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Spain expelled its Jews in the same year Columbus discovered America. Spain prohibited Jews and later Protestants from its colonies. Some Jews converted to Christianity rather than being expelled. Some of these convcersos secretly retained their Jewish faith. They were gradually discovered by the Holy Inquisition. Some of the conversos emigrated to Argentina. They gradually assimilated and by the 19th century there were virtually no Jews in Argentina. When Spain weakened during the Napoleonic wars, its Latin American colonies fought successful wars of independence. Argentina achieved its independence (1810). Independent Argentina's first president, Bernardino Rivadavia, upported open immigration and promoted individual rights. He abolished the Inquisition. European Jews began arriving in Argentina along with other European immigrants in the mid-19th century. Many of the Jewish immigrants at this time were from France. Jews gradually began to practice their religion openly. The first Jewish wedding occurred (1860). A minyan in Buenos Aires became the Congregacion Israelita de la Republica. Jewish immigration shifted as Tsarist pogroms in Russia targeted Jews. Jewish immigration in the late 19th century was mostly from Eastern Europe and were knon as "Rusos". A notable group of Russian Jews attived on the SS Weser and became gauchos (cowboys) and ranchers (1889). They established the Colony (rural community) Moiseville. Baron Maurice de Hirsch helped finnce this and other colonias. He also founded the Jewish Colonization Association. Substantial numbers of Jews eventually lived in these colonias. In the years before World War I about 13,000 Jewish immigrants annually entered Argentina. Most of the immigrants were Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe, but a small number of Sephardic Jews from Morocco and the Ottoman Empire alsoentered Argentina. The Jewish population reached 150,000 people (1920). There were very rarely attacks on Jews before World war I. This appears to have changed with the Russian Revolutuion (1917). Jews were associated with the Revolution and as a result were targetted by right-wing, ultra nationalist groups. Leftist groups in Argentina staged a general strike in Buenos Aires (January 7-13, 1919). Right-wing groups associated Jews with the genneral strike and carried out a pogrom, beating Jews and looting or destroying their property. Despite this attack, many Jews prospered in Argentina. Righ-ing groups dominated the government excluded Jews from the civil service and military. Jews persued careers as farmers, peddlers, artisans and shopkeepers. Jewish cultural and religious organizations flourished. A Yiddish press and theater opened in Buenos Aires. Jews founded a hospital and organized Zionist groups. Argentina sympithized with the Axis during World War which unerved the country's Jewish community. Col. Juan Peron seized power (1946). He was an admirer of Benito Mussolini. Peron changed Argentina's immigration laws, prohibiting further Jewish immigration. He also implemented educational reforms, including Catholic religious instruction in the public schools. He also offer a refugee for fleeing NAZI war criminals. He did not, however, initiate attacks on Jews and recognized Israel (1949). An estimated 45,000 Argentine Jews emigrated to Israel. Occassional anti-semetic incidents have occurred in Argentina. Israeli agents kidnapped SS officer Adolf Eichmann who oversaw the Holocaust (1960). They managed to sureptiously get him to Israel for trial. The trial was televised (April 1961). Argentina was ruled by a military junta (1976-83). The military fought a Communist insurgency. The military arrested and tortured suspected insurgents. Many of those arrested disappeared. An estimated 1,000 of the 9,000 known victims were Jews. Journalistic sources claim that Isreali negotiaed a secret arrangment wth the Junta to accept Jews arresed for suspected political offenses. After a civilian government replaced the Juntaattacks on Jews declined. In recent years Islami terrorists have begun stageing attacks in Argentina.
Spain expelled its Jews in the same year Columbus discovered America. Spain prohibited Jews and later Protestants from its colonies. Some Jews converted to Christianity rather than being expelled. Some of these convcersos secretly retained their Jewish faith. They were gradually discovered by the Holy Inquisition.
Some of the Spanish conversos managed to emigrated to the developing Spanish Empire, including Argentina. although they were not allowed to do so. They gradually assimilated and by the 19th century there were virtually no Jews in Argentina.
When Spain weakened during the Napoleonic wars, its Latin American colonies fought successful wars of independence. Argentina achieved its independence (1810). Independent Argentina's first president, Bernardino Rivadavia, upported open immigration and promoted individual rights. He abolished the Inquisition.
Large numbers of Europeans emigrated during the late-19th and early-20th centuty. Most went to the United States, but a substantial number went to Argentina. European Jews began arriving in Argentina along with other European immigrants in the mid-19th century. Many of the Jewish immigrants at this time were from France. By the late-19th century more Jews came from Central and Eastern Europe. A reader writes, "I noticed that many Jews who had arrived from Central and Eastern Europe and who had German-sounding last names, were forced to change the spelling of their family name into something that was easier to spell and pronouce in a Spanish-speaking country like Argentina. A very good example is the world-famous conductor Daniel Barenboim, who's original name surely has been Berenbaum." In the United States, immigrants were allowed to retain the spelling of their names, although the immigration agents often made spelling mistakes.
