Several years ago, Central Synagogue sponsored a congregational trip to Argentina. Below are reflections from some of the members who travelled with Rabbi Rubinstein.
by Marti Reich
Seventeen people – relative strangers – embarked upon a congregational “mission” to Argentina. We were greeted by the Jewish communities with warmth and open arms and we were simultaneously enthralled and saddened. We came from the material wealth of our New York City community to communities that lack fiscal security, communities that are often desperate to fulfill even the basic needs of their members, but that are wealthy in spirit, vitality and boundless love for their children and for our Jewish morality and way of life. We listened to an inspired young Argentine rabbi, Sergio Bergman, who won our hearts and minds. We watched two young women become Bat Mitzvah and we needed no translator to tell us the words of pride and love their parents showered upon them. We hugged and kissed and cried with our Spanish-speaking landsmen. Our wonderful Peter Rubinstein took us through lessons in Hebrew, Torah stories, Midrashim and songs, and made every bus ride purposeful and filled with learning and humor. We were awed by the beauty and power of the Iguazu Falls and could not help but be reminded of the greatness of nature and God. We laughed, we ate, we took hundreds of photos. This was a mission to learn about a Jewish community on another continent, thousands of miles away. But truly, it became an amazing personal journey for each of us. Our own community here on 55th Street has become wider, deeper and totally engaged with a world we barely knew. The 17 of us have opened up new paths and connections, and our legacy will be the ability to make the ties enduring.
by Miriam Reines
Far away from our little island is a country with many superlatives:
The biggest waterfalls,
The greatest distances,
The widest roads,
The biggest steaks,
The warmest people, and
The extremes of wealth and poverty.
Our first stop in Buenos Aires enabled us to experience wide roads, large steaks, and a wonderfully warm and committed Jewish community. At a Jewish Day School, we met youngsters, teachers, and administrators who live as an extended family. Their devotion to one another and to learning is an example that will always be remembered. The work done by staff and volunteers in the community center demonstrates their sense of loyalty, their understanding of the needs of others, and the true meaning of giving to those who are in need. In Iguazu Falls we experienced nature’s beauty and power. It was awesome to visit the falls and walk through the rainforest. Our last stop in Mendoza, where we visited the Jewish community, reinforced what we had seen in Buenos Aires. We also had an opportunity to see the wine production process and to sample some of the wines that Argentina is known for. This was a journey that I will always recollect with very fond thoughts!!
by Ted Schlissel
At one time or another we have all wondered whether Judaism could disappear. Never did that possibility become as starkly clear to me as it did when we visited the city of Mendoza in Argentina. There are now an estimated 300 Jewish families, but there were once many more. The Sephardic component of that population has disappeared entirely. The underlying causes are no great surprise -- the economic crisis, emigration and, as elsewhere, assimilation. Mendoza could become a city without any Jews in the not too distant future. While it may not be in our field of vision throughout the year, the Diaspora is vital to the continued existence of Judaism, and every Jewish community is an essential part of the Diaspora. The decimation of wealth in the Jewish communities of Argentina has resulted in very limited resources for education, facilities, and food and medical care for those who cannot afford it. It has made the community more dependent on outside help than it would like to be. Dependent on us.
by Kerry Rubinstein
In the Jewish communities of Buenos Aires and Mendoza, we met passionate, accomplished and highly energetic clergy and lay leaders. They are visionaries who transformed a crisis into an opportunity for creativity and community rebuilding. It is humbling to witness how they do so much with so little and it is clear that any support from our community at Central Synagogue will be maximized and used wisely. We visited Jewish day schools and participated in Shabbat services in both communities and were overwhelmed by warm and enthusiastic welcomes. I was most touched by the small girls in Mendoza who stepped forward shyly and waited patiently for us to kiss them on the cheeks. All the children we met were sweet, open and excited to share with visitors and they especially loved to pose for photographs. The Jewish community of Argentina is an inspiration, but our trip was so much more than visits to synagogues and community centers. Those of us traveling together had a lot of fun and formed enduring friendships. We saw a country of exquisite beauty, learned about its tumultuous history, sampled its famous wines, and bounced through the rapids of Iguazu Falls in a speed boat – unforgettable!
