Tiféret Israel Synagogue


Tiféret Israel Synagogue is a Jewish synagogue located in El Recreo, close to Plaza Venezuela in Caracas, capital of Venezuela. It is also the headquarters of the Israelite Association of Venezuela.

History

In 1954, the Sephardic Jews of Caracas reached an agreement to buy a private land in Maripérez, Caracas, in order to build a synagogue to replace the one which was located in the area of El Conde, who had to be demolished as part of the construction of the Bolivar avenue, main highway of that time. Finally in 1956 the first stone was laid; in 1963 was formally inaugurated and opened to the public, and since then has served as a religious temple of the Jewish community of Caracas.
In late January 2009, the synagogue was desecrated and vandalized by a criminal gang. The attack followed the escalated tensions between the Israeli and Venezuelan governments after the Gaza–Israel conflict of 2008-09. Three former policeman and three civilians were found guilty and sentenced to 10 year of jail by the local justice department.