Archives for March 2011

Porteño Corner: La Cigale Bar Owner, Sebastión Giménez Melo

Sebastión Giménez Melo
Co-owner, La Cigale Bar
Age: 41
Resides: Chacarita

Q: Where did you grow up?

Palermo, but I also lived overseas growing up, in Mexico and Yugoslavia — when it was still one country — and Portugal. Before we opened the bar, I lived in Paris for seven years.

• How did the idea of opening La Cigale come about?

I was traveling in Mozambique and some partners of some partners from the music magazine, Inrockuptibles got in touch. They wanted to start up a bar. I had knowledge about the Buenos Aires scene and knew a lot of people, so that’s how I got involved.

It was quite a big risk. None of us had much money. If it didn’t succeed quickly, we would have gone under in four months. We were lucky because the magazine sent us new bands and that brought crowds and we took off pretty quick.

• What year was that?

We first opened in 1998. It was something new at that time. There were confiterías where you could sit and drink and there were clubs where you could dance but there weren’t really more dynamic bars where you could listen to live music and circulate and meet people.

Back then there was Mundo Bizarro — they were one of the first, and then the Shamrock, before they had the basement. It was a different scene then.

• Why did you guys decide to open something downtown instead of in Palermo or San Telmo?

At that time I used to hang out at El Seddon, when it was still over in this part of town, and around here were all the brothels. It was an obvious choice because it’s mostly offices around here, so there are a lot less problems with the neighbors.

At that time there still wasn’t really anything in Palermo yet, there was AcaBar and El Unico and in San Telmo there was no night scene at all, like now.

• What kind of music do you like, the stuff played in the bar?

Not really, I’m more into black music. I like ska, reggae, rock steady, dub, like the Specials and Burning Spear. Here we play more indie music.

• You said you also own a hostel. You must work a lot.

Yeah, I own Casa Esmeralda in Palermo. Here we have managers to take care of the day-to-day stuff. I only work two shifts per week here at La Cigale. I’d say I work 65 hours a week in all. Workholic and Alcoholic!

• You must know everybody in Buenos Aires.

I’m pretty social. I meet new people everyday, but it’s interesting that my main nucleus of friends are people I’ve known for over 20 years.

• What are some of he best Argentine bands around now?

That’s tough, I’d say maybe Turf, Hamacas al Río and Reincidentes. The reggae band, The Cafres, the tango group La Chicana and the neo-folklore group, Tonolec. Also all the digital cumbia stuff centered around Zizek.

• You lived in Paris where tangotronica also got really popular. Do you like it?

No, I prefer modern tango like Astor Piazzolla. Tangotronica is like good background music.

• How would you describe the crowd that comes here?

We have a mix. We get workers who come by for after-office and people involved in the music scene come in later.

• Do you see a difference in the consumer habits of Argentines and foreigners?

Yes, foreigners drink more. They get more drunk. Anglo-Saxons have more of a culture of drinking. Compare the bars of Buenos Aires to London or Moscow — the guys get wild, there are fights and stuff. Argentines don’t do that so much.

• What is the most popular drink here?

Right now, mojitos

• What’s your favorite drink?

I like a good rum — straight. In fact, I used to have a rum bar called Zanzibar from 2004 until 2008.

• You’re like an Argentine-Jamaican!

An authentic pirate!

• You’re so busy with all these projects. How do you do it? Don’t you want to relax sometimes?

My ultimate fantasy in the world right now is to relax, but now is not the moment. I like to get really involved in my projects. I’m not one of those people who starts something and then just leaves it aside and lets somebody else take care of it. I throw myself into things.

• What do you do when you do have free time?

I like to go to Tigre and just chill out. More than anything I define myself as a traveler — I like travel and more travel!

• Who are some of the famous people who have come through the bar?

The Red Hot Chile Peppers. Those three really famous white rappers, what’s their name? —The Beastie Boys, Echo and the Bunnymen. And of course a lot of Argentine musicians — virtually all of them. Charlie Garcia for one. This was Charlie, before he did his “rehabilitation.” He was completely over the top.

One time he came in and my partner, who is French, was working. He didn’t know who Charlie Garcia was. The band finished playing and Charlie gets on stage to take the mic and my partner went up to him like, “Hey drunkard, what are you doing?” He was going to throw him out. Luckily there were other people around who told him, “No, man, it’s cool,” and they explained who Charlie Garcia was.

Who else? Andrés Calamaro — almost everyone.

• Gustavo Cerati?

Yeah, Cerati came by. He’s a real good guy, really cool. He always left good tips and he made sure he paid for his drinks, which a lot of them don’t. They’re just so taken care of in everyday life that they leave without paying – like Calamaro, he just split without it occurring to him to pay the tab!

