What’s Left of Syria’s Jewish Legacy

Over the past two years, reports began to surface that the Jobar synagogue near Damascus, dating from the Middle Ages and associated with the cult of the Prophet Elijah, had been destroyed in the current strife. Together with the available video evidence and coverage in the Arab media, Adam Blitz has looked into the fate of the synagogue and concluded that the building was still intact, although it was damaged and some of its Judaica had been looted.
Piecing together information from personal contacts – archaeologists and scholars – on the ground, Adam will take us on an illustrated tour of some of the most ancient Jewish sites in the world – Dura Europos, Apamea and others. In what condition has the civil war left Syria’s Jewish legacy – and what can we do to save it?
Adam Blitz is a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute, London and a former Fulbright scholar. He writes for the Times of Israel, among other media.
** A collaboration with Harif