For many students in Gainesville, hearing the news of a bomb exploding inside a Jewish Community Center in Caracas, Venezuela, on Feb. 26 hit too close to home.
This marked the second anti-Semitic, or anti-Jewish, attack in Caracas within a month.
The first attack, vandalization of a major synagogue in late January, pushed 19-year-old Samuel Cohen to move to Gainesville two weeks ago.
"As soon as that happened, my mom told me I had to get the hell out of Venezuela," he said. "That's why I started really looking to come to a university here."
Cohen enrolled at Santa Fe College and started classes on Monday.
Eduardo Fleischer, a UF industrial and systems engineering junior, moved to the U.S. from Venezuela in 2006. He said the recent attacks go against the country's history of tolerance.
"I think it's a shame because Venezuela is a country that has always accepted all people and immigrants," he said.
Fleischer said many speculate the government was involved in the attack on the synagogue, and he thinks the attacks are linked to President Hugo Chavez's anti-Israel sentiments.
"We don't say he does the attacks, but it's his motivational speeches that produce the attacks," he said.
Jossie Buzaglu, a UF industrial engineering senior who moved from Venezuela in 2007, said it is important to understand this was not the first time anti-Semitism had been felt in Venezuela. But he said the situation is worse now than ever.
"Anti-Semitism always arises when there are conflicts in Israel," he said. "Chavez takes the Palestinian side, and he has such good speeches that he convinces everyone the Israelis are wrong."
Rabbi Berl Goldman, of the Lubavitch-Chabad Jewish Student and Community Center, described the situation as not only a Venezuelan concern, but a Jewish one as well.
"Thankfully, Chavez has come out and said publicly, at least, that he condemns the attacks, and that he will help the situation," Goldman said. "Whether or not he does that will be a true testament to his role as a political leader."
Esther Benchimol, a UF student and president of the Venezuelan Student Association, said since the conflict in Gaza and the violence in Caracas began, she has worried daily about her family members who still live in Venezuela.
"My mom is already nervous because of the general dangers in Venezuela, and now we have to worry about being Jewish?" Benchimol said.
She found out about the synagogue attack from her mom, who was crying hysterically after hearing the news. Benchimol said her family used to attend weekly services there.
Benchimol said she wants to help the situation by increasing awareness about what is happening in Venezuela.
Goldman said throughout their history, Jews have never been able to be unaware of anti-Semitic threats, even in countries like Venezuela.
"Good people everywhere need to be aware of what is happening and need to condemn these senseless acts of violence," he said.
