Montevideo, Uruguay

“When I was young I believed I could change the Jewish world. Today I understand that one has to change himself first.”

“I was born in 1965 in Montevideo, Uruguay. I went to Yavne Jewish school and was raised as a Zionist. When I turned 18 I made Alyiah. I studied at the Technion in Haifa Engineering and Electricity. Everything was going great, and I was living in Israel for five years, the only thing was is that my love of my life was in Montevideo. So after I completed my studies I came back.

When I grew up there was a consensus among the Jews that all Jews should live in Israel. All Jewish organisations were Zionist, and this is why as a young person it was clear to me that my future lies in Israel. Back than I wasn’t involved in the Jewish community, but when my first daughter was born, and on the same year my mother passed away, suddenly the urge appeared, I wanted to get involved. My daughter went to Yavne Jewish school, and my wife suggested that I will go there and see how I can help, so I did and never left. We worked hard, we raised funds, and most of all - we redefined the goals of our community.

There was a gap between what the leaders of the community preached us - to be zionist, go to Israel - and the reality. It caused a crack in society, but also a personal crisis, being zionist and live here. Never fulfil your dream.

We changed the school message. If we are here, we are here to stay. We said publicly - we are going to build a community.

We opened the first branch of Hillel in Montevideo, and by this Hillel turned from being an American organisation to being an international organisation. We started with Hillel, and when the economic crisis occurred we started Tzedaka foundation. The thing that is more important than the crisis, is what connects us. I can turn to you and you can turn for me for assistance because there is something in the fact that we are Jewish that won’t let us rest until we help the Jews in need.

We make the story. This is my connection to Judaism.” Marcelo