Jews gradually began to practice their religion openly. The first Jewish wedding occurred (1860). A minyan in Buenos Aires became the Congregacion Israelita de la Republica. Jewish immigration shifted as Tsarist pogroms in Russia targeted Jews. Jewish immigration in the late 19th century was mostly from Eastern Europe and were knon as "Rusos". A notable group of Russian Jews attived on the SS Weser and became gauchos (cowboys) and ranchers (1889). They established the Colony (rural community) Moiseville. Baron Maurice de Hirsch helped finnce this and other colonias. He also founded the Jewish Colonization Association. Substantial numbers of Jews eventually lived in these colonias. In the years before World War I about 13,000 Jewish immigrants annually entered Argentina. Most of the immigrants were Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe, but a small number of Sephardic Jews from Morocco and the Ottoman Empire alsoentered Argentina. The Jewish population reached 150,000 people (1920).
There were very rarely attacks on Jews before World war I. This appears to have changed with the Russian Revolutuion (1917). Jews were associated with the Revolution and as a result were targetted by right-wing, ultra nationalist groups. Leftist groups in Argentina staged a general strike in Buenos Aires (January 7-13, 1919). Right-wing groups associated Jews with the genneral strike and carried out a pogrom, beating Jews and looting or destroying their property.
Despite this attack, many Jews prospered in Argentina. Righ-ing groups dominated the government excluded Jews from the civil service and military. Jews persued careers as farmers, peddlers, artisans and shopkeepers. Jewish cultural and religious organizations flourished. A Yiddish press and theater opened in Buenos Aires. Jews founded a hospital and organized Zionist groups.
Argentina is almost unique among Latin American countries in that the population is largely of European extraction. The countries indigenous population was largely exterminated. Thus the countries national view was always largely European. The most important immigrant groups were Italian, Spanish, and German. As a result there was some support for both Fascism and the Axis in Argentina. Argentine Axis sympithies with the Axis during World War which unerved the country's Jewish community. Col. Juan Peron seized power (1946). He was an admirer of Benito Mussolini. Peron changed Argentina's immigration laws, prohibiting further Jewish immigration. He also implemented educational reforms, including Catholic religious instruction in the public schools.
The NAZI conquest of Europe resulted in entrapping a number of Argentine citizens living in occupied countries, most ominously about 100 Argentine Jews mostly living in Germany, France, Belgium, Holland, Italy and Greece. Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop after the War began to turn against Germany, attempted to maintain friendly relation with a dwindling number of countries that had not declared war on Germany. One country which was sympathetic with the Axis was Argentina. Col. Peron was an admirer of Musolini and many influential Argentines were NAZI sympathizers. Argetinawas use to the NAZIs both by harboring intelligence agents and as a place where war booty could be laundered. Ribbentrop appears to have confronted SS chief Himmler on the issue. Jews with Argentine passports were as a result given special treatment. Ribbentrop apparently took a specil interest in their welfare and on several occassins gave the Argentine Embassy in Berlin the opportunity to repatriate its Jewish nationals. German diplomats in Vichy, France discussed the situation of Argentine Jews there with Ricardo Olivera, Argentina's ambassador in Vichy. They gave Olivera 3 months to arrange for their repatriation. Olivera did nothing. Ribbentrop even after receiving no response from Argentine diplomats to his entrities sent a memo to SS Holocaust coordinator Adolf Eichman, reminding him of the importane of protecting the Argentine Jews (January 1943). The German Foreign Ministry called in Luis H. Irigoyen, the Secretary of the Argentine Embassy, to inform him that there were still 59 Argentines in Krakow, 7 in the Netherlands, and many others in Greece. The Germans showed Irigoyen 16 Argentine identity cards to proven that these people were Argentine citizens. Irigoyenreportedly glanced perfunctorily at the documents and told the Germans, "They are fake. The Argentine Embassy is not interested in the bearers of these apocryphal documents" (March 1943). The United States put pressure on Argentina and other Latin American conutries to join the war effort. By 1944 it was clear that Germany had lost the War. Argetina broke diplomatic relations with NAZI Germany (January 26, 1944). This meant that the Argentine Jews no longer were useful to the Germans. Most were reportedly transported to the Bergen-Belsen camp. Few details exist on their fate, but it is believed that all or almost all were killed. One author writes, "Argentina thus became the only country in the world to refuse the repatriation of its own citizens." Apparentlt Argentine diplomats were following secret Directive 11 issued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José María Cantilo on July 12, 1938,. Without referring specifically to Jews, Directive 11 instructed Argentine consulates to "reject visas, even those of transit or tourism, of all those people who abandoned their country of origin because they were undesirable or because they had been expelled, whatever the reasons". [Goñi] Col. Peron offered a refugee for fleeing NAZI war criminals. He did not, however, initiate attacks on Jews and recognized Israel (1949). Israeli agents kidnapped SS officer Adolf Eichmann who oversaw the Holocaust (1960). They managed to sureptiously get him to Israel for trial. The trial was televised (April 1961).
An estimated 45,000 Argentine Jews emigrated to Israel. This was a substantial proportion of the country's Jewish community. Occassional anti-semetic incidents have occurred in Argentina.
Argentina was ruled by a military junta (1976-83).
The military fought a Communist insurgency. The military arrested and tortured suspected insurgents. Many of those arrested disappeared. An estimated 1,000 of the 9,000 known victims were Jews. Journalistic sources claim that Isreali negotiaed a secret arrangment wth the Junta to accept Jews arresed for suspected political offenses. After a civilian government replaced the Junta, attacks on Jews declined.
In recent years Islami terrorists have begun stageing attacks in Argentina.
Goñi, Uki. The Real Odessa (London, 2002).
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