Work has begun to restore a historic Jewish cemetery in Damascus, a heritage fund announced on Thursday, posting a video of graves being cleaned and repainted.

“A vital step for history and cultural preservation: The restoration and renovation of the historic Jewish cemetery in Damascus, Syria has officially begun,” said the Syrian Mosaic Foundation in a post to X.

“​Honoring the past, restoring dignity to sacred grounds, and ensuring this rich heritage is preserved for the future,” said the foundation, a heritage preservation group founded by Joe Jajati, the grandson of a former leader of Syria’s Jewish community.

A video posted with the announcement showed workers cleaning graves and repainting inscriptions on tombstones. The clip included a shot of a recent gravestone, with a death date from 2024.

Reporter Roi Kais of the Kan public broadcaster wrote on X that one of the graves being renovated was that of Rabbi Nissim Nadavo, the former chief rabbi of Damascus who was with legendary Israeli spy Eli Cohen just before he was hanged in the city’s central square.

The cemetery is also the resting place of 16th-century Kabbalist Hayyim Vital.

A vital step for history and cultural preservation: The restoration and renovation of the historic Jewish cemetery in Damascus, Syria has officially begun. ​Honoring the past, restoring dignity to sacred grounds, and ensuring this rich heritage is preserved for the future. ????️✨… pic.twitter.com/Ip0UOlDE1o — Syrian Mosaic Foundation (@SyrianMosaicFDN) June........

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