La Cascada: A Royal Retreat in Bariloche

Bariloche’s luxury La Cascada Hotel gets its name from a beautiful natural waterfall on the sprawling property, six kilometers outside of town.

The circa 1950 hotel was previously the stately residence of a well-to-do family.

La Cascada Rooms & Views

All 24 rooms are decorated in a unique style.

Guests can chose a suite ranging from traditional country decor to slick modernly designed units with kitchenettes and large bay windows overlooking the lake.

Room prices increase depending on the view, so decide how much a ‘room with a view’ is worth to you before booking.

The lobby overlooks Lake Nahuel Huapi and features a warm den to check e-mail or read a book.

The indoor amoeba-shaped pool, sauna and exercise room are immaculate. Kids go crazy for the game room. All rooms include cable TV, safety boxes and hair dryers.

Amenities & Notable Guests

La Cascada has a cafeteria, an upscale restaurant, concierge services and room service featuring international cuisine and regional favorites such as Patagonic style lamb and grilled trout.

There is also a small private beach on the property, where visitors can take a dip in the summer.

Since La Cascada is a bit outside of town, renting a car is recommended if staying here.

The staff here speak excellent English.

If you stay here you’ll be able to count yourself among other notable former guests such as the King of Spain, Sarah Ferguson and unpopular Argentine ex-president, Carlos Menem.

Book a room at La Cascada Hotel —$$$$
Av. Bustillo Km 6
San Carlos de Bariloche
Tel: (02944) 441-088

El Obrero — A Working Man’s BBQ in La Boca

For straight-up Argentine beef and pasta dishes in La Boca, El Obrero (‘the working man’) is a classic cantina with a grimy charm. This place hasn’t changed much since it opened in 1954, aside from photos of the numerous celebrities who have dined here through the years, including Susan Sarandon, Francis Ford Coppola, Manu Chau, Bono and El Obrero regular, Diego Maradona.

Wine comes in traditional Argentine penguin pitchers. Although the two brothers that run the place hail from Spain, typical Argentine food is served up in generous portions. The provoleta, fried calamari, puchero (a vegetable and meat stew, normally served in winter) and pastas with four cheese sauce are all recommended. The menu at this parilla is varied but most come here for the beef, which is top quality and half the price of fancier steak destinations such as La Cabrera.

Look for the daily menu options written on the chalkboard. This is a place to go with a group of friends, especially since the cantina can get lively and La Boca isn’t one of Buenos Aires safest neighborhoods.

Bogodón El Obrero—$$
Agustín Caffarena 64
La Boca
Tel: 4362-9912

• Hours: Mon-Sat, 12pm-4pm and 8 pm-1 am
• Closed Sundays and holidays
• Cash only
• Reservations recommended after 9:30 p.m.

• Extra Tip: Don’t wear a ‘River’ tee-shirt

Jewish Restaurants & Entertainment in Argentina

The Jewish population in Argentina has fluctuated since its peak in the mid 20th century but the community continues to have an endurable influence on the country’s culture, media and cuisine.

Jewish life is particularly lively in Buenos Aires, where 8.2% of the population is Jewish. The star of David identifies Jewish-owned businesses in the Once and Abasto business districts, the Argentine capital’s equivalent to New York’s Lower East Side.

The more residential Jewish neighborhood of Villa Crespo is sometimes affectionately referred to as ‘Villa Kreplach‘ by locals.

While Buenos Aires is the focal-point of Jewish life in Argentina, synagogues and Judaic community organizations can be found in a number of provincial capitals throughout the country.

Argentine Jews in Sports, Film & TV

Football/soccer is practically religion in Argentina. Jewish participation in the sport grew out of the city’s social and sporting clubs and was key to the assimilation of new arrivals from Eastern Europe.

Villa Crespo’s soccer team, Atlanta, is the traditional club supported by Porteño Jews, highlighting the unique Jewish-Argentine identity that unites religious and non-religious Jews, Sephardic and Ashkenazi.

Not all Argentine Jews support Atlanta though. Argentina’s most popular soccer team, the Boca Juniors. As of 2018 Boca Junior’s stadium, the Bombonera, has a ‘Bocasher‘ Rabbi-supervised food stand.

More than half of Argentina’s Jewish professional athletes were football players. Those who follow South American football will be familiar with Jose Peckerman, former Argentinos Juniors player and manager of Colombia’s national team. Another name is Juan ‘Juampi’ Sorin, former World Cup national team player and coach who currently works as an announcer for ESPN.

