Eighty-five percent of the Jews in Argentina are Ashkenazi, descending from France, Germany and Eastern Europe. [31] Following the 2003 economic recovery and subsequent growth, Argentine immigration to Israel leveled off, and some who had left for Israel returned to Argentina. More than half of Argentinas Jewish professional athletes were football players. The following day Nisman was to present evidence in a closed-door congressional hearing implicating then-President Cristina Fernndez de Kirchner and other officials for allegedly participating in a cover-up for Iranian officials suspected in orchestrating the attack, in exchange for much-needed oil. Despite the centuries of Jewish settlement, however, there is little record of Jewish life in the country prior to the 19th century. The Jewish population in Argentina is the largest in Latin America, the third largest in the Americas, and the world's seventh largest outside Israel. [15], During the 1982 Falklands War, around 250 Jewish soldiers served in the Falkland Islands and strategic points in Patagonia. [19][20] The number of Argentine Jews emigrating to Israel greatly increased throughout the period of the junta. Then, two years later, in July 1994, a truck loaded with explosives drove into the seven-story AMIA building (Argentine Israelite Mutual Association), a focal point of the Jewish community in Buenos Aires. Menem appointed many Jews to his government, visited Israel a number of times, and offered to help mediate the Israeli-Arab peace process. Jews have lived in the territory that now constitutes Argentina for centuries, with many of the earliest Jewish settlers seeking refuge from the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions. Cordoba has an impressive community center. [22][23][24][25] In 2007, Interpol ordered a red notice to capture the Iranian fugitives. The primary Jewish political institution is the Delegacin de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA), which lobbies for the interests of the community and its constituent organizations. When they finally headed north, malnutrition and a Typhus epidemic caused the death of 67 community members, mostly children. A moving memorial for the victims of the 1992 suicide attack on the Israeli Embassy. Since Argentina began diplomatic relations with Israel in 1949, an estimated 45,000 Jews have permanently relocated there. P.O. The hottest eatery for pastrami reuben sandwich is the Jewish deli, La Crespo, at Thames 613 in the Villa Crespo neighborhood. According to the author Hernn Dobry, the rabbis were permitted to visit Jewish soldiers because Argentina had been buying arms from Israel, and did not want to risk the relationship "for the sake of five rabbis".[21]. Comedian Adolfo Stray (birth name: Straijer) also characterized the Porteo Jew on stage and in his popular 1968 TV comedy program, El Superejecutivo Don Jacobo (The Super Executive, Mr. Jacobo). In total, 29 people were killed and hundreds were injured. Soon after, Nisman was found dead in his Buenos Aires apartment. In the 1930s and 40s Buenos Aires had the largest Yiddish theater scene in the world, aside from New York City. Murillo 653Villa Crespo, Yesod Hadat Large temple established by Sephardic CommunityLa Valle 2249OnceTel: 4961-9299. [14] During the period of military rule, people who opposed the government were arrested, imprisoned, and often "disappeared", being subjected to torture and execution, and Jewish victims were singled out for especially harsh treatment. Hours: Mon-Fri & Sundays, 8:30 to 12:30 p.m. Villa Clara a small town in the middle of Entre Ros province, was another Jewish agrarian settlement set up by the philanthropist Baron de Hirsh in fact the town is named after his wife, Clara. [3], Pern was overthrown in 1955, with the unrest unleashing a wave of antisemitism. It is the oldest and largest Jewish Temple in the country. Montreal vs. New York Bagels: Whats the Difference? The majority of people interviewed also expressed the belief that Jews are more loyal to Israel than their country of birth. It was established in 1936 and houses over 150,000 graves. Israel maintains an embassy in Buenos Aires and honorary consulates in Cordoba and Mendoza. In 1889, a group of 824 Russian Jews arrived in Argentina on the S.S. Weser and became gauchos (Argentine cowboys). Most of the residents have moved to Rosario, Buenos Aires or Israel. The typical street food served is not Kosher but they do host special Kosher nights. Wander Argentina 2023. Most high-end wine stores in Buenos Aires can help visitors find a decent Kosher wine and some restaurants dont mind if you bring your own bottle and will just charge a corkage fee. In response, the Jewish Colonization Association (JCA) created the Avigdor colony to accommodate Central European Jews fleeing Hitler. Most modern-day Argentines are descendants of these 19th and 20th century immigrants, with about 97% of the population being of European, [4] [5] while an estimated 30-56% have indigenous or mestizo ancestry, [6] and 7.5% have African or mulatto ancestry. But the '90s was also a decade of tragedy for Jewish Buenos Aires. The theater also hosted big Jewish names in Argentine theater such as Yordana Fain, Cipe Lincovsky, Anita Lang, Joseph Buloffand, and Elita Aizenberg. We invite you to enjoy this journey of seeing Argentina and all its complexity through the uniquely Jewish lens. 2002-2023 My Jewish Learning. 