In 1954, the Sephardic Jewish community of Caracas reached an agreement to buy private land in Maripérez, Caracas, in order to build a synagogue to replace the one located in the El Conde area, which had to be demolished as part of the construction of the Bolivar Avenue, the main highway during that time.

[citation needed] Finally in 1956 the first stone was laid; the synagogue was formally inaugurated and opened to the public in 1963, and since then has served as a religious temple for the Jewish community of Caracas.

[citation needed] In late January 2009, the synagogue was badly damaged in a well-organized attack,[1] following escalating tensions between the Israeli and Venezuelan governments after the Gaza–Israel conflict of 2008–2009.

[2] The attack followed an article inciting anti-Semitic violence, which appeared (later removed, and replaced by an apology) on a government website.

[3][4][5] An armed gang consisting of 15 unidentified men broke into the synagogue, tied and gagged security guards and occupied the building for several hours.