For Syrian Jews, food is considered to be one of the most important pastimes. For the most part the women are given the job of recreating the foods that were eaten by their ancestors in Syria. The techniques and recipes that the women use are passed down from hundreds if not thousands of years. From Kibbe Hamda to Lehmajene, every member of the Syrian community is familiar with their delicious Middle Eastern cuisine. But it is not solely the food that makes this community so special. After all, Italians have their food, just like Hispanics have theirs. What makes the Syrian Jews so unique is the way they view their meal. Every single Friday night, the parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, children and cousins gather for the Sabbath meal. Joe Dana, one of the community members we interviewed said that food is integral to family structure and that it’s a “center of family life”. The food in the Syrian Jewish community is not just a symbol of their past, it is a tool used by the community to promote family closeness, and observance of the Sabbath and Holidays.
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Although many Syrian Jews had settled in the Lower East Side of Manhattan throughout the early twentieth century, they did not begin to establish the current community of Gravesend, Brooklyn until the 1940’s. At that time, the community was limited to the residential area of Avenue S/T and Ocean Parkway. The reason why the Syrian community stayed in such a small area is actually quite simple. Every neighborhood has its own factors that define what characterizes a “good location”. The real estate prices will reflect the neighborhoods definition and so for example, proximity to parks and subways, or a low crime rate, or a nice view will all be part of determining where the “place to be” is. Orthodox Jews worldwide have different factors, above all, is proximity to the Synagogue (Shul). The Sabbath forbids the use of an automobile and hence Jews try and live within walking distance to the Shuls they wish to attend. The Syrian Jewish Community is no different; all the main areas of residence are all centered around the Shuls.
Almost all Jews of this community consider themselves Orthodox – as opposed to many Ashkenaz communities, which have Conservative or Reform Jews. In fact, Daniel Elazar believes that the Syrian community in Brooklyn is the most religious of American Sephardic Communities. In 1963, after already being established for some time, the Syrian community opened their flagship Synagogue, Shaare Zion, which until today remains one of the largest Synagogues in the community. Shaare Zion is located on Ocean Parkway and Avenue T, and services the residents of that area. However as the community expanded to areas like Avenue J, it became evident that another major Synagogue was necessary. Thus, Beit Torah was built on Avenue J and Ocean Parkway. It is this requirement of being near the Synagogues that has kept the community’s borders so confined over the years.
Today, the community’s borders extend from Avenue I to Avenue W and from West 6th Street until Bedford Avenue. While almost all of the Syrian Jews of Brooklyn can be found within those boundaries, not everyone within those boundaries are Syrian Jews. In addition to the Syrian Jews, the neighborhood also contains, Russians, Italians, Asians and Jews of other cultural heritage. There are roughly forty different Synagogues today that service the varying levels religious observance and beliefs of the community. As religious observance and religious philosophy amongst the community becomes less uniform, more and more Synagogues and schools are being built. The Synagogues are supported by the members of the congregation through donations and fundraisers held throughout the year