by Susan Brown
On our first Friday night in Argentina, we attended services at the Libertad Synagogue in Buenos Aires and afterward, attended the Rabbi's Tisch, a tradition from Eastern Europe where a community gathers around the rabbi's dinner table for a Shabbat of good food, fellowship, stories, lessons from the Torah portion, and singing. We found ourselves in the basement social hall among hundreds of hungry Jews who are provided with a Shabbat meal and spiritual sustenance every Friday night. We were served by congregants, who were fulfilling the mitzvah of feeding the hungry. One couldn't tell who had paid for their meal and who didn't have the small amount of money to do so. As we all ate, Rabbi Bergman, a passionate, creative and energetic leader of the Progressive Movement in Argentina, stood teaching, singing, dancing, leading prayers, and talking to everyone for more than two hours. At the end, an elderly woman took the microphone, and sang to us in perfect English to welcome us. I felt a sense of family and community. Had our ancestors boarded a ship that headed south rather than to the U.S., we would have grown up in this world of our cousins, a world in deep distress.
by Phylis and Michael Bamberger
We opted to spend four days of the trip with the Cordoba Jewish community because the initial Argentine contact of Central Synagogue had been with that community (Centro Union Israelita de Cordoba) and because we personally had communicated with people in Cordoba. We spent time at the headquarters of the Jewish community; at the community's Jewish day school where, at the end of our visit, a plaque was unveiled thanking Central Synagogue for its support; we had dinner and spent an evening with the leaders of the Jewish community; met with the leaders of the D.A.I.A., a group that represents the Jews of Cordoba vis-a-vis the government; met with leaders of the Casa de la Cultura, which sponsors concerts, theater productions and postgraduate Jewish studies classes jointly with the National University of Cordoba (the oldest University in the Western Hemisphere); and went to Friday night services, at which we were again honored on behalf of Central Synagogue. We found a vibrant and creative – although financially struggling – community, warmly appreciative of Central's help and support. The thanks was typified by a meeting we had at Friday night services with the former president of the Community. He told us that it gave him goose bumps to meet representatives of the congregation he had not known, but which had provided much needed help.
by Edith Zigaty
The trip to Argentina exceeded my expectations. We shared dinners with Jewish leaders and attended Shabbat services that were entirely sung. We visited community centers and Jewish schools, and we interacted with staff and children. Learning English is a “must” in Argentina’s Hebrew schools, and, despite the great need for better facilities, equipment and books, there is a strong feeling of togetherness and a testament to the greatness of Judaism and to our survival as a people. I left feeling more than ever how proud I am to be a Jew! A very special “thank you” to Rabbi Rubinstein for an informative and enjoyable trip.
by Barbara and Herbert Zlotnick
Visiting the Jewish communities of Buenos Aires and Mendoza, Argentina, has left an enormous impression on us. It was bittersweet to see the elderly people waiting for the soup kitchen lunch to be served, knowing that at one time these people were vital, productive members of the community. Without the assistance of the Jewish Community Center, some families would be unable to pay their rent, feed their families, or have necessary clothing and medications. It is easy for those of us who possess an abundance of the necessities and luxuries of life to lose track of those who are in dire straits. However, as a result of what we saw, our entire group made a substantial contribution to these communities. We hope this will be the beginning of Central Synagogue’s further assistance to our Argentine brethren.
by Nancy Fisher and Marc Kirschner
Our trip was a meaningful and moving experience. We were welcomed into a rebuilding, yet thriving Jewish community. The rebuilding and rebirth of the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, which was destroyed by a terrorist attack in 1994, reminded us of the rebuilding of our own synagogue. We were honored to attend a memorial service in Mendoza for those killed in yet another terrible bombing--at the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires. Jews and non-Jews alike gathered in front of a permanent sculpture of a menorah next to a city park. Three days later in Buenos Aires, we paused at the site of the former Israeli Embassy to read some of the personal notes attached to the many bouquets of flowers that lay there in quiet tribute. No speech was needed to remember and never forget. One of our fondest recollections was the joyous singing at the three religious services we attended. We urge other members of Central Synagogue to join us to expand and promote a very important link that we have already established with this Argentine community. They need our support to rebuild and to encourage the youth to carry on all of our traditions.
