For First Time in Decades, Syrian Jews Sit with Syrian President in New York

UNITED NATIONS – In a scene unimaginable only a short time ago, members of New York’s Syrian Jewish community sat face-to-face with Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Sunday night — the first such meeting in decades, and a striking signal of the changes sweeping the region.

the Times Of Israel reports that Eleven Jewish participants joined hundreds of US-based Syrians at Manhattan’s Mandarin Hotel to hear Sharaa, who is in New York ahead of his historic address to the United Nations General Assembly this week — the first by a Syrian leader in sixty years.

The reception was warm, even emotional. “The president welcomed everybody, including the Jews, very nicely,” said Joe Jajati, a Syrian-born Jewish businessman. “It left a very good impression.”

Two kippa-wearing Jews stood to identify themselves proudly. One, David Shelly, pledged $100,000 toward Syria’s rebuilding. Sharaa laughed at the sum, calling it too small, but was visibly moved by the gesture. Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani, sitting beside him, beamed with approval.

Israel was not raised during the gathering, and none of the Jewish participants met privately with Sharaa. Invitations came directly from Syria’s Foreign Ministry, according to attendees.

The moment followed last week’s unprecedented Jewish delegation to Damascus, which toured synagogues and historic sites and met with senior Syrian officials.

Sharaa — once a jihadist commander with a U.S. bounty on his head — has worked to recast himself as a statesman after toppling Bashar al-Assad’s regime last year. He has praised U.S. President Donald Trump for lifting sanctions and suggested that negotiations with Israel over a security pact are nearing completion.

For the Syrian Jews in the room, Sunday’s event marked a moment of history — a cautious but powerful reminder that decades of estrangement may not be permanent.