In his landmark book In Ishmael’s House: A History of Jews in Muslim Lands, historian Martin Gilbert (no relation) explains that, after the founding of the state of Israel, Syria’s Jews became captives in their own homeland. They were subject to terrible abuse and draconian laws, the first of which literally imprisoned them: “The Jewish right to emigrate is completely forbidden. This applies even to Jews in Syria who hold foreign passports.”

That was just one of twelve outrageous edicts, including “Jews are forbidden to own radios or telephones, or to maintain postal contact with the outside world; no telephones may be installed in Jewish homes.” Furthermore, all Jewish properties were confiscated by the state when the owners died.

In 1975, President Hafez Assad explained why he refused to permit his country’s loathed Jewish population to leave (they were tortured and sometimes murdered when they tried to escape). “I cannot let them go,” he said, “because if I let them go how can I stop the Soviet Union sending its Jews to Israel, where they will strengthen my enemy?”

Eventually, thanks to the combined efforts of numerous Jewish organizations, and spearheaded by Judy Feld Carr, Syria’s Jews were smuggled out of the country — often one by one — or otherwise set free. Today only a handful of Jews remain there.