2023 World Jewish Congress. Today, Teatro IFT hosts live independent theater productions in Spanish an average of five days a week. These Jews became known as rusos, "Russians". The history of the Jews in Argentina goes back to the early sixteenth century, following the Jewish expulsion from Spain. . The most famous of these was Adolf Eichmann, one of the primary organizers of the Holocaust. For a trendy tavern with sabich and shwarmas and an outdoor seating area in Palermo try Benaim, at Gorriti 4015. Originally founded in 1935 as the Club Nutico Israelita, (Israelite Rowing Club) today the sports here also include basketball, bocce, football, golf, tennis, field hockey and other sports. A Hezbollah militant has been identified as the suicide bomber who blew up a Jewish community center in 1994, killing 85 people in Argentina's worst . In 1983, Ral Alfonsn was democratically elected as president of Argentina. [8][7], Jewish agricultural settlements were established in the provinces of Buenos Aires (Lapin, Rivera), Entre Ros (San Gregorio, Villa Domnguez, Carmel, Ingeniero Sajaroff, Villa Clara, and Villaguay),[9] and Santa Fe (Moiss Ville). Neither has been solved. Business & Professionals; Community Relations Council In 2005, an Argentine prosecutor said the AMIA bombing was carried out by a 21-year-old Lebanese suicide bomber who belonged to Hezbollah. By the mid-1930s the 120,000 Jews in Buenos Aires made up 5% of the citys population. In 1939 the Jewish Telegraph reported that the nazis then began masquerading as normal civic groups in Argentina since they had been pushed underground. Despite antisemitism and increasing xenophobia, Jews became involved in most sectors of Argentine society. Today, 90% of Argentine Jews live in Buenos Aires. Though overshadowed by more massive global ingatherings, the tide of immigration to the Argentine represents an important . For a more interactive and personalized Argentine food experience in the Palermo neighborhood, sign up for an afternoon or evening with the Argentine Food Experience to learn how to make empanadas, eat steak like an Argentine (with plenty of Malbec of course) and prepare and drink the traditional tea, yerba mate. For a drink or coffee break, take a step back in time to visit Cafe San Bernardo, Av. Disclaimer For pastrami with homemade pickles and gourmet celiac dishes in Palermo, try La Pastroneria, at El Salvador 6026. Although not strictly Kosher, chef Toms Kalika offers a modern twist on traditional Ashkenazi and Sephardic recipes including kugel, kreplach, borscht, gefilte fish and pastrami cooked the Argentine way on a grill. Portuguese traders and smugglers in the Virreinato del Ro de la Plata were considered by many to be crypto-Jewish, but no community emerged after Argentina achieved independence. When the group landed in Santa Fe in 1890, the weary settlers set up the colony of Moiss Ville. [3], After the death of his son and heir, de Hirsch devoted himself to Jewish philanthropy and alleviating Jewish suffering in Eastern Europe. Often called Argentinas second city (even though Cordoba capital has surpassed it in population) and the largest city in Sante Fe province, Rosario has a population of about 20,000 Jews. The other was 1930s Austrian table tennis champ Erwin Kohn, who fled to Argentina in 1938 to become the countrys reigning champion until 1952. The pandemic wasnt the start of our troubles but it definitely pushed us over the edge, he said. Performing as a musician in what was then considered the seedy world of tango was one of a few occupations open to newly-arrived Eastern European Jews to Buenos Aires. JDC continues to help the most vulnerable Jewish populations in Latin America through direct assistance programs, while also working with local organizations to build and strengthen their own capacities. Check out The Jewish Gauchos of the Pampas, by Alberto Gerchunoff, the premier writer in Jewish Latin American literature. Not many people reach here for tourism, but anyone who does will typically be given a key to the synagogue and library. