Within the context of the policies to promote immigration fostered by Argentina, the first organized presence of Jewish life dates back to the 1860s, when a small group of French, German and English Jewish immigrants created, in 1862, the Congregación Israelita. Those first Jewish immigrants were followed by others coming from the Spanish Morocco, who created their community in 1891.

Asociación Israelita Latina, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Congregación Israelita (Templo de la calle Libertad), Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Sephardic synagogue from Moroccan Jews Aschkenazi synagogue Congregación Israelita

Immigrant Hotel, Archivo General de la Nación, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

At the Immigrant Hotel

The real beginning of massive Jewish immigration into the country is related to the arrival of the first organized group of 120 families in the vapor Wesser, on August 14th, 1889. The arrival of this group of Jewish immigrants that was fleeing from the Tsarist Russian pogroms, originates the singular existence of Jewish agricultural colonies in Argentina. This important experience is related to the Baron Maurice Hirsch, a German Jewish philanthropist that created the Jewish Colonization Association (JCA), a found that gave birth to tens of agricultural colonies in different provinces, facilitated the colonists the accesses and tenure of land ant to the needed tools. Provided them with housing and communal life that included schools, socio-cultural centers and synagogues.

Vapor Wesser, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Model of the vapor Wesser

Basavilbaso, Centro Marc Turkow, 1908, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Colony Mauricio, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Colony Mauricio

"The Jewish Colonization Association (JCA) founded, among many others,
the colonies of Moises Ville in the Province of Santa Fe, Mauricio and
Rivera in the Province of Buenos Aires and Basavilbaso in Entre Ríos. It was
there, where the mythical figure of the Jewish Gaucho was born."

Jewish “Gaucho”, Centro Marc Turkow, 1909, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Jewish "gaucho", in Moises Ville.

Moises Ville, Centro Marc Turkow, 1964, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Moisés Ville

Rivera, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Rivera

The Jewish immigrants showed since the first moment a touching creativity that was expressed in this rural context with the expansion of schools, health centers, new agricultural developments and, quite significantly, with the creation and consolidation of agricultural cooperativism, whose first  institution dates back to 1900.

Rural school, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Almacén de cooperativas agrícolas, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Rural school Warehouse Cooperativas Agrícolas de Entre Ríos

Agricultural Cooperative Society "Barón Hirsch", Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Agricultural Cooperative Society "Barón Hirsch", Rivera

As for the urban context, since the end of the XIX Century there was a massive flow of Jewish immigrants who arrived from Eastern and Central Europe, from Mediterranean countries and from the Middle East. This flow was significant during the first decades of the following century, and it was interrupted during the First World War. It was resumed massively during the 20s, and up until the 30s, when the immigration possibilities were reduced despite the urgent need the Jews had to flee from Nazism in Europe and find a new home where to find refuge. The immigration cycle virtually ends with the arrival of Holocaust survivors in the 40s.

Avigdor, Centro Marc Turkow, 1938, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Jewish Philanthropic Association for German immigrants, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Avigdor

Jevra Kedusha, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Facade of the first premises of AMIA

In order to help solve situations immigrants had face upon their arrival, in 1894 the Jevrá Kedushá AMIA was created. This organization developed a scheme of solidarity and mutual aid to ensure sustenance and funding for the creation of schools and cultural centers, to support Zionist groups and to facilitate interaction with the society in general, of which immigrants were beginning to be part.

Acta de fundación Jevrá Kedushá, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Founding document of Jevra Kedusha (AMIA)

Students of Scholem Aleichem School, Centro Marc Turkow, 1956, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Escuela Natán Gesang, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Tarbut School, Centro Marc Turkow, 1968, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

School students from Sholem Aleichem school in "Jewish Book Month" in AMIA Natan Gesang school Tarbut school

"The immigrants’ creativity began taking form in Buenos Aires, both in the main urban centers
and in small locations with the creation of organizations."