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→ Learn more about the Jewish influence on Argentine soccer in the book, ‘Fútbol, Jews and the Making of Argentina.‘

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Other prominent professional athletes that have gained famed in Argentina include Olympic Bronze medal and World Cup winner in female field hockey, Giselle Andrea Kañevsky. She’s the granddaughter of Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, one of the most prominent rabbinic authorities in Ultra-orthodox Judaism.

Carolina Raquel Duer, a boxer whose family immigrated to Argentina from Syria, was the first Jewish woman to win a World Boxing Championship in 2010 in a match that was televised nationwide in Argentina.

The former kibbbutznik known as the ‘Iron Barbie’ defended the super flyweight title six times and was invited by former president Cristina Kirchner to the Casa Rosada. Today she’s a TV boxing announcer for Argentina’s public television station.

One of two Argentine Jews in the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame is Daniela Yael Krukower, a Women’s World Judo Champion. The other was 1930’s Austrian table tennis champ Erwin Kohn, who fled to Argentina in 1938 to become the country’s reigning champion until 1952.

Yiddish Theater in Buenos Aires

In the 1930s and 40s Buenos Aires had the largest Yiddish theater scene in the world, aside from New York City.

In the off season, New York actors would make their way to Buenos Aires to star in productions here.

Buenos Aires still has a thriving theater scene, even though Yiddish theater died out. Today there are humorous productions around the Once and Abasto neighborhood with titles such as, ‘Los cuentos del Rebe,’ (The Stories of Rebe), ‘Oy, oy, hoy’, and ‘Tangos con Varenikes‘ (Tangos with Varenikis — which includes tangos in Yiddish and Hebrew).

The IFT Theater (Boulogne Sur Mer 549) is a small independent theater troupe born out of the Yiddish theater tradition in 1932 under the name ‘Idramst,’ Yiddish for ‘theater.’

The IFT theater is a member of the ICUF Federación de Entidades Culturales Judías de Argentina (Federation of Jewish Cultural Entities of Argentina).

In 1952 the troupe was able to purchase their own building. At its peak, IFT had a chorus, a drama school, a children’s ballet and an art gallery. The theater also hosted big Jewish names in Argentine theater such as Yordana Fain, Cipe Lincovsky, Anita Lang, Joseph Buloffand, and Elita Aizenberg.

Today, Teatro IFT hosts live independent theater productions in Spanish an average of five days a week.

Jewish Portrayals in Argentine Media

In Argentine film, the stereotypical ‘immigrant Jewish merchant’ has long held a role, such as in 1948’s Pelota de Trapo and 1952’s Ellos Nos Hiceron Así.

Comedian Adolfo Stray (birth name: Straijer) also characterized the Porteño Jew on stage and in his popular 1968 TV comedy program, El Superejecutivo Don Jacobo (The Super Executive, Mr. Jacobo).

As for contemporary mass media, the wildly popular Argentine prime-time soap opera, ‘Los Graduados‘ (The Graduates) starred a stereotypical Jewish Argentine family, the Godzers who eat knishes and gelfite fish, smatter their conversations with Yiddish, and whose father is, predictably, a fan of Atlanta soccer team.

La Rey de Once, (titled ‘The Tenth Man’ in it’s English carnation, instead of the direct translation, ‘The King of Once’) is the 12th full-length film by ‘New Argentine Cinema’ director Daniel Berman.

The film premiered in the U.S. at the Tribeca Film Festival and, like most of Berman’s work, features a neurotic Jewish central character, drawing easy comparisons to the work of Woody Allen.

Jewish Influence on Tango

Jewish tangueros (tango dancers and musicians) also played a role in Argentina’s musical history. 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.

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.

Not surprisingly, among the early tango greats are names such as pianist Abraham Moisés ‘Alberto’ Soifer, bandoneón player Arturo Bernstein, and the prolific composer, Luis Rubistein.

Immigrants from all over influenced the birth of tango in Argentina and the mix of melancholy, despair, self-deprecation and humor found in the lyrics resonated across the pond as well.

Many tango songs were written in eastern European ghettos before and after WWII such as the Yiddish tune, ‘Vu ahin zol ikh geyn‘ (Where Shall I Go?) by Igor S. Korntayer.

Sadly, most of the tangos written in Eastern Europe leading up to the Holocaust were lost, but a few dozen, such as that of Korntayer were salvaged.

Yiddish tango tunes were being performed in Buenos Aires theaters as early as the 1920s. Contemporarily, there are groups such as the Yiddish Tango Club, led by Gustavo Bulgash. The group fuses tango with Klezmer music, which Bulgash learned to play with his family as a child in Buenos Aires.

At the annual Buenos Aires Jazz Festival visitors may hear klezmer among the eclectic jazz mix that includes swing, bebob and tango-jazz fusion.

