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Syrian Jews derive their origin from two groups: those who inhabited Syria from early times and those Sephardim who fled to Syria after the expulsion of the Jews from Spain (1492 A.D). There were large communities in Aleppo, Damascus, and Beirut for centuries. In the early twentieth century a large percentage of Syrian Jews emigrated to the U.S., Central and South America and Israel. Today there are almost no Jews left in Syria. The largest Syrian-Jewish community is located in Brooklyn, New York, and estimated at 40,000.

History

Second Temple Period

The tradition of the community ascribes its founding to the time of King David (1000 B.C.), 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. Whether or not this tradition has a basis in fact, both Aleppo and Damascus certainly had Jewish communities early in the Christian era.

Post Second Temple

Spanish Inquisition

Arrival of Spanish Jews to Syria

Under the Ottoman Empire

World War I

Leaving Syria

The Syrian Community of New York City

The Syrian Community of Mexico

The Syrian Community in Israel

Traditions and Customs

Pizmonim

Baqashot

The custom of singing Baqashot originated in Spain towards the time of the expulsion, but took on increased momentum in the Kabbalistic circle in Safed in the 16th century. Baqashot probably evolved out of the tradition of saying petitionary prayers before dawn and was spread from Safed by the followers of Isaac Luria (16th century). With the spread of Safed Kabbalistic doctrine, the singing of Baqashot reached countries all round the Mediterranean and became customary in the communities of Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Rhodes, Greece, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Turkey and Syria. It also influenced the Kabbalistically oriented confraternities in 18th-century Italy, and even became customary for a time in Sephardic communities in western Europe, such as Amsterdam and London, though in these communities it has since been dropped. By the turn of the 20th century Baqashot had become a widespread religious practice in several communities in Jerusalem as a communal form of prayer.

In communities such as those of Aleppo, Turkey and Morocco, the singing of Baqashot expanded to vast proportions. In those countries special books were compiled (such as "Shir Yedidot" in Morocco), showing the tunes and maqamat together with the text of the hymns, in order to facilitate the singing of Baqashot by the congregation. In these communities it was customary to rise from bed in the night on Shabbat in the winter months, when the nights are longer, and assemble in synagogue to sing Baqashot for four hours until the time for the morning service.

Liturgy

Aleppo Codex

References

• Sutton, Joseph, Aleppo in Flatbush
• Sutton, Joseph, Magic Carpet
• Harel, Yaron, Bi-Sefinot Shel Esh la-Ma'arab (By Ships of Fire to the West: Changes in Syrian Jewry during the Period of the Ottoman Reform 1840-1880)
• Harel, Yaron: Sifre Ere"tz (The Books of Aleppo)

See also:
Sephardi Jews
Mizrahi Jews
Baqashot
Pizmonim
Syrian Cantors
Aleppo Codex

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