The Sephardic Museum of Caracas Morris E. Curiel was created in 1999 as a non-profit institution, affiliated to the Asociación Israelita de Caracas (Israeli Association of Caracas), founded in 1930, that groups the Sephardic Jews of Venezuela. On June 20th, 2010, the first stage of its facilities was opened to the public, next to the Tiferet Israel Synagogue, that also forms part of the Museum's tour.
The Museum defines its mission statement as to compile, conserve, study and divulge the cultural heritage of the Jewish People, comprising documents, books, objects and art pieces that are testimony of the history, culture and values, especially of the Jewish community of Venezuela.
Also, the Museum seeks to promote the preservation of the memory of the Jewish presence in Spain, the Expulsion, the Inquisition, the Diaspora as well as the Shoa, through events, conferences and temporary exhibitions. Also, the Museum conceives the tradition not only as a heritage but also as a constant happening that projects into the future, and therefore it supports contemporary cultural and artistic initiatives from the Venezuelan as well as the International Jewish community.
The Museum bears the name of its benefactor, Morris E. Curiel (1920-2007), a descendant of a distinguished Sephardic family of Curacao, a prominent banker and entrepreneur that developed very important philanthropic work in support to education and culture.