During the establishment of the Alliance Museum, a rare photograph was discovered in the Alliance archives documenting the activity of the Jewish Scout Movement in Damascus under the auspices of Alliance Israélite Universelle.
The image is now on display in the Damascus Exhibition at the Alliance Museum – a newly launched virtual museum by the Alliance Israélite Universelle aimed at preserving and making accessible the heritage of Jewish communities and the organization's legacy.
This discovery offers a rare glimpse into the lives of Jewish youth in Syria during the first half of the 20th century. It serves as living evidence of the educational and cultural work carried out by the organization.
In the photograph, a group of young people is seen dressed in scout uniforms, holding flags bearing the name Éclaireurs à l’AIU Damas – the Alliance Scouts of Damascus.
At the center of the image stand a man and a woman, presumably counselors or educational staff members, leading the local scout group. The flags and uniforms indicate an organized structure that was part of the Jewish educational framework active in the city.
Hani Mamram, the museum's curator and deputy director of Alliance Israélite Universelle, commented on the discovery: "This photograph is much more than a historical image – it is a bridge to the past of a vibrant community that once lived and thrived in Damascus. Today, we bring its story to the forefront."
The Damascus Exhibition, dedicated to preserving the heritage of the community, presents rare findings, testimonies, and photographs that shed light on the lives of Jews in Damascus.
Maram said that as part of the museum’s establishment, they are working "to make information about Damascus Jewry and the activity of the Jewish scouts there accessible to the public and to integrate additional testimonies from private and public archives that will help complete the full story of this unique community."
"The discovered photograph is not just a memory of the past but a message to the present and future – highlighting the importance of education, culture, and the preservation of community heritage," he concluded.
Jewish scouts in Damascus
The Alliance Israélite Universelle was one of the most influential bodies in promoting education and modernization among Jews of the Middle East and North Africa.
Established in France in 1860, the organization founded numerous schools across the Jewish world, including in Syria, educating over a million students in Hebrew, French, mathematics, and other subjects designed to help them integrate into modern society.
This photo sheds light on an important yet little-known chapter in the history of Syrian Jewry – the life of youth and the development of Jewish-Zionist identity within the Alliance communities in Syria. While the Jewish Scout Movement operated in several Jewish centers worldwide, evidence of its presence in Damascus is extremely rare.
This photograph provides testimony that the Jewish community of Damascus, while preserving its rich traditions, sought to provide its younger generation with educational and value-based tools aligned with the spirit of the time.
The Jewish Scout Movement in Damascus was established in the 1930s by Dr. Pinto David, chairman of the community council, and Mr. Albert Silver (Zilberstein), head of the Alliance school in Damascus.
The initiative emerged from a need to strengthen the Jewish and Zionist identity of the community's youth, preserve their cultural heritage, and offer an educational and ethical framework for Jewish teens.
In addition to its educational, cultural, and social activities, the movement played a vital role in protecting the Jewish community and the Jewish quarter in the city, especially during times of tension and antisemitic threats.
Thus, the Jewish Scout Movement in Damascus served not only to reinforce Jewish identity but also as a practical tool for ensuring the community's safety and preparing its youth for the challenges they faced both within Syria and in anticipation of immigration to the Land of Israel.
This discovery joins a growing collection of historical testimonies showcased in the Alliance Israélite Universelle Museum, which focuses on the history of Jewish communities worldwide and the organization’s educational and cultural legacy.