The first Syrian businesswoman! Matilde Chelhot was a visionary leader who used her wealth and influence to create a major educational institution that offered vocational training to the poor and needy. She was also a humanitarian who worked with the Red Crescent and donated everything she owned for the benefit of the working class. In this article, you will discover the amazing life and legacy of Matilde Chelhot, who left behind a fragrant memory of good deeds, altruism, achievement, and inspiration.

Did you know that Syrian Americans have been in the US since 1880? In this article, you will discover their rich and diverse history, culture, and contributions to various fields in America.

We aim to educate ourselves and our fellow Syrians on the history and communities of our country. Misinformation often grows vastly and knowledge about one another is a vital way to achieve coexistence and move forward. Despite making up big portions of the demographic makeup of bordering Lebanon & Iraq, Syria’s Shia have long been a religious minority making them the 6th largest group before the war but likely the 4th today. Syria is home to some of the community’s most sacred sites. Because of this, Syria is a hotspot for religious tourism/pilgrimage for the Shia community worldwide, similar to Christians who visit some of the faith’s most ancient and splendid sites in our country.

Louay Kayyali was a famous Syrian painter who faced rejection and depression for showing the reality of war and poverty in his country. His controversial exhibition “For the Sake of Cause” in 1967 was a turning point in his life and career. In this article, we explore his life and work, and why he painted the truth, even when it hurt.

Today, Akitu is mainly celebrated by the Assyrian/Aramaean identifying community, Chaldeans (Catholic Assyrians), and all Syrian and Iraqi Christians following the Syriac Orthodox & Catholic churches. It is also significant to many Alawites & Ismailis in the country (altogether, these communities form between 20-30% of Syria). Our ancestors across the region recognized the importance of celebrating life, renewal, and our fertile lands. Syria today seems to be the antithesis of that, many of our people are desperate for a life worth celebrating, but we remember the many Syrians both in and out of the country who are doing their part in a strive for a better Syria. Akitu Brikho (Syriac for Blessed Akitu) to every one of those Syrians whose love for our land, history, and belief in our people in spite of everything, never withers away.

"The Syrian Orontes (river) has long been discharging into the Tiber (of Italy), carrying with it its language and morals and slanting strings, complete with piper, not to speak of its native timbrels." -Juvenal, an ancient Roman poet.

Special thanks to member of the community Ali Al Haj who helped provide some insightful information Graphics: @nourxahabi Fifth in our series of Syria’s religious makeup: the Ismaili Muslims. We aim to educate ourselves and our fellow Syrians on the history and communities of our country. Misinformation often grows vastly and knowledge about one another is a vital way to achieve coexistence and move forward. Ismailism in Syria dates back to the year 806 AD. Centralized in Syria’s west by the Coastal Mountains, Ismailis form large minorities in the governorates of Hama and Tartus. Historically stemming from Shia Islam, it shares much with mainstream Islam but is also distinct in its practices and history. Syria boasts one of the largest Ismaili communities worldwide, and today, the community likely forms the 6th largest religious group in the country. It is the smallest Islamic-related sect in Syria following the Sunnis, Alawites, Druze & Twelver Shias.

The Lira is Syria’s official currency. It has evolved numerous times with the changes that Syria and the region in general went through from the late Ottoman era, to the French Mandate, to foreign interventions through to independence, and its usage began in 1948.

Another epidemic in Syria is the immense rise of undiagnosed Generalized Anxiety Disorder, a disorder whose severity is unfortunately underestimated and impacting our people on both personal and collective levels as a result of daily lived realities during the war and until today.

If our media doesn’t do our people justice, we will. Check out the incredible story of Dr. Souhel Najjar; a Damascus-born neurologist, who managed to save an American woman’s life from a rare, life-threatening disease and become one of the best neurologists of the US.

Fourth in our series of Syria’s religious makeup: the Sunni Muslims. This article delves into the early islamic era in Syria (commenced by two powerful Sunni dynasties, the Umayyad and the Abbasid), as well as the incredibly diverse nature of the many Islamic dynasties that have come to rule our land from 634-1919 AD. While the vast majority were Sunni, about half of them were in fact non Arab and have dominated Syria’s Sunni Islamic history. This plays a massive role in shaping the modern day demographics of Syrian Sunnis, in addition to refugees and their descendants who have settled in Syria, such as Iraqis and Palestinians. As the majority, Sunnis have played key roles in the development of Syria’s political and social fabric particularly during our country’s establishment as a modern state. Syria was key to the establishment of Sunni Islam as a powerful social and political entity in the world, as Damascus was the capital of the first Islamic Empire - the Umayyad Empire - which spanned from Northwest Africa to modern day Pakistan in the east, from the Southern Arabian Peninsula to the Caucasus region, as well as modern Spain and Portugal. Often many of us conflate Islamic rule in Syria with Arabs, yet forget that in fact, the majority were non Arab Islamic dynasties. Sunni Islam has also dominated Islamic history in Syria.

In an attempt to "eradicate" them, our society is largely silent about its queer population. Behind this facade of silence are many heartbreaking stories and lived realities of queer people who have been ignored and left to live in hell due to laws in Syria that not only criminalize their personal endeavors, but their whole existence; laws that fail to criminalize violence instigated by surrounding hostile environments. It is time for everyone to understand that a Queer person's feelings are never ever by choice... how insane would it be for one to "choose" a life of continuous struggle. The Syrian Society for Assisting the LGBTQ+ Community is an unlicensed association due to the country's policies and oppressive society. Their objectives include: - helping individuals in the  community, especially those whose lives are threatened by their surroundings - providing psychological support for those facing emotional distress - offering online awareness sessions for those struggling with self-acceptance and societal differences regarding sexual orientation - and assisting with relocation through the United Nations or Kandil organization in neighboring countries. For urgent contact: syrasslgbt@gmail.com. Instagram page: syrasslgbt.