Kosher Restaurants in Buenos Aires

Most traditional Jewish food and kosher restaurants in Buenos Aires are focused around the neighborhoods of Once, Abasto and the Villa Crespo part of Palermo.

Thankfully there are many kosher dining options aside from the popular Kosher McDonalds in Abasto Shopping Mall, famous for being the only Rabbi-approved McDonalds in all of the Americas.

No visitor to Argentina can miss out on Argentina’s favorite snack food, savory empanadas. Empanadaría Kosher at Tucumán 2790 comes to the rescue with reasonably-priced empanadas and pizzas and is well worth a stop while sightseeing. The empanadas here are so popular with porteños (as residents of Buenos Aires are called) that they now have three more locations, including one on the second floor of the Abasto mall and another in Once, at Paso 719.

On the same block at Paso 745, Tov Lev features Kosher Shawarma, pastrami, apple latkes and Italian-inspired Argentine specialties prepared under the supervision of Rabbi Daniel Oppenheimer.

For kibbeh, and other traditional Israeli and Sephardic foods in simple surroundings, try the popular Yafo Kosher at Paso 747.

One of the city’s most popular options for a kosher ‘asado‘ (barbecue meat) experience is the recently revamped Parilla Al Galope, one block from the Empanadaría Kosher, at Tucumán 2633.

Ajim Deli, right across the street from Empanadaría Kosher, at Tucumán 2620, offers shawarma, falafal, shnitzel, hot pastrami sandwiches, hummus, lajmashin and typical Argentine cuisine such as milanesas, steak and even ‘ñinos envueltos.’ It is open all day Sunday until Thursday and opens for a typical Buenos Aires’ late dinner at 9 p.m. on Saturdays.

For a more interactive and personalized Argentine food experience in the Palermo neighborhood, sign up for an afternoon or evening with the Jewish-owned 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.

By far the hippest spot for Jewish cuisine in Buenos Aires is the trendy fine dining bistro, Mishiguene (Mishiguene means ‘crazy’ in Yiddish).

Although not strictly Kosher, chef Tomás 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.

Kalika’s ancestors are from Russia and Poland. He learned to cook at Israeli ‘MasterChef’ host, Eyal Shani’s restaurant, Oceanus, in Jerusalem.

Located in Palermo at Lafinur 3368, Mishiguene is unmistakably Jewish with yiddishkeit decor and live klezmzer music on Friday nights.

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.

Those craving sushi should head to Sushi Ko Kosher on the same block, at Lafinur 3305. Pichiklin Sushi is another popular option with two locations, in Once and Belgrano.

For a reasonably-priced steak meal in the Belgrano neighborhood, there is El Paisano Kosher House, at O’Higgins 2358, which is run by the local Chabad.

The hottest eatery for pastrami reuben sandwich is the Jewish deli, La Crespo, at Thames 613 in the Villa Crespo neighborhood. They also serve up otherwise elusive lox and cream cheese bagels, varenyky, latkes, knishes and strudel and cheesecake. For pastrami with homemade pickles and gourmet celiac dishes in Palermo, try La Pastroneria, at El Salvador 6026.

For a trendy tavern with sabich and shwarmas and an outdoor seating area in Palermo try Benaim, at Gorriti 4015. The typical street food served is not Kosher but they do host special Kosher nights.

For a slightly more upscale restaurant in the Palermo neighborhood try Hola Jacoba, which serves up Sephardi and Ashkenazi plates including kippes, latkes, tabuleh, felafel and sambuzek at Thames 1801.

For a drink or coffee break, take a step back in time to visit Cafe San Bernardo, Av. Corrientes 5436, a traditional gathering place for Jewish intellectuals in Villa Crespo.

Founded in 1912, this no-nonsense bar (one of 92 cafe-bars recognized by the city for its historic value) and billiard hall is more commonly known as ‘El Sanber.‘ It became the place newly arrived young Ashkanazi Jews went to talk politics and play games such as dominoes and the Argentine card game, truco.

Until a couple of years ago Cafe Bernardo was open 24 hours, much like other historic bars such as San Telmo‘s Bar Britanico, but after 60 years of never closing, they now close for a well-deserved siesta at 5 a.m. for a few hours.

Just wandering around Once and Abasto, visitors will find plenty of kosher butchers and bakeries. Among the many bakeries are Taam Tov Av. Corrientes 2922, (a stop on our private Jewish Buenos Aires Literary Walking Tour) which sells such as facturas, leikach (honey cakes), borsht pletzalech (onion bread) and matzah. Another good bet for bread and pastries is La Bakery Kosher, Tucuman 2892. They also have a basic eatery with pizzas, pastas, salads and empanadas.