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is a Jewish humanitarian organization working in 70 countries. A couple of Jewish tombs can even be spotted at Buenos Aires famous Recoleta Cemetery, those of Benjamn Breitman, and the Uribe y Lecea family, both decorated with a Star of David. Our website cannot function properly without these cookies. He lived in Israel until the junta fell. It was the largest terrorist attack in Argentinian history. The group fuses tango with Klezmer music, which Bulgash learned to play with his family as a child in Buenos Aires. In 1992 the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 22 people and wounding a further 242. The World Jewish Congress has had a strong connection to the Argentinian Jewish community ever since six Argentinian delegates were among the founders of the WJC in Geneva in August of 1936. Argentine Malbec and Torrontes are unique varietals that should be enjoyed on an Argentine vacation because today the Kosher versions are harder to find overseas. [50] In the next month, antisemitic posters were found in a Jewish neighborhood in Buenos Aires. A comprehensive listing of Mendoza Synagogues, Mendoza Shuls and MendozaJewish Temples from MavenSearch, the Jewish Directory [3] After Argentina gained independence, the General Assembly of 1813 officially abolished the Inquisition. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries some came as conversos or secret Jews, those whose families had converted or feigned conversion in the face of religious repression. In 2020, nearly a month after President Alberto Fernandez took office, he participated in the the Fifth World Holocaust Forum 2020 that took part in Israel. He was the first Latin American leader to acknowledge the State of Israel, with diplomatic relations beginning in 1949. As Minister of War, he had signed Argentina's declaration of war against the Axis Powers, but as a nationalist, he had earlier expressed sympathy for them. One of the citys most popular options for a kosher asado (barbecue meat) experience is the recently revamped Parilla Al Galope, one block from the Empanadara Kosher, at Tucumn 2633. There are twenty one tress planted and seven benches in remembrance of the victims. Mission Highlights Visit with one of the largest and most unique Jewish communities in the world today. While security has become a focal point at both buildings, the citys synagogues, and Jewish community organizations, the events have led to improvements in the occasionally strained relationship between Jews and the population as a whole. Follow Sun. Until the 1970s a school here taught Yiddish and Torah studies. A worthwhile community to join for Jewish families moving to Buenos Aires. AMIA is also responsible for social services, including education, healthcare, employment, burial services and more. In 1992, a terrorist attack targeted the Israeli Embassy, where a suicide bomber destroyed the building and killed 29 people. Anita Weinstein, Director of the Federation of Jewish Communities at AMIA, says the community has shrunken in the last 50 years due to smaller family size and a higher level of assimilation than in the past. The Roman-Byzantine style synagogue has room for 1,000 worshipers. The vast majority of Argentinas Jewish population is now located in the capital, Buenos Aires. Fundacin Pardes (spiritually-focused Jewish Organization)Currently broken link: pardes.org.arCespedes 3380ChacaritaTel: 4555-1390, Plaza Embajada de Israel (Memorial Plaza)Arroyo and Suipacha StreetsRecoleta. In July 1994, the Jewish community center (AMIA) in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 85 people and wounding more than 200. We now have a second beautiful Progressive congregation, too: Mishkan. As can be evidenced at Buenos Aires Holocaust Museum, the only of its kind in South America, Argentina essentially closed its doors to Jewish immigration beginning in 1938 and stamped the passports of Jews with the Star of David. Jewish trips to Argentina. The Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe who settled in Argentina were called rusos (Russians) by the local population.. In 2006, Argentine Justice indicted seven high-ranking former Iranian officials and one senior Hezbollah member, charged with participating in the planning and execution of the AMIA bombing. [58], Jewish cultural and religious organizations flourished in the cities; a Yiddish press and theatre opened in Buenos Aires, as well as a Jewish hospital and a number of Zionist organizations. Argentina boasts a number of Jewish periodicals and media outlets, including the Jewish News Agency, Vis a Vis and Itn Gadol. While the restaurant has received praise as the best Jewish food in South America, be warned that Mishiguene might be crazily priced for visitors from Jewish food capitals such as Tel Aviv, New York or London. [1] The government has recognized major Jewish holidays: it authorizes Jews to have two days of vacation each for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the first two and last two days of Passover.