"Decades after almost the entire #Syrian #Jewish community left the country, Henry Hamra of #Brooklyn, #NY, stands at the metal door of a small #synagogue in this ancient Syrian city, literally holding the keys to a possible return of Jewish citizens.

Hamra was 15 years old when his family left #Damascus in the early 1990s after the #Assad regime lifted a ban on travel. Many of the Syrian #Jews were unable to sell their homes before they left. Some of the homes ended up occupied by other Syrians while the government took charge of the #synagogues and #schools.

In December, just days before Hamra's visit to #Aleppo, the Syrian government licensed a Jewish heritage foundation he leads, transferring control of Jewish #religious properties from the government to the organization.

The organization will also help restore private property appropriated when the Jewish community left to its Jewish owners."

Syria, once home to a large Jewish community, takes steps to return property to Jews

A Jewish heritage foundation has set out to help restore private property appropriated after Syrian Jews left the country.

NPR (www.npr.org)