Jewish Scholem Aleijem School in the city of Corrientes, 1969, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Talpiot School, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Jewish I. L. Peretz School, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Jewish Scholem Aleijem
School in the city of Corrientes Talpiot school I.L. Peretz school

Ashkenazi and Sephardic synagogues were created, as well as Yiddish and Hebrew schools, socialist, anarchist, Zionist and traditionalist political Jewish associations were formed, as well as Jewish work unions which had a bond with the national ones, there were newspapers in Spanish, Yiddish, Hebrew and German that published Argentinean literature translated into those languages and Jewish literature translated into Spanish. There were also social, cultural, sports, welfare centers, libraries and theatres.

Jewish press, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more
Orphan Asylum, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Orphan asylum for Jewish girls

Home for the Elderly and Children, Kasjer, 1968, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Facade of the premises of Hogar Israelita Argentino para Ancianos y Niños

Journalists and writers, 1936, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Meeting of the International Pen Club in Buenos Aires

Theater, 1924, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Jewish theater in Argentina

Hebraica, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Macabi, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Hacoaj, Manrique Zago, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Adolfo Pérez Esquivel,
recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, at a meeting in Organización Hebrea
Argentina Macabi Club Náutico Hacoaj

"All these institutions shared the mission of accompanying integration of
the Jewish community members into the general society, preserving at the same
time their Jewish heritage, their values, ideals, traditions, religious rituals
ant the close relationship with Israel
as a Jewish state."

Yom Haatzmaut, Archivo General de la Nación, 1968, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Golda Meir at the celebration of Yom Haatzmaut (Independence Day of Israel), at the Luna Park stadium

During the years of massive immigration, the Jewish immigrants generally began their integration at the base levels of economy, as street vendors, construction workers and craftsmen. The economic and social ascent favored basically by public education and the socio-economic development of the country, allowed them, as well as thousands of other immigrants, a growing integration into the middle class. This progress was especially reflected on their merchant, industrial and professional activities.

Textil factory, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Talleres manufactureros ORT, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Textil
factory ORT’s manufactures
workshops

Jewish food, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Jewish food in Buenos Aires

Jewish life in Argentina was not free of hard times, moments of pain and confrontation. The Tragic Week in 1919, A worker’s strike that turned into persecutions and killing of Jews is an example of this. So are too the limitations for Jewish immigrants to enter Argentina in the 30s, the presence and dissemination of Nazi ideology in some sectors of society, with war criminals being accepted into the country, the emergence of anti-Semitic and nationalist groups linked to the Arab cause, the violence against Jewish “desaparecidos” during the military dictatorship in the 70s and the terrorist attacks against the Embassy of Israel in 1992 and against AMIA in 1994.

Tragic Week, Centro Marc Turkow, 1919, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Manifestations against anti-Semitism, Centro Marc Turkow, 1938, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Tragic Week Manifestations against anti-Semitism

Manifestations against military dictatorship, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Manifestations against military dictatorship in Argentina

Terrorist attack against the Embassy, Centro Marc Turkow, 1992, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Terrorist attack against the Embassy of Israel in Buenos Aires

Terrorist attack against AMIA, Florencia Arbeleche, 1994, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Terrorist attack against AMIA, Centro Marc Turkow, 1994, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Demanding remembrance and justice, 2014, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Terrorist attack against AMIA in Buenos Aires Terrorist attack against AMIA in Buenos Aires Demanding remembrance
and justice

"The terrorist attack to AMIA in July,
1994 took 85 lives and left more than 300 wounded. A building holding records
of Jewish history destroyed. An open wound that does not closed until today, because
no Justice has been served."

Memorial plaque with the names of the victims of the terrorist attack against AMIA, Silvana Luverá, 2014, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Names of the victims of the terrorist attack against AMIA, in the new building’s facade

"Having overcome all
these difficult situations throughout almost a century and a half of organized
Jewish life in Argentina,
the descendants of all those first immigrants have become a part of Argentinean
society, with active participation in all spheres of the Argentine society."

