
"I flew from New York to Turkey, yet as soon as I arrived at the designated gate for the Damascus flight out of Istanbul, I was on hyper alert as I stood watching, studying, scanning faces."
Istanbul, Turkey
"I flew from New York to Turkey, yet as soon as I arrived at the designated gate for the Damascus flight out of Istanbul, I was on hyper alert as I stood watching, studying, scanning faces."
Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
"But Syria is now free and has a chance at a real democracy, she continues passionately. There are a lot of changes happening right now, and they need to happen very quickly. Syria has a chance. Theres hope for them to thrive and be one of the best countries in the world. Lets support them. Lets teach Syria to ride the bike and let them go. Theyll take care of themselves. They just need freedom and a foundation. I believe in them. We need everyone to believe in them."
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
"We arrive at the Cham Palace Hotel where Charles my Philly-based cameraman is already waiting. There isnt much time to settle down, as the rest of the group is en route to Rav Chaim Vitals kever, anxious to survey the damage and fearing for the worst."
Arlington, Virginia, United States
"After the meeting, Im approached by Maryam Kamalmaz, whose father, Majd Kamalmaz a Syrian-American psychotherapist from Arlington, Virginia was abducted in Syria during a humanitarian mission in 2017."
Los Angeles, California, United States
"He tells me he feels more comfortable walking the streets of Damascus today than walking the streets of L.A. In Los Angeles, Ive experienced Black Lives Matter, Jewish hate, Antifa, and UCLA being taken over by radicals. Im more fearful of the hate brewing in our own country than I am here."
San Francisco, California, United States
"When I say America, he narrows his eyes. Your accent doesnt sound American, he says slowly, almost accusingly. I grin. Youre right I dont have an American accent. I have a Californian accent. A pause. Then he brightens: California? I was once in San Francisco! The tension dissolves. It turns out, he loves America and cant wait to be back."
Jaramana, Damascus, Syria
"But soon the rosebushes disappear, and by the time we approach the Jaramana Camp for Palestinian refugees, the tree line has been phased out as well. From the road, the camp appears as a tightly packed maze of concrete rooftops, patched water tanks, rusted satellite dishes, and laundry lines fluttering in the smog."

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Cairo Item ID 51489
Cairo Source ID 8
Retrieved 2025-05-13 18:00:39 UTC
Curated 2025-05-13 19:01:22 UTC