Monday, May 25, 2009

Anti-semitism abroad

So I wasn't aware that in summer and even year round a huge majority of french jews own property mainly in Tel Aviv and also throughout Israel. Time Out says if you don't speak hebrew you can get by just fine with french. I remember that anti-semitism in France was and is bad with people going into jewish cemeteries and defacing grave sites all the time but I didn't realize the french jews are safeguarding themselves for a day when they may be expelled from their homes.

I also heard a crazy story about jews in Peru being forced to leave their homes by the local government. People traveling in South America- did you feel or see any of this in Peru???

1 comment:

  1. Hey Jess! Great blog--I'm so glad to see what you're up to. I was in Peru a few years back(in 2005--I am getting scarey-old I think). I didn't feel the anti-semitism there, but I was not too involved with the community. It saddens me to hear that they are experiencing such trouble. Peru is one of the first places Jews went in SA during the Spanish Inquisition. That being said, I certainly believe this is happening--When I was living in Chile, I certainly found the climate to be a bit hostile for Jews and the relationship between gentiles and Jews much more tense than I feel in the US.
    I know in Santiago where I went to shul every week, the temples were under high security--lots of bomb threats from Palestinian terrorist groups (e.g. threatening a repeat of the Buenos Aires bombings) as well neo-Nazi groups(there were tons on neo-Nazi grafiti and gangs around--there were always ppl selling Hitler and WWII stuff on the streets).
    Additionally, I have a friend who just adopted a baby with her husband, but for years had run into lots of trouble b/c the Catholic adoption agencies (the only adoption agencies in Chile) would not give a baby to them because they are Jewish.
    Central America too--a Panamanian doctor I worked with last year let out some pretty crazy anti-semitic stuff slip when he found out I was Jewish (btw this was at the UN ). In Venezuela, the community has experienced lots of trouble with Chavez. The capitalist leaders see the Jews as communist sympathizers and the socialists see them as rich neocons who control the private banking industry.
    Bad news.

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