Those staying Palermo can stock up at Palermo Kosher supermarket at Ugarteche 3033 or Open Kosher supermarket at Molde 2455.

The Belgrano neighborhood also has a cluster of Jewish and Kosher businesses surrounding Buenos Aires’ Chinatown. One Belgrano option for sushi is Tatami Kosher sushi.

To shop for groceries nearby there’s the previously mentioned Beit Jabad of Belgrano’s restaurant, El Paisano Kosher House and MANA, a deli which offers up prepared food for take out including pickled cabbage salad and ‘fusion’ food such as goulash with ñoquis.

L’Chaim: Argentine Kosher Wine

At the turn of the 21st century overseas demand for Argentine Kosher wine boomed along with the general Argentine wine market.

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. The instability of Argentina’s economy and the large price tag for international Kosher certification make it hard for Argentine winemakers to compete with Kosher wine makers in Europe.

Argentina’s larger wineries such as Finca La Celia have since cut their production of Kosher wines but other producers such as Finca 613 continue to satisfy the steady domestic demand. Their Tariag line of Kosher wines including Torrontes, Malbec, sparkling wines and champagnes and are aimed toward Argentina’s internal market.

Most high-end wine stores in Buenos Aires can help visitors find a decent Kosher wine and some restaurants don’t mind if you bring your own bottle and will just charge a corkage fee.

Buenos Aires Jewish Tours

The private Buenos Aires Heritage tour starts with a visit to the ‘Plaza de la Memoria,’ which was the location of the Israeli embassy before the devastating 1994 terrorist attack there. It now serves as a memorial for the victims.

The tour also visits the Temple of Liberty, where the ‘Congregación Israelita de la República Argentina’ (CIR) is located. It is the oldest and largest Jewish Temple in the country.

Later we’ll visit the nerve center of daily life of the Jewish community, AMIA (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina — the Mutual Israel-Argentine Association).

The tour also visits the Holocaust Museum, created to commemorate the Holocaust’s footprint in Argentina, with personal collections, stories, testimonials, documents, and objects pertaining to the survivors who fled to Argentina.

The most lively part of the tour is a visit to the neighborhood of Once and Abasto, the city’s heart for Buenos Aires’ Jewish community.

The tour takes visitors by local synagogues, restaurants and markets belonging to members of the Jewish community.

The price of this tour per person depends on the number of people in your group.

Buenos Aires Jewish Neighborhood Walking Tour

This boutique walking tour led by a local starts at 10:30 a.m. in the Once neighborhood.

The three-hour walking tour is centered around the traditionally Jewish neighborhood of Once. As part of the tour, the group reads short texts by important Argentine Jewish writers such as Alberto Gerchunoff and César Tiempo while enjoying a beverage in a typical neighborhood cafe.

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.

→ Read about our private Jewish Buenos Aires Tour with a local guide

Synagogues & Jewish Attractions Around Argentina

The courtyard of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association

Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA)
Pasteur 633
Once
Tel : 4959-8800

Also known as the Argentine Jewish Mutual Aid Society AMIA is central to Jewish life in Buenos Aires. They also unite fifty Jewish communities spread throughout Argentina.

AMIA founded the first Jewish cemetery in the city and offers educational and cultural activities for all ages.

Security is high here after the devastating terror attack in 1994, in which 85 people were killed.

Tours of ground floor exhibition should be arranged in advance, through local friends who are members, or certified tour agencies.

There are also murals memorializing the victims of the 1994 terrorist attack in the nearby Pasteur – AMIA station on line B of the subte. To see a list of upcoming Jewish cultural activities in Buenos Aires, including theater, musical events, film screenings and conferences, see AMIA’s culture page.

Buenos Aires Holocaust Museum
Montevideo 919,
Recoleta
Tel: 4811-3588

Latin America’s only Shoah museum has a wealth of information pertaining to the holocaust and its impact in Argentina.Read more about the exhibits and resources at the Buenos Aires Holocaust Museum here.

Communidad Or Israel
Planes 1049
Caballito

A synagogue founded in 1911. Until the 1970s a school here taught Yiddish and Torah studies.

Today, aside from Shabbat and other holiday services, they host concerts, talks and family activities. On their centenary they restored, modernized and re-inaugurated the current temple in the Caballito neighborhood.

Fundación Pardes (spiritually-focused Jewish Organization)
Currently broken link: pardes.org.ar
Cespedes 3380
Chacarita
Tel: 4555-1390

Plaza Embajada de Israel (Memorial Plaza)
Arroyo and Suipacha Streets
Recoleta

A moving memorial for the victims of the 1992 suicide attack on the Israeli Embassy. There are twenty one tress planted and seven benches in remembrance of the victims. A plaque lists their names in Spanish and Hebrew.

