Unknown individuals broke into the Jewish cemetery in Damascus on Wednesday night and desecrated the grave of Rabbi Chaim Vital, a leading kabbalist and leading student of Arizal, Rabbi Isaac Luria.

According to a report by on Kan 11, the intruders broke down the main gate of the cemetery, entered the room where the grave is located, and dug a hole nearby, apparently in search of remains.

A source in the small remaining Jewish community in Damascus said that they had informed the Syrian authorities of the serious incident and tagged Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in their post on X.

Syrian security personnel visited the site, examined the destruction, and promised community members that they would find those responsible for the incident and deal with the matter.

The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic Countries, 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.”

The incident occurred only two months after a historic visit by a delegation of the Syrian Jewish community in the US to Damascus last February.

This was the first visit since the fall of the Assad regime and the rise of Ahmed al-Shara’a. The delegation also visited the cemetery in the Jewish Quarter and Rabbi Vital’s grave.

Rabbi Chaim Vital lived in Damascus from 1595, where he served as rabbi of the Sicilian community. He died in 1620 and is buried in the city’s Jewish cemetery.

Rabbi Vital is considered Arizal’s leading student, and even explained their Rabbi’s teaching to other students and wrote down his lessons.

According to estimates previously published on BBC Arabic, only 7 or 8 Jews remain in Damascus today, of the approximately 30,000 Jews who once lived in Syria, not even enough to complete a minyan (quorum of ten men) for prayer.