Once upon a time, people who were Jewish or who had Jewish ancestry would go all out to hide it, becoming known as "Marranos," which was a derogatory name. Socialism in Venezuela has made having Jewish ancestry a matter of survival for some.  Venezuelans are scouring their family records for any sign that one of their forefathers might just have been Jewish. They might be looking for a reason to get to Israel, and some have converted to Judaism to achieve this.  But most are looking to take advantage of a law passed in Spain, attempting to right previous wrongs by permitting the re-entry into Spain of the descendents of Jews who were expelled by the Spanish monarchs in 1492. The Caracas Chronicles has a superb explainer describing what is going on in this: A new historical paradox was thus born: The citizenship law for Sephardic people has reverted the logic behind the "blood purity" statutes installed in Spain during the...(Read Full Post)