To Leave or not to Leave?

Jerusalem Post February 29,2008
On the eve of the National Referendum, while people were celebrating a wedding at the Union Iraelita Synagogue, police broke through Hebraica in order to search the premises for weapons and explosives of which they found none. This attack received very little international media attention. There had been a similar raid two years before, with the same result. Chavez accused Jewish leaders of leading and financing opposition protest saying that," I am not going to be blamed for being anti-Semite." One Venezuelan Jewish community member said that people are not leaving Caracas for the same reason no one left Germany "denial". The community had held a protest against the Iranian embassy criticizing Ahmadinejad's Holocaust Denial. They were so scared to do so, however, that the protest was held in silence. People were starting to flee in large numbers at the time, but again not to Israel as the author recalls. He says that the failure of aliyah is not only Israel's fault but also the Venezuelan Community, who are literally "trapped" by the challenges that face their country and their dangerous surroundings. A few years ago, Ze'ev Boim attempted to create a plan as minister of immigrant absorption, to bring Venezuelans to Israel but it was never put into effect. There is a disinclination of wealthier Jews to emigrate because as Robert Kulkha Kohn mentions "You could never live like this anywhere else".
I think this article is good although it was written two years ago because it addresses the current issue that faces all Venezuelan Jews which is to leave or not to leave. Most of them do not want to abandon their comfortable lifestyles to move somewhere else, especially the age group of 40-60, who would have difficulty finding employment. The other big issue is this idea of denial. If you go to Hebraica, the Jewish Community Center you would never expect that things were as serious as they are. People within the community and the school there look very calm and happy. Yet outside of the walls the fear permeates throughout their lives, whether it is driving at night or doing a simple thing like walking to synagogue. You have to think about doing simple tasks. This is why many have left for places like Miami, as my cousin tells me she has a new Venezuelan member of her class monthly.People need to stop denying and realize the dangerous reality they are living in.
Link to Original Article: http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/jerusalem-post/mi_8048/is_20080229/jewish-communities-lose-voices/ai_n47382493/