Israelite Association of Venezuela

The Israelite Association of Venezuela, (Spanish: Asociación Israelita de Venezuela), known as Tiferet Israel, founded in the 1920s by Sephardic Jews, is the oldest surviving Jewish organization in Venezuela. An association of Sephardic Jews, it supports a large synagogue in Caracas and counts about 800 families among its members.[1]

Holocaust Memorial in Caracas
Tiféret Israel Synagogue, the main synagogue of the Israelite Association of Venezuela

2009 attack

In late January 2009, the synagogue was badly damaged in a well-organized attack, following an article inciting anti-Semitic violence, which appeared (later removed, and replaced by an apology) on a government website, after the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict. [2][3][4] An armed gang consisting of 15 unidentified men broke into the synagogue, tied and gagged security guards and occupied the building for several hours.[5] Anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli graffiti was daubed on the walls [6] and the synagogue office and Holy Ark were ransacked. They also called for Jews to be expelled from the country. Venezuela's Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro condemned the act as a "criminal act of vandalism". The Information Minister Jesse Chacón also condemned the attack and denied it had any connection with the government.

See also

References
  1. David Krusch. The Virtual Jewish History Tour Venezuela, Jewish Virtual Library
  2. Venezuela's Jews fear more attacks, Yahoo News, 02-06-2008
  3. Grupo armado causa destrozos en la Asociación Israelita de Venezuela, El Universal, 01-02-2009
  4. Synagogue in Venezuela vandalized, Jerusalem Post, 01-02-2009
  5. Synagogue desecrated in Venezuela, BBC, 01-02-2009
  6. Confederación de Asociaciones Israelitas de Venezuela, 01-02-2009


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