[64]. Discover why in Argentina the Ashkenazis are called "rusos . President Menem also ordered the release of files relating to Argentina's role in serving as a haven for Nazi war criminals. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), The Glory & The Grandeur: A European Synagogue Ceiling Mural. Jewish tangueros (tango dancers and musicians) also played a role in Argentinas musical history. The tour takes visitors by local synagogues, restaurants and markets belonging to members of the Jewish community. As Amazon Associates Wander Argentina earns from qualifying purchases, Read more about how Jews have influenced Argentine culture: Jewish Landmarks, Food & Tours in Argentina, The Effect of Politics on Argentina Jewish Life, Tragedy Strikes Argentinas Jewish Community in Two Terrorist Events, Check out our Jewish Buenos Aires tours, or, Blue Dollar/Western Union Currency Converter, Get Focused with Argentinas Favorite Healthy Drink: Yerba Mate, The Best Argentine Movies & Series to Stream Online, Argentina Meat Ordering Guide & Common Cuts, City of Books: The 10 Best Novels Set in Buenos Aires, Common Buenos Aires Scams & How to Avoid Them, Money Exchange & Hustles on Florida Street. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, History of the Jews in the Byzantine Empire, Great European immigration wave to Argentina, Delegacin de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas, "The Virtual Jewish History Tour Argentina", "El origen de los apellidos Borrero, Bejarano, Benaim y Turqua | Radio Sefarad", "A Note on Jewish Settlement in Argentina (1881-1892)", Circuito Histrico de las Colonias Judas, "THE JEWS AND PERN: COMMUNAL POLITICS AND NATIONAL IDENTITY IN PERONIST ARGENTINA, 1946-1955", Between a Jewish and an Israeli Foreign Policy: Israel-Argentina Relations and the Issue of Jewish Disappeared Persons and Detainees under the Military Junta, 1976-1983, "How five Argentinian rabbis helped Jewish soldiers during the war", "Iran, Hezbollah charged in 1994 Argentine bombing", Wiesenthal Center Urges Interpol's Help To Bring Former Iranian President Before The Bar Of Justice For AMIA Mass Murder In Argentina, AMIA: Interpol ratifica arresto de iranes, Fuerte reclamo de Cristina Kirchner al presidente iran por la AMIA, "AMIA: duro rechazo iran a una propuesta del Gobierno", "Faced With Little Economic Choice, Argentine Jewish Institutions Merge", "Argentina expels Catholic bishop who questions Holocaust", "Jewish group hails Argentinas decision to order expulsion of negationist priest", "Study reveals anti-Semitic sentiment in Argentine society | JPost | Israel News", "Global Anti-Semitism: Selected Incidents Around the World in 2012", "College Student English-sanctioned anti-Semitic phrase", "Global Anti-Semitism: Selected Incidents Around the World in 2013", "Fundamentalists disrupt interfaith Kristallnacht remembrance", "Cultural center in Mendoza was a target of antisemitic attack;", "Swastika spray-painted on Israeli embassy", "Complaint regarding antisemitism filed against caricature author", "Swastikas were found at the headquarters of the Labor Party", "10 Israeli tourists hurt in anti-Semitic attack in Argentina", "Antisemitic graffiti in a police officer's residence", First Jewish gay marriage in Latin America to be held at Argentine synagogue, "Cementerio de Tablada: un lugar nico, una responsabilidad de todos", "United Jewish Communities; Global Jewish Populations", "Day School Gets High Marks for Turning the Jewish Educational Tide in Buenos Aires", "Jewish Colonization Association Colonies in Argentina", "Historical Circuit of the Jewish Colonies in the Center of Entre Rios Province", Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano (In Spanish, English Abstract), Yaakov Bayer: Jewish community in Pedernal (Santa Isabel), Entre Rios Province, Argentina, The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot, Synagogue of the Israelite Argentine Congregation, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_Jews_in_Argentina&oldid=1150618918, Articles with Spanish-language sources (es), Articles with dead external links from October 2010, Articles using infobox ethnic group with image parameters, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from February 2017, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 19 April 2023, at 04:30. [38] On 10 November an ultra-Catholic group wanted to prevent a Jewish-Christian ceremony commemorating Kristallnacht at a Buenos Aires cathedral. [62] Argentina's Jewish population is the largest in Latin America, and the third-largest in the Americas (after that of the United States and Canada). [56], The Buenos Aires Jewish community was established in 1862 and held its first traditional Jewish wedding in 1868. About 200,000 Jews live in Argentina, nearly 80% in the greater Buenos Aires area. Claudio Epelman, the executive director of the Latin American Jewish Congress, serves as the WJCs Commissioner for