Ajdut Israel, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Playing Domino and Burako, Daniel Caldirola, 2005, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Ajdut Israel Playing Domino and Burako

A Jewish wedding, Daniel Caldirola, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
In the agricultural colony, Daniel Caldirola, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Jewish food, Daniel Caldirola, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

A Jewish wedding In the agricultural colony,
drinking “mate” Jewish food

Moises Ville - Parade of descendants of the first settlers in Moises Ville, Alicia Segal CA312/FG23, 1989-10-29, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Synagogue in Villa Clara, Daniel Caldirola, 2005, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Parade of descendants of
the first settlers in Moises Ville, with flags of Israel
and Argentina. Synagogue in Villa Clara, Province of Entre Rios

"The Jewish population
calculated today at about 220,000 Jews live in its vast majority (85%) in Buenos Aires and 15% in
the interior of the country, in 54 different communities, each one of them with
its Kehila, its school, its club and their synagogues."

Jewish Communities in Argentina, Vaad Hakehilot, 2014, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more
School, Daniel Caldirola, 2005, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

There are all around the country Jewish schools of all levels and various ideological and religious currents in which around 20,000 students are studying and whose 1,200 teachers of Jewish subjects are trained in local training spaces.

Summer camp, Daniel Caldirola, 2005, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more
Yeshivah, Daniel Caldirola, 2005, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more
Soccer, Daniel Caldirola, 2005, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

The social and cultural life take place in different clubs and community centers where Jewish music, dance, and cultural experience are transmitted. The strong link with Israel is part of Jewish life and has as protagonists the Zionist youth movements and political groupings. Religious life has its expression in 73 synagogues of different trends where holidays and ceremonies of the Jewish life cycle are celebrated.

Torah, Daniel Caldirola, 2005, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Tnuot – Zionist Youth Movements, Daniel Caldirola, 2005, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more
Iom Hazikaron, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Yesod Hadat Congregation, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Synagogue Or Torah, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Yesod Hadat Synagogue Or Torah

Holocaust Museum, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Elderly home LeDor VaDor, Hogar LeDor Vador, 2008, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Gran Templo de Paso, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Holocaust museum in Buenos Aires Elderly home LeDor VaDor Synagogue Gran Templo de Paso

AMIA, Jewish Community, founded in 1894 is popularly known as the “mother institution”, the center of community organized life. Its mission is the integrated development of all aspects of Jewish life in Argentina.

AMIA’s new building, Centro Marc Turkow, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more
Cultural activity in AMIA, Daniel Caldirola, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
AMIA’s 120º Anniversary, 2014, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Cultural activity in
AMIA Celebration of AMIA’s
120º Anniversary in the Colon Theater

Its activities are displayed in: social programs, education, employment and training, culture, spiritual assistance and Jewish burial, space for seniors, preservation of memory, ties with Israel, integration of disabled persons, support the communities of the Interior, activities for youth, and relations with other Jewish communities worldwide.

Hanukkah, Daniel Caldirola, 2005, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Youth, Daniel Caldirola, 2005, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
,
Homage to Jewish disappeared during the military dictatorship, Daniel Caldirola, 2005, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more

Homage to Jewish disappeared
during the military dictatorship

"The Jewish community of the Argentina, still today providing
their best effort to the construction of the country and the strengthening of a
democratic, pluralist, and fair society based on coexistence in diversity and
pluralism."

Rikudim, Daniel Caldirola, 2005, From the collection of: AMIA Jewish Community in Argentina
Show lessRead more
Credits: Story

Curaduría y textos—Ana E. Weinstein, Directora del Centro de Documentación e Información sobre Judaísmo Argentino "Marc Turkow", AMIA

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
Explore more
Related theme
Stories of the Holocaust
Remembering those who lost their lives at the hands of the Nazis
View theme
Home
Discover
Play
Nearby
Favorites