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INSIDE JEWISH ARGENTINA JDC Entwine Insider Trip for College Students March 12-19, 2017 Argentina, with a Jewish community of around 241,000, is home to Latin America s largest Jewish population, the

A prosperous community for most of its history, which dates back to the Spanish and Portuguese inquisitions, Argentina s Jews were devastated by the 2001 economic crisis that turned middle-class

1 INSIDE JEWISH ARGENTINA JDC Entwine Insider Trip for College Students March 12-19, 2017 Argentina, with a Jewish community of around 241,000, is home to Latin America s largest Jewish population, the 7th largest in the world. A prosperous community for most of its history, which dates back to the Spanish and Portuguese inquisitions, Argentina s Jews were devastated by the 2001 economic crisis that turned middle-class families into the new poor virtually overnight. JDC responded immediately and efficiently to the Jewish community s sizeable needs, leveraging decades-long partnerships to expand existing relief services to aid those hardest-hit by the crisis. More than 10 years later, with the local Jewish institutions overall health largely restored, JDC has resumed its historic role in Argentina as a community-development expert. Sunday, March 12: NYC Argentina Depart for Buenos Aires Monday, March 13: Welcome to Argentina! Arrive in Buenos Aires Welcome to Argentina! Lunch & Introductions by Staff & Co-Chairs Introduction to Jewish Life in Argentina with Viviana Bendersky Viviana will provide an overview of JDC s work in Argentina, and teach us about the impact of the economic crisis on Argentine Jewry and how JDC programs are addressing community needs. Viviana is a key member of JDC Argentina's welfare team, overseeing JDC welfare services in the provinces, and is the Director of JDC s Baby Help Center. Special Activity: Modern Dancing with Elderly at AMIA! AMIA (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina) is the umbrella organization for all Jewish institutions in Argentina. Born as Chevra Kedusha in 1894, its initial activities focused on developing the necessary conditions to observe Jewish traditions in Argentina. Soon, its activities grew and diversified with the increase of the country s Jewish population and its progressive integration to society. AMIA soon became the place where all the Jewish people could come together and participate in Jewish life. Presently, it offers a wide array of activities and services, including social services; the provision of basic goods such as food, medicines, housing, health and clothing to vulnerable families; educational activities; supporting, coordinating and facilitating joint projects with other community institutions; employment programs aimed at strengthening the employability of thousands of candidates; and cultural activities such as theatre, conferences, courses and festivals, among others. In 1994, to commemorate its centennial, AMIA organized a series of celebrations that were interrupted on July 18 by a terrorist attack, killing 85 people. Yaacov Agam a world-renowned Israeli plastic artist is the creator of the Monument to the Memory of the Victims of the Terrorist Attack at AMIA. The work asserts both the commitment to the victims memory by honoring their spirit and vital legacy, and the demand for justice for their relatives and society at large. Tuesday, March 14: Shabbat with the Community

2 Visit to Baby Help children at Tel Aviv School & Conversation: Ongoing Challenges for Jewish Children At-Risk with Viviana Bendersky The Baby Help program, initiated by JDC in 2003 at the height of the economic crisis, has been furnishing special assistance to a particularly vulnerable segment of the Argentine Jewish community babies and children up to five years of age and pregnant women living below the poverty line. The program supplies baby formula, fortified milk, nutritional supplements, and other food aid, as well as vitamins, medicines, vaccines, diapers, and various pieces of baby equipment. Parents have benefited from a variety of supportive activities and counseling programs, including day care services, and the families ties to the community have been strengthened through their involvement in key life cycle celebrations, holiday programs, and new, hands-on lessons in Jewish living. In the beginning the program was limited to health and nutrition needs, provided basic necessities, as well as medical attention among other services. Then, Baby Help served as a space for protection and care of children, so their parents will be able to look for a job and reinsert in the labor market. This program includes many different types of socialization and social integration for the children and their families as well. Recently the program moved to the Tel Aviv School and Community to provide these children with a home in a more formal educational setting, which allows the students and their families: to be part of an educational project with continuity; to widen the social network; and belong to the educational structure of the Jewish Community in Buenos Aires Argentina s economic crisis had a devastating impact on the country s Jewish schools. With parents out of work and unable to pay tuition, enrollment in Jewish schools decreased, and many schools were forced to close their doors. The Tel Aviv School and Community, which serves 220 children up to 12 years of age, is located in Paternal, a historically middle to lower-class neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Even prior to the crisis, a significant portion of Tel Aviv s students relied on scholarships. With the crisis, the majority of the school s families were impacted, risking the stability of the school. The number of students decreased. The board of directors became unstable. A lack of maintenance led to deterioration of the building. Furthermore, like many of Argentina s institutions, the school was unprepared and lacked a strategic plan to face the economic crisis. From 2005 forward, with support from JDC, the school began a process of improvement. Depart for LeDor VaDor Visit Le Dor VaDor Born out of the need for effective integration services for the elderly, JDC, in partnership with local institutions, opened LeDor Vador: a state-of-the-art Old Age Home that helps address the needs of this vulnerable segment of society. The center, which houses around 320 elders, comes with a wide range of services including occupational therapy, a cinema, a reading room, a synagogue, special workshops, and more. The architect of the project was Mr. Berardo Dujovne, the Dean of the School of Architecture of the University of Buenos Aires, while the plans were supervised ad honorem by the Perkins-Eastman office in Chicago, which has built more elderly homes in the past 20 years than any other office. Service Work: Occupational Therapy Classes with Elderly of LeDor VaDor Lunch & Conversation at LeDor VaDor with Elderly Residents Visit Refuot Community Pharmacy Visit Tzedek Program Back to the hotel to freshen up / free time Festive Dinner with Local Peers Core Conversation #1: Our Intentions