Salvador Kibrick Jewish Museum
Libertad 769
Open: Mon-Fri, 10 a.m. -6 p.m.

The permanent collection here highlights the Jewish immigrant experience to Argentina, including the Jewish colonies.

Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano Marshall T. Meyer
— Academic , cultural and religious center of the Conservative Religious Movement in Argentina with an important Jewish Sciences Library
Jose Hernandez 1750
Tel: 4783-2009

Sociedad Hebraica Argentina (Argentine Hebrew Society)
Sarmiento 2233

— A non-profit organization with a large 14-floor social and sport club. They also have a suburban center in Pilar, Province of Buenos Aires. A worthwhile community to join for Jewish families moving to Buenos Aires.

Club Náutico Hacoaj
Av. Estado de Israel 4156
Tel: 4863-2121

An institution in Buenos Aires’ northern suburbs, Náutico Hacoaj is another sports and social club in Tigre. Originally founded in 1935 as the Club Náutico Israelita, (Israelite Rowing Club) today the sports here also include basketball, bocce, football, golf, tennis, field hockey and other sports.

Gran Templo Paso — Considered one of South America’s most beautiful temples, this 2,000 capacity temple was built in 1929 by the Ashkanazi community.
Paso 423
Once, Buenos Aires
Tel: 4951-2306

Sinagoga de la Congregacion Israelita de la Republica Argentina, founded in 1897 is one of the city’s oldest synagogues. The Roman-Byzantine style synagogue has room for 1,000 worshipers. Next door is the Jewish Museum.
Libertad 785
Once, Buenos Aires

Templo Camargo — A Sephardi orthodox synagogue with Buenos Aires’ largest kehillah in the Villa Crespo neighbohood.
Camargo 870
Villa Crespo

Comunidad Dor Jadash — Another congregation with over one hundred years of history, founded in 1912 by Lithuanin, Polish and Russian immigrants. This community in Villa Crespo has a nice temple and lots of activities for all ages with workshops such as ‘Embracing Judiasm,’ Kabbalah and Rikudim Israel folk dance.

Murillo 653
Villa Crespo

Yesod Hadat —Large temple established by Sephardic Community
La Valle 2249
Once
Tel: 4961-9299

Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz

Rosario

Often called Argentina’s ‘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.

Beit Jabad Rosario (Orthodox)
Mendoza 1557 1-A
Rosario, Santa Fe
Tel: (41) 260-208

Historic Communal Museum of the Jewish Colonization of Moisés Ville
25 de Mayo 188
Moisés Ville
Santa Fe
Tel: (03409) 420-665
https://vimeo.com/219037828

Moises Ville (aka ‘Kiryat Moshe’) is a small town that represents an interesting part of Argentine Jewish history, as it was here that Argentina’s first agrarian settlement was established in 1889. While the population is only a few hundred today, there are three synagogues, but no Rabbi. Most of the residents have moved to Rosario, Buenos Aires or Israel. Not many people reach here for tourism, but anyone who does will typically be given a key to the synagogue and library.

Keep in mind that because of terrorist attacks of the 1990s, most synagogues will ask for identification before allowing anyone to enter, so don’t forget your I.D. Most synagogues across the country have a larger Shabbat service on Friday night rather than Saturday morning.

Entre Ríos: Jewish Attractions

Jewish Museum of Entre Ríos
Entre Ríos 476
Concordia
Entre Ríos
Tel: (345) 421-4088

Hours: Mon-Fri & Sundays, 8:30 to 12:30 p.m.

Villa Clara a small town in the middle of Entre Ríos province, was another Jewish agrarian settlement set up by the philanthropist Baron de Hirsh — in fact the town is named after his wife, Clara. Villa Clara town has only a couple of thousand residents. The small history museum has objects and paperwork that highlight the journey of the early Jewish settlers and their daily life.

Beit Jabad Concordia (Orthodox Synagogue)
Alvear 623
Concordia
Entre Rios
Tel: (345)-421-5195

Cordoba

Jabad Lubavitch Cordoba
Sucre 1378/80
Barrio Cofico
Cordoba
Tel: (3514) 710-223

Mendoza

Socieda Israelita de Beneficencia
España 1930
Mendoza City
Tel: (261)-423-3568

Tucumán

Beit Jabad Tucumán — Orthodox
Lamadrid 752
Tucumán
Tel: (381) 4248-892

Websites

Israeli-Argentina Association Jabad Labavitch (Spanish)

Jewish Life in Argentina: A Cultural Guide

A trip to McDonald’s may not be the first item on a Jewish traveler’s to-do list when arriving in a new city. But there is something special about Buenos Aires: it is home to the only kosher McDonald’s outside of Israel.

