Scenes from Buenos Aires
It's one of those organic moments that I need on missions, we finally have some free time to explore Argentina on our own: no bus, no tour guide, no program. Just real conversations and experiencing it like a local.
With my friend and Jewish Agency colleague Liat Damoza, we decided to finally try good Argentinian Kosher steaks.
So we call an uber and head to the textile district. Once the center of Jewish life, Tucuman street is very quiet on a cold Sunday and most of the stores are closed. After a rich lunch, we venture into the Kosher supermarkets looking for Alfajores to bring home. Instantly, we strike conversations:
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| Picture from the streets |
"Where are you from?" one elderly Jewish man with a kipa asks us in Hebrew:
"I am from France but now I live in America." Liat answers: "I am from Ethiopia, but now live in Israel." The gentleman is a bit perplexed, I guess we are not your typical Sunday shopper. We share that we are both here because we work for the Sochnut, the Hebrew word for the Jewish Agency.
"Ah, the Sochnut!" We immediately talk about Aliyah (immigration to Israel). Like many communities around the world, we are identified as the place to go to when one wants to move to Israel. No, we don't work for that department we answer, but if you need us we are here. In many conversations, we hear the following: "my family is there" or "my parents, or brother is moving soon" and "one day, I want to be there."
The agenda of the Jewish Agency and our role has shifted from our traditional push for Aliyah. In times of emergency, like during the crisis in 2002, demand peaked to over 6,226. Today, over 300 Argentinians make Israel their home every year and many need a soft landing once there. "If you need us, we are here."
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| Celebrating 2 young adults making Aliyah |
As we visited Buenos Aires, we felt the impact of the Jewish Agency in many ways: first thanks to an inspiring team of shlichim (emissaries) who are very active with youth movements, young adults connecting young Jews to their identity. From Buenos Aires to the most remote places in the country, they are needed and they are there.
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| Jewish Agency emissary, Mika, sharing her story on the bus |
Second, thanks to powerful and meaningful Israel experiences like Masa Israel: in the last five years 2,754 Argentinian Jews spent time on a long term program in Israel. The majority of them came back to Argentina, all with a deeper sense of connection to their identity and Israel. On our mission, we met young adults for whom Masa was a door opener for their Jewish identity. Today, they are paying it forward by being leaders in their home communities.
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| Young Argentinian adult, shares with us how Masa impacted her life and connection to Judaism |
Last but not least, since 1950, the Jewish Agency has been fully part of building the infrastructure of the Jewish community in Argentina. In particular, with formal education and security by providing additional funds to secure sites and a program called BAMA for educators. If and when help is needed, we are here, as one Jewish people.
During this mission, we visited the AMIA building and the site of the former Israel Embassy both targeted by terrorist attacks in the early nineties. You can read some of my remarks here
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| Site of AMIA |
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