The tomb of Judaism’s most revered Kabbalists from the 16th century has become the target of vandalism in war-torn Syria.

The Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic Countries revealed on social media that vandals broke through the main gate of Damascus’s Jewish cemetery on Wednesday night, damaged Rabbi Chaim Vital’s tomb, and dug a hole nearby in an apparent search for his remains.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the desecration of the tomb of Rabbi Chaim Vital this Thursday in Damascus,” the organization wrote on X. “Jews have lived in Syria for thousands of years and are an integral part of its history. We urgently call on the Syrian government to immediately secure Jewish holy sites, synagogues, and cemeteries and ensure their safety, security, and well-being.”

Born in Tzefat in 1542, Rabbi Chaim Vital became the principal student of Rabbi Isaac Luria, known as the Arizal, the father of modern Kabbalah. Recognized for his exceptional abilities from childhood by Rabbi Yosef Karo, author of the Shulchan Aruch, Rabbi Vital dedicated his life to recording and preserving the revolutionary kabbalistic teachings of his master.

After the Arizal’s death in 1572, Rabbi Vital compiled the monumental work “Etz Chaim” (Tree of Life) and “Shaar HaGilgulim” (“The Gate of Reincarnations”), which remain the foundation of Lurianic Kabbalah today. In 1594, he settled in Damascus where he continued teaching the Torah’s deepest secrets until his passing at age 77.

Once home to 30,000 Jews, it is believed that only seven or eight Jews remain in Damascus today. Calls by the Alliance for newly installed President Ahmed al-Sharaa to find the perpetrators of this act have so far gone unanswered.