Caracas Jews fear planned state curriculum will hurt religious school - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Mon., October 01, 2007 ,

Israel Time: 02:28 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Print Edition

Diplomacy

Defense

Arts & Leisure

Real Estate

Jewish World

National

Advertising

Magazine

Week's End

Business

Opinion

Rosner's Domain

Anglo File

Books

Travel

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

Caracas Jews fear planned state curriculum will hurt religious school

By Anshel Pfeffer

Venezuela's Jewish community is becoming increasingly worried about President Hugo Chavez's plans to redraft the country's constitution and centralize the education system. Sources in the community say that since Chavez rose to power eight years ago, some 20 percent of Jews have left the country.

Over the past month, Chavez has advanced a raft of far-reaching amendments to the constitution, which he amended through a referendum shortly after he was elected to his first term as president in December 1998. Chavez aims to amend the constitution to remove the limitation on the number of times a president can run for reelection.

	Advertisement

Chavez is also preparing a list of amendments making the Venezuelan economy more socialist and centralized, giving the government more control of certain sectors. Some of the amendments include nationalization.

Earlier this month, Chavez announced a new mandatory socialist schooling program. Schools that do not adhere to the government's curriculum would be closed and the pupils transferred to state-run institutions. This would affect private schools attended by children from affluent homes.

In recent media statements as well as in his weekly TV program, Chavez said that "private schools will have no choice but to comply." The ultimatum has worried the local Jewish community of some 12,000 people.

More than 90 percent of all Venezuelan Jews reside in the capital, Caracas. The two prominent Jewish institutions in the city are the community's club and a Jewish school, Ebraica, with some 1,300 pupils of all ages.

Changes to the schools' modus operandi could constitute a blow to Venezuela's Jewish community, prominent members say. "We don't think these plans are directed against Jews, but we could be affected by this general trend," a community activist told Haaretz.

"The school is an essential issue that unites all of the community around it," says another activist for an international Jewish organization who frequently visits Venezuela. "We expect Chavez's plan to make it more difficult to teach the school's specific Jewish subjects."

"Everything is blacker and whiter here," says one of the community's members. "You're either for Chavez or against him. And Jews are regarded as the opposition." The man, who requested anonymity, says that in Chavez's Venezuela Jews are also identified with Israel, which isn't on Chavez's list of favorite countries.

Until now, the local Jewish community has been able to weather the socialist storm. "Socialism and all, the community has never enjoyed such wealth before. The demand for imported goods is record high," the Jewish community member says.

But with thousands of Jews contemplating leaving for the United States, Israel and elsewhere, the community's stability under Chavez remains to be seen.

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	Lights out
	Electric company cancels emergency bond issue due to credit rating reduction fears.


	No free lunches
	Accountant General Zelekha demands VIPs pay taxes on their free medical benefits.

Today Online


	Israel worried PA will harden its stance ahead of Int'l summit
	Responses: 312


	Levy: Why must Israel destroy the homes of Palestinian families?
	Responses: 217


	Most rightists leave sites of new W. Bank outposts
	Responses: 91


	FM lauds cancellation of U.K. academics' planned boycott
	Responses: 79


	Rosner's guest: Ruth Wisse discusses the politics of Jews
	Responses: 120

More Headlines
21:46 Most rightists leave sites of new illegal West Bank outpost


23:41 PM Olmert's meeting with Abbas delayed until Wednesday


18:39 Hamas renews call for cease-fire with Israel


17:30 Eilat beaches reopened one day after closure due to sewage leak


02:03 Police planning to relocate to controversial E-1 J'lem corridor


19:15 Spain hosts its first international conference on the Holocaust


01:17 Israeli Arabs demonstrate in Umm al-Fahm to mark October 2000 riots


14:21 Indian Jews outraged after local company labels product 'NAZI'


15:21 Four people killed and three injured in Arava road accident


21:24 Yom Kippur road crash that killed girl to be probed as a murder


01:35 Israeli Gelfand ties for second place at World Chess Championship


12:37 Hamas forces arrest influential Fatah member in Gaza Strip