Community in Argentina - World Jewish Congress

History

Jews have lived in the territory that now constitutes Argentina for centuries, with many of the earliest Jewish settlers seeking refuge from the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions. Despite the centuries of Jewish settlement, however, there is little record of Jewish life in the country before the 19th century. Beginning in 1854, Argentina experienced several waves of Jewish immigration, leading to the establishment in 1862 of the Israelite Congregation of Buenos Aires, the first Jewish institution in the country. Immigration sped up in the 1880s with the arrival of significant numbers of Eastern European Jews, escaping the pervasive antisemitism and violence of Russia. It was at this time that several Jewish agricultural settlements were established by Baron Maurice de Hirsch through the Jewish Colonization Association, giving rise to the mythical figure of the Jewish gaucho, or cowboy.

During the period leading up to World War I, this primarily Ashkenazi population was bolstered with the arrival of Jews from the Levant. In 1894, the country’s various Jewish organizations united in what would later come to be called the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) and would evolve into Argentina’s central Jewish institution. The Jewish community began urbanizing and in the decades after the war, there was little sign left of the country’s once flourishing Jewish agricultural communities.

The World Jewish Congress has had a strong connection to the Argentinian Jewish community ever since August 1936, when six Argentinian delegates were among the founders of the WJC in Geneva. The Latin American Jewish Congress, headed today by Adrian Werthein, is the WJC’s regional affiliate. In March 2016, the WJC held a special plenary assembly in Buenos Aires.

The Years of the Holocaust

During the 1930s, Jews fleeing the rise of European fascism began making their way to Latin America, including Argentina. In response, the Jewish Colonization Association (JCA) created the Avigdor colony to accommodate Central European Jews fleeing Hitler. Following World War II, around 8,000 Jewish refugees arrived in Argentina. They were accompanied by around 5,000 former Nazis who escaped Europe with the aid of former Argentine President Juan Peron, whose government established escape routes through Spain and Italy. The most famous of these was Adolf Eichmann, one of the primary organizers of the Holocaust. He was kidnapped by agents of Israeli intelligence in 1960 and brought to Israel, where he was subsequently tried and executed.

After the Holocaust, Argentina became one of the largest refuge places for expatriate survivors, as well as escaped Nazis.

Argentina adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism in June 2020. Argentina also observes International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27 and supports initiatives against antisemitism and hate speech. Educational programs, public commemorations, and museums—such as the Holocaust Museum in Buenos Aires—have helped preserve the memory of the Shoah and promote Holocaust education.

AMIA and Israeli Embassy Bombings

In 1992, the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 22 people and wounding a further 242. The United States blamed Hezbollah, claiming that the Lebanese terrorist organization had perpetrated the attack on behalf of Iran.

Two years later, a car bomb exploded in front of the AMIA building in downtown Buenos Aires, killing 85 and wounding 300. It was the largest terrorist attack in Argentinian history. Investigations into the bombing, for which Iran was also blamed, have continued until the present day. In 2015, following years of judicial irregularities, government prosecutor Alberto Nisman, himself a member of the Jewish community, accused then-President Cristina Kirchner of covering for Iran. Soon after, Nisman was found dead in his Buenos Aires apartment.

Demography

According to the World Population Review, Argentina was home to approximately 171,000 Jews in 2023, making it the largest Jewish community in Latin America and the seventh largest in the world. About 70% of the total Jewish population of Argentina is Ashkenazi, from Central and Eastern Europe, while 30% is Sephardic, from Spain, Portugal, Morocco, the Balkans, Syria, Turkey and North Africa.

80% of Argentine Jews reside in the City of Buenos Aires, with an additional 11,00 Jews living in Rosario and Cordoba. There are also sizable Jewish communities in the cities of Santa Fe, Corrientes, La Plata, Bahía Blanca, Mendoza and Mar del Plata.

Community Life

The primary Jewish political institution is the Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA), which lobbies for the interests of the community and its constituent organizations. Its work is complimented by the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA), which focuses on religious and cultural activities. AMIA is also responsible for social services, including education, healthcare, employment, burial services and more. The headquarters of the Latin American Jewish Congress are located in Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires is home to an independent branch of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, which was first founded in Vilnius (Vilna) in the 1920s. There is also a Jewish museum, three libraries, and four Jewish bookstores. Cordoba has an impressive community center, and in Argentina, the Maccabi Sports Federation is also very active.

Religious and Cultural Life

Community Facts

1. Argentina’s Jewish community is not only the biggest in Latin America but also the largest Spanish-speaking Jewish community in the world.