The kosher version of the golden-arched fast food chain is found in the Abasto shopping mall, in the ethnically diverse neighborhood of the same name. There are long lines on a Saturday evening following the end of the Sabbath as Jewish groups and families alike hustle for the famous burgers and fries.

A kosher butcher in the Once neighborhood of Buenos Aires — A kosher butchershop in the Once neighborhood of Buenos Aires

Today Argentina is home to around 250,000 Jews, making it the sixth largest Jewish community in the world, and the biggest in Latin America. The number of Jewish inhabitants in Buenos Aires is equal to the combined Jewish populations of Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay.

The vast majority of Argentina’s Jewish population is now located in Buenos Aires, though smaller communities can be found in other parts of the country, especially Rosario, Córdoba and Santa Fe.

Buenos Aires’ Jewish community is active with synagogues, schools, youth groups, kosher restaurants and other Jewish organizations that one would expect to find in other world hubs of Judaism such as London or New York.

Much of Buenos Aires Jewish life centers around the garment district of Once and Abasto as well Villa Crespo, (which has a little known section called ‘Villa Kreplaj‘ in reference to the largely secular Russian Jews who settled here after World War I). The briefest walk through these areas gives a good impression of the Jewish presence.

WA-jewsinBA-libertad — Templo Libertad in Recoleta

Among some of the most spectacular synagogues here are the Grand Temple of Paso, considered one of the most beautiful in South American and Yesod Hadath, a large Sephardic synagogue dating to 1920.

Another famous synagogue is Recoleta‘s beautiful Sinagoga de la Congregación Israelita (commonly called ‘Libertad’).

While the preferred resting place for better-off Buenos Aires Jews is the Jewish-only Liniers cemetery, Argentina has 45 Jewish cemeteries in total.

A couple of Jewish tombs can even be spotted at Buenos Aires’ famous Recoleta Cemetery, those of Benjamín Breitman, and the Uribe y Lecea family, both decorated with a Star of David.

Buenos Aires is also home to South America’s only Holocaust Museum and an Anne Frank museum.

Eighty-five percent of the Jews in Argentina are Ashkenazi, descending from France, Germany and Eastern Europe. The remaining 15 % are Sephardic, descendants of those from the Iberian Peninsula, the Middle East and North Africa. The majority of the Sephardic Jews in Argentina are Orthodox.

Jewish Immigration to Argentina

A smattering of Jewish settlers came to Argentina very early on, to evade the Spanish and Portuguese inquisitions. 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.

After Argentina gained independence from Spain 1816, there was a spike in Jewish immigration, mostly from France, with others coming from England and Germany.

Jewish immigration to Argentina began en masse at the end of the 1880’s with groups arriving from Eastern Europe. This period in time gave rise to the mythical Jewish gaucho: Jewish cowboys, who earned their living as farmers working the land.

In 1889, 824 Jews piled onto the SS Wesser bound for Argentina from the Ukraine. The predominately Polish group suffered a similar fate to some large groups of Irish arriving around the same time. They languished in Buenos Aires upon finding the original lands promised were not available. When they finally headed north, malnutrition and a Typhus epidemic caused the death of 67 community members, mostly children.

When the group landed in Santa Fe in 1890, the weary settlers set up the colony of Moisés Ville. The intended name for the colony was in Hebrew, Kiryat Moshe (‘Town of Moses’) but the name was Hispanized in official documents. The former city dwellers continued to struggle, living out of abandoned train wagons, and reaping little from the land.

WA-jewishargentina-Josef & Enie Trumper2 — Jewish settlers: The Trumper family

Upon learning about the wretched living conditions, the wealthy German philanthropist, Baron Maurice Hirsch, set up the Jewish Colonization Association to help the pioneers buy land and tools. At one point the association owned 600,000 hectares of land. This enabled Moisés Ville to grow, and in turn the community built four synagogues, Jewish schools, and Argentina’s first Jewish cemetery. Today 250 Jews still reside in the town.

The next year, another Jewish colony, Colonía Mauracio was set up in Buenos Aires province. Today the sizable Algarrobos Cemetery and the simple Moctezuma synagogue are still visited by curious travelers. Entre Rios is another province where Jewish settlers established themselves, with 11 Jewish colonies in total.

At the turn of the 20th century another wave of immigration diversified the community, with Sephardic Jews arriving from Turkey and North Africa.

In the 20th century Jewish immigration to Argentina peaked following both world wars and the Holocaust.