Interfaith Relations. This enabled Moiss Ville to grow, and in turn the community built four synagogues, Jewish schools, and Argentinas first Jewish cemetery. During this period, Jews were a prime target of the military government, in part because many opposed this dictature but also due to the Nazi ideology which permeated the ranks of the military, with some generals being obsessed with the "Jewish question". Today 250 Jews still reside in the Moiss Ville. Eighty-five, mostly Jewish people, died and around 300 were injured. Buenos Aires Holocaust MuseumMontevideo 919,RecoletaTel: 4811-3588. Some of the Russian Jews who arrived via the Wesser in 1889 carried instruments among their few belongings, and the influence of klezmer music on tango is noticeable to the trained ear. Visitors may also wish to see the Plaza de la Memoria, where the Israeli Embassy used to stand. All rights reserved. [37] On 9 August 2013 the words "Fuck Jewish" were found spray painted on the Temple Libertad synagogue in Buenos Aires, and on 17 August 2013 Swastikas were found painted on monuments, walls and private homes in Maip. The Jewish community began urbanizing and in the decades after the war, there was little sign left of the countrys once flourishing Jewish agricultural communities. When Carlos Saul Menem, who was of Syrian descent, was elected president in 1989, his Arab background and previous support of Pern worried the Jews, but he proved to be a more tolerant leader. The IFT theater is a member of the ICUF Federacin de Entidades Culturales Judas de Argentina (Federation of Jewish Cultural Entities of Argentina). To begin with, it is the largest in Latin America. Juan Perons rise to power culminating in 1946 was a delicate time for Argentinas Jewish community. The tour also goes by AMIA, the Jewish cultural center and the Paso Synagogue, the nearby police station, traditional fabric stores and a traditional Jewish bakery with some delicious snacks. [6] Argentina has the largest Jewish population of any country in Latin America, although numerous Jews left during the 1970s and 1980s to escape the repression of the military junta, emigrating to Israel, West Europe (especially Spain), and North America.[3]. 80% of Argentine Jews reside in the City of Buenos Aires, with an additional 11,00 Jews living in Rosario and Cordoba. The worst part was not knowing what will happen next, he said. In Argentina, he was charged with falsifying documents to obtain Argentine citizenship in 1992. Two decades after her hour of need, Werner is now the president of the Jewish welfare organization in Cordoba, home to Argentina's second-largest Jewish population. In 1889, 824 Jews piled onto the SS Wesser bound for Argentina to escape the pogroms. The predominately Polish group suffered a similar fate to some large groups of Irish arriving around the same time. [32], In February 2009, Argentina expelled Richard Williamson, an excommunicated traditionalist Roman Catholic bishop. By 1862, a group of several dozen Ashkenazim Jews had founded the first Jewish society in the country, one that within six years became the Israeli Community of the Republica Argentina (CIRA). This information is collected anonymously and helps us improve the site by making the most sought after information easy to find. Those craving sushi should head to Sushi Ko Kosher on the same block, at Lafinur 3305. 'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+"://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); ADVERTISE WITH US! Apr. Beginning in 1854, Argentina experienced several waves of Jewish immigration, leading to the establishment in 1862 of the Israelite Congregation of Buenos Aires, the first Jewish institution in the country. Argentina kept its doors open to Jewish immigration until 1938, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in Germany began to take more actions against Jews, and tensions rose across Europe in preparation for war. The Latin American Jewish Congress, headed today by Adrian Werthein, is the WJCs regional affiliate. One of the graffiti was "Be a patriot, kill a Jew",[46] and one another had swastika sprayed on the passage leading to the house of the Crdoba rabbi. When evidence emerged in 1998 suggesting that Iran orchestrated the attack, arrest warrants were issued for six Iranian diplomats, who promptly left Argentina. One of two Argentine Jews in the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame is Daniela Yael Krukower, a Womens World Judo Champion. In a flash, they went from secure middle class to struggling to pay their bills and afford basic necessities such as food, clothing, and medicine. [52] Two more incidents of antisemitic graffiti occurred on August in Buenos Aires[53] and Sauce Viejo. Between 1906 and 1912, some 13,000 Jews immigrated to Argentina every year, mostly from Europe, but also from Morocco and the Ottoman Empire.