Argentina is a vibrant and cosmopolitan Latin American country with a strong Jewish community and amazing kosher restaurants and street food. It’s not a well-known tourist destination among American Jews, but it’s a great place to enjoy a sunny winter vacation and explore the country’s rich and varied cultural heritage – as well as its surprisingly old and complex Jewish history. Gil Travel is organizing luxury Jewish heritage tours in Argentina and putting this fascinating and hospitable country on the US Jewish tourist map!
Argentina’s well-established and largely suburban Jewish community traces its earliest roots back to some seriously adventurous pioneers who braved the Atlantic crossing in search of a new life in an unknown land. The history of Jewish community in Argentina began in the early 1500s, Sephardic Jews fleeing the Inquisition defied official authority to sail with the colonists and explorers who opened up the Americas for the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal.
The early Jewish pioneers – many of whom were Conversos or Crypto Jews – led a precarious existence in the New world, but many outwitted their persecutors and endured. By the nineteenth century, an independent Argentina emerged as a large country with a modern state and economy, and opportunities to buy land and prosper. A new wave of Jewish immigration began in the mid-nineteenth century as European Jews sailed to Argentina in search of better opportunities.
The Europeans were joined by small Sephardic communities arriving from Morocco and the declining Ottoman Empire. Syrian Jews formed tight knit communities in Buenos Aires alongside their Russian and European counterparts. Jewish immigrants also settled Argentina’s northern provinces. The Syrian Jews built the Or Torah synagogue in Buenos Aires. The synagogue is still in use today and serves as a focal point for the community. Visitors can admire its beautiful and intricate blend of Syrian and Ottoman architecture and large onion dome.
In the late 19th century more Ashkenazi Russian and Eastern European Jews arrived to join the Jewish community of Argentina. The newcomers, known as Rusos, were fleeing pogroms and poverty in the Pale of Settlement and other regions and wanted a fresh start in a modern state. Jewish immigration was supported by the famous Jewish philanthropist Baron Maurice de Hirsch (Jewish Colonization Association).
The final waves of Jewish immigration came in the 20th century. A small number of Jews from Germany and Central Europe fleeing Nazism were lucky enough to find a refuge in Argentina. They were followed by Jews from neighboring Latin American countries who came as economic migrants.
Where did the Jewish community of Argentina Settle?
The largest Jewish communities settled in Buenos Aires. A private guided walking tour of the old Jewish neighborhoods of Once (the former garment district), Belgrano and Villa Crespo brings their past to life. It’s fascinating to see the old homes and businesses and to hear the stories and anecdotes about the lives of 19th century immigrants. The Jewish neighborhood of Barracas was home to many Sephardim, including Syrians from Damascus. It’s still a great place to sample tasty Syrian and Turkish food.
The Jewish communities in Buenos Aires and other urban areas made their mark as merchants, tailors, artisans, intellectuals and founded newspapers like the Yiddish language Der Viderkol. They were also active in socialist movements and the wider cultural life in Buenos Aires, even influencing the tango music scene and contributing to Argentinian literature. Buenos Aires is a literary city with over 700 bookstores. If you want to get an insight into the lives and experiences of Jews in Argentina look for translations of Jewish writers like Bernardo Verbitsky, Alberto Manguel and poets like Juan Gelman. If you do some reading before your trip, you will get a lot more out of it.
There’s a saying that “The Argentine is an Italian who speaks Spanish, thinks French, and would like to be English”. Jews contributed to the eclectic Argentinian melting pot and formed a distinctive, or rather several distinctive Argentinian Jewish cultures.
Jewish Farmers and Cowboys
American Jews who grew up watching westerns might be surprised to learn that Argentina produced its own home-grown cowboys or gauchos, and that some of them were Jewish. Eastern European Jews had traditionally been restricted to a fairly narrow range of trades and professions. Many of the newcomers were determined to break from the past and founded agricultural colonies in the fertile province of Entre Rios.
The pioneering farmers became known as Jewish Cowboys or Gauchos Judios. The Russian immigrants tried their hand at cattle ranching, wheat farming and established some short-lived agricultural cooperatives. However challenging life was, it must have been a huge improvement over backward and anti-Semitic Russia.
Most of the Jewish Cowboys eventually moved to the cities, but tourists who want to explore the history of Jewish community in Argentina in greater depth can visit towns like Moises Ville (founded 1889) which is the symbolic birthplace of rural Jewish Argentina. Gil Travel can organize a tailored itinerary that includes important Jewish rural settlements in Santa Fe province.
It’s still possible to see some of the synagogues, cemeteries and Hebrew schools that the Jewish pioneers built in isolated rural colonies. You can continue with a luxury tour of the immense Pampas grasslands. Get ready to eat the world’s best kosher steaks, cooked over a parilla grill at an outdoor asada or barbecue, and washed down with some excellent Argentinian Malbec.
Explore the Legacy of Argentina’s Jewish Immigrants
A tailored Jewish heritage tour of Argentina will usually start with a visit to the old Jewish Quarter in Buenos Aires (Once neighborhood). Your guide will draw on local knowledge to recommend the best kosher restaurants, or if you’re craving a burger and fries, you can opt for a trip to the city’s kosher McDonald’s branch.
The AMIA Jewish Community Center is a focal point of Jewish social and cultural life and a great place to meet local Argentinian Jews and take part in local cultural activities. The Jewish community of Argentina today is thriving and is approximately 180,000–200,000 in number. It’s the (largest Jewish community in Latin America and the 6th largest worldwide. If you want to make some personal connections, or build links with the Argentinian Jewish community, Gil Travel can arrange meetings and introductions.
If you’re traveling with kids, it’s possible for them to make new friends through popular Argentinian youth groups like Hashomer Hatzair and Maccabi. Argentinian Jews are serious sports fans and there are loads of sports centers and facilities where kids can burn off some energy. It’s also a great opportunity to make new friends.
A sadder experience during a tour of Buenos Aires is a visit to the Buenos Aires Holocaust Museum (Museo del Holocausto) and to the public memorials to the victims of the terrible AMIA bombing and Israeli Embassy bombing. Although the 1990s terrorist attacks were horrific, Argentina is currently a safe and welcoming place for Jews and the President Javier Milei is a strong supporter and friend to the Jewish people.
Plan a Luxury Jewish Heritage Tour of Argentina
If you want to combine an exciting luxury vacation with a chance to explore the fascinating history of Jewish community in Argentina, Gil Travel will work with you to create the perfect itinerary. As well as trips to some of Buenos Aires’ most beautiful Ashkenazi and Sephardic synagogues, Gil Travel can organize a gourmet tour of the city’s best kosher restaurants and eateries, as well as wine tours.
Although most of the Jewish community of Argentina lives in Buenos Aires, there are plenty of Jewish heritage sites in the rural provinces. Gil Travel can arrange a chauffeur driven tour with expert guides who will explain the deeper history of the old farms, schools and synagogues. It may also be possible to get private access to museums and archives and to attend lectures by local historians.
Argentina is a big country with a lot of variety and some amazing natural sites. If you want to complement your exploration of the history and culture of the Jewish community in Argentina with some hiking, luxury ocean cruises or even a trip to Patagonia, you’ll find the people friendly and welcoming. Argentina is generally a safe country for tourists and the current exchange rate is very favorable for American travelers who arrive with US dollars.
Talk to Gil Travel today about a once in a lifetime trip to Argentina. We can arrange tailored tours for small family groups, synagogue congregations, book clubs or parties of any size or age group.
