History of the Jews in Latin America


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The history of Jews in the Americas dates back to Christopher Columbus, who left Spain to cross the Atlantic Ocean on the same day by which Spanish Jews were forced to either abandon their religion or leave the country. There were at least seven Jews, crypto-Jews (Marranos), or converted Jews who sailed with Columbus in 1492, including Roderigo De Triana, who was the first to sight land (Columbus later assumed credit for this), Maestre Bernal, who served as the expeditions physican, and Luis De Torres, the interpreter, who spoke Hebrew and Arabic, which it was believed would be useful in the Orient. In the coming years, Jews settled in the new Spanish and Portuguese colonies in the Caribbean, where they believed that they would be safe from the Inquisition. Some took part in the conquest of the "New World," and Bernal Díaz del Castillo describes a number of executions of soldiers in Hernán Cortés's forces during the conquest of Mexico because they were Jews. Nevertheless, several Jewish communities in the Caribbean, Central, and South America flourished, particularly in those areas under Dutch and English control. By the sixteenth century, fully functioning Jewish communities had organized in Brazil, Suriname, Curaçao, Jamaica, and Barbados. In addition, there were unorganized communities of Jews in the Spanish and Portuguese territories, where the Inquisition was active, including Cuba and Mexico, however, these Jews generally concealed their identity from the authorities. By the mid-seventeenth century, the largest Jewish communities in the Western Hemisphere were located in Suriname and Brazil.

Argentina

Jews fleeing the Inquisition settled in Argentina, but assimilated into the Argentine society. After independence from Spain, Jews, especially Jews from France, began to settle in Argentina in the mid-19th century. In the late 1800s, just as they did in the United States, many Jews arrived from Eastern Europe and Russia, fleeing persecution, called "Rusos" in Argentina. Between 1906 and 1912, Jewish immigration increased at a rate of 13,000 immigrants per year, with most from Eastern Europe but others from Morroco or the Ottoman Empire. By 1920, more than 150,000 Jews were living in Argentina. Jews in Argentina quickly came to play a role in Argentine society, but were subject to waves of antisemitism. In 1919, pogroms targeted the Jews and destroyed significant property. In 1946, Juan Peron permitted Nazis to flee to Argentina, and ended Jewish immigration, but also established ties with the state of Israel (Adolf Eichmann was later captured in Argentina by Israeli agents) . During the military junta of 1976 to 1983, 1,000 of the 9,000 people killed by the state were Jewish. In the 1990s, the Jewish community was the subject of terrorist attacks, thought to be carried out by Iran with the assitance of the Argentine police. The Israeli Embassy was bombed in April 1992, killing 32 people and, in 1994, the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing more than 100 people and wounding over 200. Today, 250,000 Jews live in Argentina, mostly in Buenos Aires.

Brazil

Though Jews settled early in Brazil, especially when it was under Dutch rule, setting up a synagogue in Recife as early as 1636, Portuguese persecutions drove the Jewish population away. Jews resettled in Brazil in the 1800s after independence, and immigration rose throughout the 19th and early 20th century. In the late 1880s, members of the Zionism movement considered settling many Jews in Brazil to escape Russian pogroms, but strict immigration and political strife led to this plan being abandoned. The immigrants that did come to Brazil arrived from many different Jewish communities around the world, making the community in Brazil very diverse. Generally, the community has escaped major persecution, despite the government banning all Jewish organizations for a time. There are about 150,000 Jews in Brazil today, and they play an active role in industry and academia.

Mexico

Due to the strong Catholic presence in Mexico, few Jews migrated there until the late 1800s. Then, a number of German Jews settled in Mexico as a result of invitations from Empire Maximillian settled in the country, followed by a wave of Eastern European Jews fleeing Russia. A second large wave of immigration occured as the Ottoman Empire collapsed, leading many Sephardic Jews to flee. Finally, a wave of immigrants fled the increasing Nazi persecutions in Europe. Today, there are between 40,000 and 50,000 Mexican Jews. There are also a significant number of Conversos, Jews who converted to Catholism to escape the Inquisition, but retained some Jewish heritage (like lighting candles on Saturday nights). Many prominant Mexicans consider themselves Conversos. The famous painter Diego Rivera wrote in 1935, "Jewishness is the dominant element in my life., From this has come my sympathy with the downtrodden masses which motivates all my work."

Current Populations

* Jews in Argentina * Jews in Brazil * Jews in Mexico
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Rank (Worldwide) Country Jews % of Jews
5 Argentina 395,379 1%
11 Brazil 95,125 0.051%
15 Mexico 53,101 0.05%
20 Uruguay 30,743 0.9%
22 Venezuela 25,375 0.1%
24 Chile 20,900 0.131%
31 Panama 10,029 0.33%
44 Colombia 3,436 0.008%
47 Peru 2,792 0.01%
48 Costa Rica 2,409 0.06%