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 of New York’s Lower East Side.

The more residential Jewish neighborhood of Villa Crespo is 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.

Argentina’s most popular soccer team is 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 1930s Austrian table tennis champ Erwin Kohn, who fled to Argentina in 1938 to become the country’s 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. Even 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 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 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, (‘The Tenth Man’ is 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 within 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’s were salvaged.

Yiddish tango tunes were being performed in Buenos Aires theaters as early as the 1920s. In contemporary music, 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 Villa Crespo.

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 food 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 nice tavern with sabich and shwarmas and an outdoor seating area in Palermo try Benaim, Gorriti 4015.

Also in the Palermo neighborhood is 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 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. Today, the export costs, instability of Argentina’s economy, and a 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