Syrian Jews descend from Jews who inhabited the region of today's Syria since the time of Roman rule (known as Musta'arabi Jews or more generally as Mizrahi Jews); and from Sephardim, Jews from Spain and Portugal who fled to Syria after the Alhambra Decree forced the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492.

There were large Jewish communities in Aleppo ("Halabi Jews" or "Aleppo Jews") and Damascus ("Shami Jews") for centuries, and a smaller community in Qamishli on the Turkish border. In the early 20th century, a large percentage of Syrian Jews emigrated to British Mandatory Palestine, the United States, and Latin America.

Following the Syrian Civil War, some of the remaining Jews of Syria left the country. In 2022, it was alleged that only four Jews remain in Damascus. As of April 4, 2025, there are approximately six remaining Jews in Damascus.

Second Temple period The tradition of the community ascribes its founding to the time of King David in c. 1000 BCE, whose general Joab occupied the area of Syria, described in the Bible as Aram Zoba: this name is taken by later tradition as referring to Aleppo. Modern scholarship locates Aram Zoba in Lebanon and the far south of Syria: the identification with Aleppo is not found in rabbinic literature prior to the 11th century.Zvi Zohar, "Vayyibra Artscroll et Ḥalab be-tsalmo" (And Artscroll Created Aleppo in its Own Image: The positioning of Aleppo as a holy Ultra-Orthodox community in Aleppo, City of Scholars, review of Sutton, Aleppo: City of Scholars), in Y. T. Assis (ed.), Aleppo Studies, vol 2 (Jerusalem 2013: Hebrew) pp. 222–250 at p 233 (at note 49 in Hebrew online-version). At note 52 in English online-version (translated from the Hebrew by Inbal Karo). Whether or not Jewish settlement goes back to a time as early as King David, both Aleppo and Damascus certainly had Jewish communities during Late Antiquity.

In Roman times, about 10,000 Jews lived in Damascus, governed by an ethnarch.Richard Gottheil, Frants Buhl, M. Franco, Damascus, Jewish Encyclopedia, https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4861-damascus, Accessed 30 January 2022.

Around 7 BCE, King Herod of Judaea relocated Zamaris, a Jew from Babylonia, and his 500 mounted archers to Bathyra in Batanea, giving them tax exemptions to defend the area from Trachonite brigands and protect Jewish pilgrims heading to Jerusalem.

Paul of Tarsus succeeded, after a first rebuff, in converting many of the Jews of Damascus to Christianity in 49 CE. This irritated the Jewish ethnarch to such a degree that he attempted to arrest Paul; the latter's friends only saved his life by lowering him in a basket out of a window built into the wall of the city.

In the 70s CE, Jewish historian Josephus noted that "the Jewish race, while dispersed in considerable numbers among native populations throughout the world, is especially numerous in Syria, because of its proximity."Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War, 7.43 (translated by William Whiston) Many Jews were murdered by the pagan inhabitants upon the outbreak of the First Jewish–Roman War.Josephus, Jewish War, ii. 20, § 2; vii. 8, § 7

Late Antiquity Later, Damascus, as the coins show, obtained the title of metropolis, and under Alexander Severus, when the city was a Christian colony, it became the seat of a bishop, who enjoyed a rank next to that of the Patriarch of Antioch. In the 5th century, under the rule of the Byzantine Empire, being the Talmudic time, Jews were living at Damascus for the rabbi Rafram bar Pappa went to pray in the synagogue of Jobar.Babylonian Talmud, Berachot 50a

An early Jewish community is likely to have existed in Aleppo during the 5th century, when a synagogue was constructed there. Also in the 5th century, Jerome reports the presence in Beroea (Aleppo) of a congregation of Nazarenes (Jewish Christians) using a Hebrew gospel similar to that of Matthew.Jerome's commentary on Matthew. It is unclear whether he was referring to the Gospel of the Hebrews, the Gospel of the Nazoraeans or the Gospel of the Ebionites, and whether these names refer to the same or different books.

During the early 7th century, Jews in Damascus participated in revolts against Byzantine rule, including support for the rebellion in Tyre. Estimates suggest that on the eve of the Islamic conquest, the Jewish population of Damascus may have numbered between 6,000 and 8,000.

After the Islamic conquest

Damascus

According to Arabic-language source, Caliph 'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb negotiated a treaty with the Jews of Jerusalem at Jabiyah, near Damascus, reportedly at the urging of Syrian Jews, indicating a close connection between these communities.

The rule of the Umayyads brought a new period of splendor to the city, which now became the capital of that caliphate. This period ended with the rise of the Abbasids, and the city suffered during the following centuries from continuous wars. The Jewish community continued, and certainly existed in 970; "for," says a historian, "Joseph ben Abitur of Cordoba, having lost all hope of becoming the chief rabbi of that city, went to Palestine in that year, and settled at Damascus".Abraham ibn Daud, Sefer ha-Qabbalah in Neubauer, Medieval Jewish Chronicles i. 69; David Conforte, Qore ha-Dorot, 5b Fortunately for the Jews, it resisted the siege of the Second Crusade in 1147. Some time afterward a large number of Palestinian Jews sought refuge in Damascus from the enormous taxes imposed upon them by the Crusaders, thus increasing the community in Damascus. Little information exists concerning the Jews in Damascus during the following centuries. A little information is given by travelers who visited the city. In 1128, Abraham ibn Ezra visited Damascus (though compare the note of Harkavy.)ִHadashim gam Ye shamim, vii. 38 According to Edelmann,Ginze Oxford, p. ix. Judah ha-Levi composed his famous poem on Zion in this city; but HarkavyִHadashim gam Yeshanim, vii. 35 has shown that "ash-Sham" here designates Palestine and not Damascus. In 1267, Nahmanides visited Damascus and led a Jewish colony to Jerusalem.