2. The world's only kosher McDonald's outside of Israel is located in the Jewish Quarter of Buenos Aires.

3. The first Argentine-Jewish wedding took place in Buenos Aires in 1860.

Kosher Food

Kosher food is widely available in Argentina, particularly in neighborhoods with large Jewish populations such as Once and Villa Crespo in Buenos Aires, where one can find numerous kosher restaurants, bakeries, butcher shops (carnicerías kosher), and supermarkets offering certified products. AMIA maintains a kosher certification program (Ajdut Kosher), ensuring that food establishments meet strict dietary standards. Outside of Buenos Aires, cities like Córdoba, Rosario, and Mendoza also have smaller but active Jewish communities with access to kosher options, including local synagogues or community centers that can provide information and resources for travelers.

Jewish Education

There are almost 100 Jewish educational institutions in Argentina, from kindergarten to high schools, affiliated with a variety of denominations.

The Vaad Hajinuj (Education Department) of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) plays a central role in promoting Jewish education across Argentina and Latin America. It organizes various educational initiatives, including Merotz Lamilón, an international Hebrew competition created by the Kehilá Center of Israel with the support and coordination of the AMIA Vaad Hachinuch, that aims to promote and encourage the study of Hebrew, as well as to create opportunities for Spanish-speaking students to meet with students from other countries; as well as the AGNON and MELAMED Teacher Training Institutes, where students work to obtain their national qualifications in either early childhood or primary education.

Youth

Argentina is home to large youth organizations that cater to a variety of Jewish individuals of all ages, offering educational, cultural, and social programs to foster Jewish identity and leadership.

AMIA Joven organizes events, leadership training, and social action initiatives to engage young Jews, often focusing on community-building and Jewish heritage. OHA Macabi offers a range of activities for people ranging from primary school-age to senior citizens, combining sports, culture, and Jewish values to promote identity, leadership, and a connection to Israel among the Argentine Jewish community.

Jewish Media

Argentina boasts several Jewish periodicals and media outlets, including the Jewish News Agency, Vis a Vis, and Itón Gadol.

The AMIA produces a television show entitled AMIA el Legado, ("AMIA the Legacy") which is broadcast once a week on public television. Radio Jai operates as a Jewish radio station, broadcasting from Buenos Aires.

The Latin American Jewish Congress, based in Argentina, publishes a magazine called Coloquio, which features contributions by notable intellectuals, writers, philosophers, academics, and political, religious, and social leaders.

Information for Visitors

Visitors to Argentina may be interested in visiting the Jewish Museum of Buenos Aires, the Synagogue of the Israelite Congregation of the Argentine Republic, known as "Templo Libertad", the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) memorial, the Centro Ana Frank Argentina, the Great Temple of Paso, the Argentine Hebraic Society, and the Holocaust Museum. Visitors may also wish to see the Jewish Quarter in Buenos Aires (Once), which houses many Jewish businesses, restaurants, and cultural institutions.

Relations with Israel

Argentina was one of the first countries to recognize Israel after its independence and the two nations established diplomatic relations soon after. In 2010, under the leadership of President Cristina Kirchner, Argentina announced its intention to join Brazil in recognizing an independent Palestinian state, provoking strong criticism from Israel.

However, under President Mauricio Macri, who took office in 2015, relations have improved significantly, and in 2017 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the first Israeli premier to visit Argentina. Israel maintains an embassy in Buenos Aires and has honorary consulates in Cordoba and Mendoza. In July 2019, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Jewish community center, AMIA, President Mauricio Macri designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

In November 2023, Javier Milei was elected president of Argentina. A vocal supporter of Israel, Milei pledged to move Argentina’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In July 2024, Argentina officially designated Hamas as a terrorist organization, citing its ties to Iran and the October 7, 2023, attacks that saw the abduction of the Argentinian-Israeli Bibas family.

During President Milei’s official visit to Israel in February 2024, Argentina and Israel signed a social rights treaty that reaffirmed both nations' commitment to strengthening bilateral ties ahead of 75 years of diplomatic relations between Argentina and Israel. In December of that year, Argentina's Defense Minister Luis Petri visited Israel to expand defense cooperation, focusing on cybersecurity, drones, and border protection.

In February 2025, after 15 months in captivity, Yarden Bibas was released from Hamas captivity as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement, while the rest of his family was ultimately pronounced deceased. In response, Argentine President Javier Milei declared two days of national mourning to honor the victims, emphasizing Argentina’s solidarity with Israel and its unwavering stance against terrorism. In the aftermath, Argentina paid tribute to the Bibas family in various ways, including the renaming of a street in Buenos Aires to "Avenida Kfir y Ariel Bibas" and the establishment of a memorial in their honor.

Israeli Embassy:
Av. de Mayo 701,
Buenos Aires C1070
Argentina

Telephone: +54 11 3724 4500

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