Living In Fear Venezuela Jews rebuild after synagogue attack. Jasmina Kelemen Jewish Telegraphic Agency Caracas T he quiet on a residential street in this eastern Venezuelan city is shattered by construction crews as workers perched on a scaffolding place panels of marble on the external wall of a two-story synagogue. The construction occurs under the watchful eye of local police, who monitor the street around the clock. From their post on the corner, the police van has kept surveillance over the site since late January, when an older synagogue in the rundown Mariperez district of Caracas was attacked and desecrated. Committed to their future here, Caracas Jews are building a new synagogue to replace the 50-year-old Sephardic syna- gogue that was attacked. They must do so under police protection. On Jan. 30, more than a dozen assail- ants invaded Tiferet Israel, overpowering two security guards and disabling the surveillance system. They desecrated holy objects, stole a computer database with the congregation's personal information and put the city's Jews on edge. "It's something that is really shock- ing and that has never been seen before in Venezuela. Never, ever',' said Federica Palomero, who curates a small museum at Tiferet Israel. "In Venezuela, there's a tradi- tion of coexistence, tolerance, respect and mutual admiration." Synagogue members say that anti- Semitic graffiti began to appear on the temple's exterior walls in January, after President Hugo Chavez expelled the Israeli ambassador to protest the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip. As Chavez ratcheted up his rhetoric against Israel, calling it a genocidal state, the official media followed suit, calling for a boycott on local Jewish businesses unless they publicly denounced Israel. Venezuelan Jews, who first arrived in the 1700s, say an unprecedented wave of anti-Semitism has followed. "People are being taught to hate said Venezuelan Chief Rabbi Pynchas Brener. "Venezuela has never seen anything like this before." "We've never had any kind of political A34 March 26 2009 or social problems in Venezuela," he went on. "Venezuelans are extremely tolerant; they accept differences!' Other attacks and outbursts of hostility followed the Tiferet Israel attack. In February, unknown assailants lobbed a small explosive into a Caracas Jewish commu- nity center. A local production of Fiddler on the Roof was even caught in the maelstrom after the orchestra chairman pulled out of the musi- cal, possibly because of the play's Jewish content. The play's producer, Michel Hausmann, said Manuel Torres, who had A new synagogue being built in Caracas will replace a 50-year-old Sephardic synagogue that was performed in Fiddler attacked in January. in the past, felt that to do so this year would chairman of the House of Representatives be politically offensive and threaten his As Tiferet's Palomero guides a visitor foreign affairs subcommittee on the through a small exhibit of pictures showing financial support from the state. Western Hemisphere, to assemble a con- the destruction caused by the attack, she Torres refused to comment about the says the attack does not reflect the attitudes gressional commission on religious free- case with JTA. But in an interview several of Venezuelans toward Jews "but rather doms in Venezuela. days earlier with a local daily, the chair- Israel also is using its diplomatic muscle man denied being pressured and said those of a small group" that is "small, but to keep the spotlight on Venezuela's treat- active, dangerous and supported!' the orchestra was concentrating on other ment of the Jewish community. Its Foreign Like many Caracas Jews, Palomero events. Ministry has asked 15 countries with declined to say who she believes is behind For its part, the government has been ties to Venezuela to bring up the issue erratic in its response to the attacks on the the attacks. But Jewish leaders from over- with Chavez, according to the Israeli daily seas have made clear who they believe is Jewish community. Ha'aretz. At first, Chavez and other members of to blame. "There has been a significant outbreak "Now that I've been here and seen this his government denounced the attack on of anti-Semitism there, and we wanted to with my own eyes, I have no doubt that Tiferet, promising the assailants would send messages to Venezuela's president direct responsibility for the attack on the be quickly apprehended. But Chavez also through several different channels in order Tiferet Israel synagogue goes directly blamed government opponents for the to clarify the gravity with which we view to the door of Hugo Chavez:' said Rabbi raid and told the Jewish community not the situation:' a senior government source Shmuel Herzfeld of Congregation Ohev "to allow themselves to be manipulated." told the paper. Sholom in Washington after a recent visit Then the Interior Ministry arrested Locally, the Jewish community has not 11 people, saying robbery was their real to Caracas. been directly outspoken against Chavez. "The attack couldn't have happened motive and that it simply was disguised as without the permission of Chavez;' he said, Its members say they need to continue a bias crime. While local Jewish leaders have publicly noting the technical sophistication used to with their lives as before. "Life goes on and one has to keep break into the synagogue and crack safes expressed their gratitude toward the gov- working," Palomero said. "The Jews are ernment for prioritizing the investigation, inside. Venezuelans, just like the Muslims, the Herzfeld, who was part of a four-person many in the community quietly express Protestants and the Catholics. We're delegation from North America, said he doubt that the real perpetrators of the Venezuelans and we're Jewish." is pressing U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., attack will be brought to light. ❑