Tomb of renowned Jewish mystic desecrated in Damascus, Rabbis call for action

Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic Countries urges Syria to protect Jewish heritage sites, calls on Syrian President to act.

 The open grave of Rabbi Chaim Vital, after it was desecrated, Damascus, April 26, 2025. (photo credit: courtesy of The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic Countries)
The open grave of Rabbi Chaim Vital, after it was desecrated, Damascus, April 26, 2025.
(photo credit: courtesy of The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic Countries)

Jewish leaders around the world expressed outrage this weekend after the tomb of Rabbi Chaim Vital, a major figure in Jewish history and mysticism, was desecrated in Damascus, Syria.

The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States (ARIS), an umbrella group representing rabbis from Jewish communities across Muslim-majority nations, condemned the vandalism in a statement released Saturday.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the desecration of the tomb of Rabbi Chaim Vital this Thursday in Damascus,” the organization said. “Jews have lived in Syria for thousands of years and are an integral part of its history. We urgently call on the Syrian government to immediately secure Jewish holy sites, synagogues, and cemeteries and ensure their safety, security, and well-being,” they said.

In a post on X/Twitter, the organization tagged Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

 Syrian Rabbi Yousef Hamra and accompanying Jews visit the Frenc and Raki churches, the Maimonides Jewish School and the Jobar Synagogue, which was largely destroyed during the civil war, in the historic districts of Damascus, Syria on February 18, 2025. (credit: Bakr Al Kasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Syrian Rabbi Yousef Hamra and accompanying Jews visit the Frenc and Raki churches, the Maimonides Jewish School and the Jobar Synagogue, which was largely destroyed during the civil war, in the historic districts of Damascus, Syria on February 18, 2025. (credit: Bakr Al Kasem/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Famous 16th century Kabbalist Rabbi Chaim Vital's grave desecrated

Rabbi Chaim Vital (1542–1620) was a leading Jewish scholar and mystic during the 16th century, in what was then the Ottoman Empire. Born in Safed, in today’s northern Israel, Vital became one of the foremost disciples of Rabbi Isaac Luria, one of the founders of modern Kabbalah – Jewish mystical thought.

Vital played a crucial role in preserving and transmitting Luria’s teachings after his death, compiling works that profoundly shaped Jewish spirituality. His major writings, including Etz Chaim (“Tree of Life”) and Shaar HaGilgulim (“The Gate of Reincarnations”), continue to be central texts in the study of Kabbalah to this day.

In his later years, Vital settled in Damascus, where he served as a religious leader and teacher until his death, in 1620. He was buried in the city’s Jewish cemetery, which for centuries has remained a site of reverence for Jews in the region.

The desecration of his tomb is seen not only as an attack on an important Jewish religious site but also as part of a broader pattern of neglect and destruction of Jewish heritage across Syria, once home to a thriving Jewish community. Syria’s Jewish population has dwindled to close to none over the past decades due to persecution, conflict, and emigration.

The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic Countries warned that without immediate intervention, more historical Jewish sites could suffer similar attacks.

“This act of desecration is not just an offense against Jewish heritage,” the Alliance said, “but an affront to the broader principle of protecting religious and cultural diversity in the Middle East.”

Calls for the Syrian government to act have so far gone unanswered.

Jewish leaders emphasized that preserving the tomb of Rabbi Vital and other such sites is not merely a Jewish concern. It is a duty for all those committed to safeguarding the cultural and religious history of the region.

“The tomb of Rabbi Chaim Vital is not only part of Jewish history,” the Alliance said, “but a piece of the shared cultural heritage of the Middle East.”