Argentina's Jewish population is the sixth largest Jewish community in the world, and the biggest in Latin America. Although not noticed on a daily basis, there are still expressions of anti-semitism in Argentina. The day I arrived to Buenos Aires, August 25, an incident of students attending a German-language school were accused of offending Jewish students from ORT school at a resort in Bariloche, 800 miles southeast of Buenos Aires, while wearing fake Hitler moustaches, performing Nazi salutes and leading hate speeches. The case was widely covered by Argentine media. 

 

Discussing the issue with Marissa, that works in DAIA, Argentina’s Jewish political umbrella, we learned that not everything is black and white. “If I’ll say that all Germans are not good, I’ll be just like them”, said Marissa, and explained also that not all students learning in the Jewish ORT school are Jewish (50% of students aren’t), and on the contrary, some Jewish families choose to send their children to German school, including Marissa’s daughters that go to a German school founded by a German Jew after the Holocaust. 

DAIA was established to fight anti-semitism in Europe in 1935, but today is not only fighting anti-semitism, but fighting discrimination from all sorts, educating and lobbying to accept all minority  groups - Armenians, Muslims, the poor, LGBT, women and more, as equals in society. 

 

DAIA is not the only Jewish organisations educating for non-discrimination. I’ve met with many organisations in Buenos Aires that are fighting for a more equal and inclusive society. “Encontrarse en le Diversidad” might be the perfect example for that, and not only because its name “Encontrase” means “meeting with myself and with the other” and also “everything different that we share in common”. Encontrase organisation started from Jewish activists that started being interested in Jewish texts and their meaning in the present. Their first call for action included hundreds of Jews and non-Jews. They now lead innovative and creative workshops in schools to inspire people to think on the other and on themselves in a different way. “Leoncito Dan” organisation is supporting communities in need and with the support of volunteers builds community centers. “TOM” (Tikun Olam Makers) are leading innovative maketons to provide solutions for people with disabilities, “Ashoka” is empowering teens to be a change makers. Maccabi’s “Shoresh" program are doing regular volunteering and donation activities and many more. 

 

During the Entwine trip I took part in in Argentina we discussed the Jewish value that gives a beautiful meaning to this action taking - “Arevut”, Guarantorship. The maxim from the Talmud "All Jews are responsible for one another”, which we see as a source which promotes Jewish responsibility. While we discussed the value of guarantorship I though that even the mere fact that this group of Americans cared enough to come all the way to Argentina and Uruguay, not to travel, but to get to know the Jewish community and to see how they can serve it in any way is a manifestation of guarantorship. 

 

Ralph Goldman saw the Jewish value of arevut as the source of “a giant partnership of understanding among millions of Jews that is constantly created and re-created”.