Lebanese Policies
Explore policies, laws, and decrees impacting Jewish communities in Lebanon.
Laws and decrees
Policies that Shaped Jewish Life in Lebanon
Lebanon's laws treated Jews better than most of the region. The community's decline came mainly from war and violence rather than from discriminatory laws.
| 1926 | Lebanon's constitution guarantees freedom of religion and recognizes the Jewish community as one of the country's official religious communities, with its own personal status law. |
| 1955 | Lebanon's law boycotting Israel bars contact with Israel and Israelis, which also limits contact between Lebanese Jews and relatives in Israel. |
| 1975 to 1990 | During the civil war, Jewish homes and institutions in Wadi Abu Jamil are damaged and most Jews leave. |
| 1984 to 1985 | A group linked to Hezbollah kidnaps at least seven members of the Jewish community; at least three are murdered. |
| Today | The Jewish community remains officially recognized, but only a few dozen Jews are believed to live in Lebanon. |
Explore further
Keep exploring
Key dates in the history of the Jews of Lebanon, at a glance. |
The story of the Jews of Lebanon, from ancient times to today. |
Watch Lebanese Jews tell their own stories. |
Books on the Jews of Lebanon → Histories, memoirs, novels, and children's books in JIMENA's library. |
For the classroom
Think about it
- Choose one of these laws. How would it have changed daily life for a Jewish family: their work, their schooling, their home, or their freedom to travel?
Sources: Lebanon religious freedom report 2004 (Jewish Virtual Library); History of the Jews in Lebanon.
Timeline of Jewish Presence
View chronological details of Jewish life and presence in Lebanon.