3 Wednesday, March 15: Jewish Communal Life in Buenos Aires Breakfast at Hotel Buenos Aires City Tour & Souvenir Shopping Lunch at local restaurant Meeting with local peers Return to hotel to freshen up / free time Fuerza Bruta in Recoleta Fuerza Bruta is a postmodern theatre show that originated in Buenos Aires in 2005 by Diqui James. It is also the name of the company that produces the show. Fuerza bruta means brute force and as such, is a very energetic spectacle with interaction between the performers and the audience. It is described as a 360 degree experience. Late Dinner Thursday, March 16: Lending a Hand in the Community Breakfast at Hotel Depart Hotel Arrive at Comunidad Tfilat Shalom in Mataderos Comunidad Tfilat Shalom is a synagogue in the Mataderos neighborhood in Buenos Aires. Introduction to Service Project with Director Begin Service Work Lunch & Conversation with Community Members Continue Service Work Return to Hotel & Freshen Up/Free Time Core Conversation #2: Arevut and JDC Depart Hotel for Dinner Dinner Friday, March 17: Continue Service Work Breakfast Arrive at Tfilat Shalom; Introduction to Service Project Begin Service Work

4 Lunch Continue Service Work Complete Project & Inauguration Ceremony Check-In to Hotel & Prepare for Shabbat Pre-Shabbat Activity Candle Lighting Shabbat Services & Dinner at Menora Synagogue Optional Out with Local Peers Saturday, March 18: Jewish Communal Life in Buenos Aires Shabbat Options (organized by Shabbat committee) Shabbat Services at Menora Synagogue (optional) Shabbat Lunch & Conversation with Rabbi & College Students Walking Tour of Buenos Aires Neighborhoods Return to Hotel; Free Time Core Conversation #3: Arevut and Me Havdalah Dinner & Previa at Moishe House with Local Peers Moishe House, Buenos Aires is Argentina s first and only Moishe House. Moishe House, a pluralistic international organization, provides meaningful Jewish experiences to young adults in their 20s. Their innovative model trains, supports and sponsors young Jewish leaders as they create vibrant home-based communities for themselves and their peers. Optional Out Sunday, March 19: Taking It Home Breakfast Visit to AMIA: Agam Memorial, Tour, and Video AMIA (Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina) is the umbrella organization for all Jewish institutions in Argentina. Born as Chevra Kedusha in 1894, its initial activities focused on developing the necessary conditions to observe Jewish traditions in Argentina. Soon, its activities grew and diversified with the increase of the country s Jewish population and its progressive integration to society. AMIA soon became the place where all the Jewish people could come together and participate in Jewish life. Presently, it offers a wide array of activities and services, including social services; the provision of basic goods such as food, medicines, housing, health and clothing to vulnerable families; educational activities; supporting, coordinating and facilitating joint projects with other community institutions; employment

5 programs aimed at strengthening the employability of thousands of candidates; and cultural activities such as theatre, conferences, courses and festivals, among others. In 1994, to commemorate its centennial, AMIA organized a series of celebrations that were interrupted on July 18 by a terrorist attack, killing 85 people. Yaacov Agam a world-renowned Israeli plastic artist is the creator of the Monument to the Memory of the Victims of the Terrorist Attack at AMIA. The work asserts both the commitment to the victims memory by honoring their spirit and vital legacy, and the demand for justice for their relatives and society at large Briefing on Jewish Life in Argentina & Potential Threats to the Community at DAIA DAIA (Delegacion de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas) aims to fight against all expressions of anti- Semitism, discrimination, racism and xenophobia, protect human rights, promote interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence among all citizens, in a framework of respect for differences and denounce international terrorism, ensuring security of the institutions and members of the Jewish community in Argentina. Lunch at the Abasto Shopping Mall Core Conversation #4: Action Hotel Check-Out Check-In at Airport Depart Buenos Aires

2:00 PM Guided Buenos Aires City Tour: Jewish Sites & Recoleta, San Telmo, La Boca

2:00 PM Guided Buenos Aires City Tour: Jewish Sites & Recoleta, San Telmo, La Boca INSIDE JEWISH ARGENTINA JDC Entwine Insider Trip with Texas Hillel & National College Students March 11-18, 2018 About Argentina: Argentina is home to Latin America s largest Jewish population, with a