By the mid-1930’s the 120,000 Jews in Buenos Aires made up 5% of the city’s population. In the same decade there were Nazi Rallies held in Buenos Aires historic stadium, Luna Park.

Despite the anti-semitism of the time, by the early 1940’s Buenos Aires had a thriving Yiddish publishing industry and theater scene.

The Effect of Peronism and the Military Regime

Juan Peron’s rise to power culminating in 1946 was a delicate time for Argentina’s Jewish community. Following the Second World War at least 180 Nazis were permitted to enter Argentina. 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.

Publicly, Perón also expressed sympathy for Jewish rights. He was the first Latin American leader to acknowledge the State of Israel, with diplomatic relations beginning in 1949. He was also the first Argentine leader to seek out Jews to act as government advisers and permit them to hold office.

According to the 1960 national census, there were 275,913 Jews living in Argentina, though it is believed that this figure was more like 310,000, representing the peak of the Argentine Jewish population in the 20th century.

Since that time the population has declined. During the military regime of 1976 to 1983 borders were once again clamped and Argentina was a particularly hostile destination. Some Jewish activists fled the country.

A study carried out by the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons suggests that of the estimated total of 30,000 people ‘disappeared’ under the repressive regime, 1,900 were Jewish.

Amidst the economic and industrial developments of the 20th century, the main change in Argentine Jewish life is the urbanization of the community. Today, 90% of Argentine Jews live in Buenos Aires. There are 90 synagogues in Argentina, with 35 located outside the capital.

Tragedy Strikes Argentina’s Jewish Community

The most shocking events to have affected Jewish life in Argentina took place in the early 1990s when the community was the target of the country’s two largest terrorist attacks of the last century.

On March 17, 1992 a suicide bomber drove a pickup truck loaded with explosives into the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, completely destroying it and other buildings nearby. Overall, 29 people were killed and hundreds were injured. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the bombing and stated that it was in retaliation for the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary General, Sayed Abbas al-Musawi. When evidence emerged in 1998 suggesting that Iran orchestrated the attack, arrest warrants were issued for six Iranian diplomats, who promptly left Argentina.

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. Eighty-five, mostly Jewish people, died and around 300 were injured.

Although the government and society at large demonstrated its support for the Jewish community in the aftermath of these events, no one has ever been held responsible for the crimes. Tehran continues to deny any Iranian involvement. A possible link has been established with Syrian millionaire, Monzer al-Kassar, an arms dealer known as the ‘Prince of Marbella’ who is serving a 30-year sentence in a US medium-security prison for his association with the Colombian militant group, FARC. In Argentina, he has only been charged with falsifying documents to obtain Argentine citizenship, which he says was facilitated by ‘unmentionable’ former Argentine President, Carlos Menem.

Old wounds were reopened for the Jewish community and justice again thwarted when the prosecutor in the AMIA case, Alberto Nisman, mysteriously died on January 18, 2015 after spending 13 years investigating the case. The following day he was to present evidence in a closed-door congressional hearing implicating President Cristina Fernández 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.

Jewish Life Today

WA-jewsinBA-AMIA — Memorial at the AMIA building

Events like the terrorist bombings have had a galvanizing effect on the Jewish community. Today a powerful memorial sits at the former embassy site and the AMIA building has been rebuilt. While security has become a focal point at both buildings, the city’s synagogues, and Jewish community organizations, the events have led to improvements in the occasionally strained relationship between Jews and the population as a whole.

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.

Emigration to Israel is another factor.

“Many ideologically-involved Argentines chose to go to Israel to help build the country,” says Weinstein.

After Argentina’s economic crisis of 2001, 25% of the Jewish middle class fell into poverty, further motivating some to relocate. Since Argentina began diplomatic relations with Israel in 1949, an estimated 45,000 Jews have permanently relocated there.

Despite Argentina’s shrinking Jewish population, Weinstein says, “Judaism can be felt and lived in so many ways and that is still the case today. Jews feel very strongly about having played a part in building the country.”

Anita Weinstein, Director of the Federation of Jewish Communities at AMIA

Most practicing Jews in Argentina today are Orthodox and Conservative, though there are a few Reform synagogues. There is also a large secular community: according to a 2005 study by the Center of Studies for Latin American Jewish Communities, an arm of the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, 61% of Argentine Jews today have never belonged to a Jewish organization. This growing secular group typically embraces their culture heritage, including the food, music and literature of Judaism while leaving the religious aspects aside.

“Jews understand that there is now legitimacy to their being part of Argentine society,” says Weinstein. To see the evidence, one need only to cruise through Once, take a trip to a Jewish colony such as Moisés Ville, or, — as strange as it may sound — the Kosher McDonald’s on a Saturday night.

—by Oliver Buckley

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