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By: Yehuda Altein

Just to the north of Israel lies Lebanon, a small, beautiful country with a long history of Jewish presence. Although the source of much terror activity in recent decades, surprisingly, not too long ago it was one of the most favorable Arab countries to live in as a Jew. Read on for 16 facts about the unique Jewish community of Lebanon.

1. Lebanon Was Once Part of Ancient Israel

Believe it or not, the borders of ancient Israel, as described in the Torah, actually stretch into what is now modern-day Lebanon.1 That means the first Jews to live in the area were part of the original Israelite tribes who entered the land under Joshua’s leadership. Parts of today’s Lebanon belonged to the tribes of Dan, Naphtali, and Asher.

2. Its Cedar Trees Were Used in the Holy Temple

When King Solomon prepared to build the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, he turned to Hiram, the king of Tyre, for Lebanon’s world-famous cedar wood. Hiram happily agreed, sending massive rafts of cedar logs floating down the Mediterranean coast to Jerusalem.2 These majestic trees are mentioned often in the Bible—Psalms even likens the righteous to the lofty cedars of Lebanon.3

Today, only a fraction of those ancient cedar forests remain. Some small groves still stand, with trees that are thousands of years old! One grove in the Chouf region is said to have been planted by Jews long ago, in the hope that its wood would one day be used to build the Third Temple.

3. They Share Much in Common With Syrian Jews

For much of history, Lebanon wasn’t its own country—it was part of broader empires and regions. As a result, Lebanese Jews developed customs and traditions very similar to those of neighboring Syrian Jewish communities, like Damascus and Aleppo.

4. When Tragedy Struck, They Ran to Help

In 1837, a terrible earthquake hit northern Israel, destroying the city of Safed and claiming thousands of lives. In a natural display of Jewish solidarity, a group of Jews from the Lebanese town of Deir al-Qamar (approximately 55 miles away) came to help, clearing rubble and helping bury the dead.

5. The 20th Century Was a Time of Growth

While there were always small Jewish communities in places like Sidon, Tripoli, Baalbek, and Hasbaya, things changed in the early 1900s. Lebanon became a destination for Jews from nearby countries like Syria, Iraq, and Turkey—and even from faraway Italy and Poland—thanks to its political stability and growing opportunities.

6. French Influence Left Its Mark

Between the two World Wars, Lebanon was under French rule. The French government promoted equal rights for the country’s many religious minorities, including Jews. As a result, French culture had a notable influence on Lebanese Jews, who often spoke both Arabic and French in their daily lives.

7. Beirut Became a Center of Jewish Life

As more Jews arrived in Lebanon, most settled in the city of Beirut, which became home to the largest concentration of Jews in the country. The center of the community was a Jewish neighborhood called Wadi Abu Jamil (or Wadi al-Yahoud—“Valley of the Jews”), where you could find synagogues, schools, charities, and even a Jewish cemetery.

8. They Built Magnificent Synagogues

At its height, there were 17 synagogues in Beirut, plus two more in Bhamdoun and Aley, popular summer spots for Beirut’s Jewish families.

Lebanese Jews built many beautiful synagogues, some of which are still standing today. The most famous is the Maghen Abraham Synagogue in Beirut, commissioned by the Sassoon family in 1926. Though it was damaged in the 1980s, it has since been fully restored. Other historic synagogues include the Deir al-Qamar Synagogue, built in 1638 under the auspices of Druze leader Fakhr ad-Dīn Ma’an II, and the ancient Sidon Synagogue, which is over a thousand years old.

9. It Was a Haven Among Hostile Arab States

After Israel declared independence in 1948, Jews in many Arab countries faced violence and were forced to flee. But Lebanon was different: due to the favorable attitudes of many political leaders (such as Ignace Mobarak, Maronite Archbishop of Beirut), the Jewish community continued to thrive for another 20 years.

10. They Made Pilgrimages to Zebulun’s Tomb

One of the most ancient Jewish sites in Lebanon is the tomb of Zebulun—one of Jacob’s twelve sons—located in the port city of Sidon. In earlier times, Jews from all over Lebanon, and even from the Land of Israel, would make yearly pilgrimages to this holy site.

11. Some Said Sidon’s Jews Should Keep Holidays Like Israel

In Israel, Passover is celebrated with one Seder and holiday day, followed by chol hamoed (five intermediary days), capped off with one more holiday day. The same applies to Sukkot, and Shavuot is likewise only observed for one day. In the Diaspora, however, Shavuot is two days, and the holidays of Passover and Sukkot are observed for two days at either end of the intermediary days. Interestingly, since it is within the technical Biblical boundaries of the Holy Land, there was discussion in the 19th century as to whether the Jews of Sidon should keep one day or two.

12. Visitors Called It “Gan Eden”

With its breathtaking mountains, stunning Mediterranean coastline, and mild climate, Jewish visitors to Lebanon often exclaimed, “This place is Gan Eden—the Garden of Eden!” In fact, this accolade echoes the words of the prophet Ezekiel, who described the ancient city of Tyre as if it were in the Garden of Eden.4

13. Yom Kippur Concluded with a Special Fragrance

Lebanese Jews kept many unique and beautiful customs. For example, on the first night of Rosh Hashanah, they would dip bread into sugar to herald in a sweet new year. During the concluding Yom Kippur prayer of Ne’ilah, the Levites would wash the hands of the Kohanim with water soaked with orange blossom, uplifting the last moments of the fast with a refreshing fragrance.

14. They Preserved a Unique Way of Koshering Meat

Due to the prohibition against consuming blood, kosher meat is soaked, salted, and rinsed before cooking. An added element recorded in the Talmud5 was preserved by many generations of Lebanese Jewish women: after salting, they would “flash-boil” the meat, plunging it into boiling water, which would then be disposed of.

15. The Safra Family Made a Global Impact

One of the most prominent Jewish families to come from Lebanon is the Safra family. Originally from Syria, they moved to Lebanon in the 1910s and built a successful banking business. They gave generously to Jewish causes around the world, helping to build synagogues, support Jewish education, and more.

16. Civil War Led to Mass Immigration

After the Six-Day War in 1967, many Lebanese Jews began to leave, heading to Israel, the United States, Brazil, and France. Civil war in the 1970s led even more to emigrate. Today, only a small number of Jews remain in Lebanon.

Those who left have built strong communities in cities like Paris, Montreal, São Paulo, and New York, preserving the rich heritage and traditions of Lebanese Jews.

(Chabad. org)

Rabbi Yehuda Altein is a writer, translator and editor specializing in Jewish subjects and handwritten family material. A former researcher for JLI’s Machon Shmuel Research Institute, he has written on Jewish history, scriptural exegesis, halachah, and chassidut. Yehuda resides in Brooklyn, N. Y., with his family and enjoys collecting antique Judaica and exploring natural history in the Torah.

The author thanks Rabbi Isaac Choua for his invaluable assistance in preparing this article.

Footnotes

1. See Encyclopedia Talmudit, vol. 2, p. 207.
2. I Kings 5:16–28.
3. Psalms 92:13.
4. Ezekiel 28:13.
5. Chullin 111a. See Code of Jewish Law, Yoreh Deah 69:19.