Benjamin of Tudela visited Damascus in 1170, while it was in the hands of the Seljukian prince Nur ad-Din Zangi. He found there 3,000 Rabbanite Jews and 100 Karaites. Jewish studies flourished there much more than in Palestine; according to Bacher it is possible that during the 12th century the seat of the Palestinian academy was transferred to Damascus. The principal rabbis of the city were Rabbi Ezra ben Abraham and his brother Sar Shalom ben Abraham, president of the tribunal; Yussef ִHamsi, R. Matsliaִh, R. Meïr, Yussef ibn Piat, R. Heman, the parnas, and R. Tsadok, physician.

About the same time, Petaִhiah of Regensburg was there. He found "about 10,000 Jews, who have a prince. The head of their academy is Rabbi Ezra, who is full of the knowledge of the Law; for Rabbi Samuel, the head of the Academy of Babylon, ordained him".Travels, ed. Benisch, p. 53 It was a Damascus rabbi, Judah ben Josiah, who, toward the end of the twelfth century, was "nagid" in Egypt.Sambari, in Medieval Jewish Chronicles i. 133 At a later period another nagid, David ben Joshua, also came from Damascus.Grätz, Geschichte ix., note i.

In 1210, a French Jew, Samuel ben Samson, visited the city. He speaks of the beautiful synagogue situated outside the city (Jobar) and said to have been constructed by Elisha.see below; compare Otsar ִTob, 1878, p. 38; Itinéraires de la Terre Sainte des XIIIe, XIVe, XVe, XVIe et XVIIe siècle [i.e. siècles]; traduits de l'hébreu, et accompagnés de tables, de cartes et d'éclaircissements par E. Carmoly. Bruxelles: A. Vandale, 1847; p. 136

Under Saladin the city again enjoyed considerable importance; but upon his death the disturbances began anew, until in 1516 the city fell into the hands of the Turks, since which time it has declined to the rank of a provincial town.

It seems probable that Yehuda Alharizi also visited Damascus during the first decade of the 13th century. At least he mentions the city in the celebrated 46th "Makamah."

Toward the end of the 13th century Jesse ben Hezekiah, a man full of energy, arose in Damascus. He was recognized by Sultan Qalawun of Egypt as prince and exilarch, and in 1289 and in June 1290, in conjunction with his 12 colleagues, he put the anti-Maimonists under the ban.Grätz, Geschichte vii. 186–195

The letters of the rabbis of Damascus and of Acre have been collected in the "Minִhat Qena'ot " (a compilation made by Abba Mari, grandson of Don Astruc of Lunel). No information is available for the 14th century. Estori Farִhi (1313) contents himself with the mere mention of Damascene Jews journeying to Jerusalem.Zunz, Gesammelte Schriften ii. 269 A manuscript of David Kimhi on Ezekiel was written by Nathan of Narbonne and collated with the original by R. ִHiyya in Damascus, Ab 18, 1375.Neubauer, Cat. Bodl. Hebr. MSS. No. 316 The Jewish community of Damascus continued to exist under the sultans (Burjites and Mamelukes) of Egypt, who conquered Syria; for the Jewish refugees of Spain established themselves among their coreligionists in that city in 1492, constructing a synagogue which they called "Khata'ib." The anonymous author of the "Yiִhus ha-Abot"1537; published by Uri b. Simeon in 1564 also speaks of the beauties of Damascus; and of the synagogue at Jobar, "half of which was constructed by Elisha, half by Eleazar ben Arach".Carmoly, Itinéraires; p. 457; compare similar accounts by Raphael of Troyes and Azulai, ib. p. 487

Elijah of Ferrara in 1438 had come to Jerusalem and had a certain jurisdiction in rabbinical matters over Damascus as well. He speaks of a great plague which devastated Egypt, Syria, and Jerusalem; but he does not say how much the Jews of Damascus suffered.Carmoly, Itinéraires. p. 333 Menaִhem ִHayyim of Volterra visited Damascus in 1481, and found 450 Jewish families, "all rich, honored, and merchants." The head of the community was a certain R. Joseph, a physician.Jerusalem, i. 211

Obadiah of Bertinoro in 1488 speaks in one of his letters of the riches of the Jews in Damascus, of the beautiful houses and gardens.ed. Neubauer, p. 30 A few years later, in 1495, an anonymous traveler speaks in like eulogistic terms.ed. Neubauer, p. 84 He lived with a certain Moses Makran, and he relates that the Jews in Damascus dealt in dress-goods or engaged in some handicraft. They lent money to the Venetians at 24% interest.

Aleppo The Jewish community in Aleppo was located in a northern quarter with two synagogues, both dating to the 5th or 6th century, with one renovated in the Middle Ages. A nearby site outside the northern gate, the "Sanctuary of Vows" (Mashhad al-Du'ā'), was a place of pilgrimage shared by Jews, Christians, and Muslims, associated with the cenotaph of an unspecified prophet. Maimonides, in his letter to the rabbis of Lunel, speaks of Aleppo as being the only community in Syria where some Torah learning survived, though the effort devoted to it was in his opinion less than impressive.Responsa and Letters of Maimonides: Leipzig 1859 p. 44.