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IN-DEPTH FEATURES
Buenos Aires -- Av, 5762, 2002. It is cold outside. How can
it be? Of course, in this distant place on the other side of
the equator it is winter, while in Eretz Yisroel and
Europe, people are melting from the sweltering heat.
If we wish to summarize in a nutshell the current story of
chareidi Argentinean Jewry -- let us observe the hunched
elderly, poverty-stricken Jew knocking on the door of
Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim in Buenos Aires asking: "Where is the
clothing gemach?"
An avreich called Reb Moshe Kavan is immediately
summoned and leads the old man up a flight of stairs, two at
a time, to a narrow crowded room. There, inside the room, the
poor man's eyes light up. Here he will be able to exchange
his worn clothes for almost-brand-new ones collected by Reb
Moshe from people in the kehilloh.
This is the tale of chareidi Jewry in Argentina.
Can it be? Is this the entire story of the chareidi community
of Argentina? Only chessed and nothing more? Of course
not.
However if we delve into this episode, so mundane everywhere
in the chareidi Jewish world, we will realize that these
things are not so simple. At the end of this article, after a
short survey of Argentinean Jewry, we shall clarify what we
mean iy"H.
The Early Days
We sat in HaRav Shmuel Aryeh Levine's home and heard the
beginning of the story from the man who was pivotal in
reviving Torah in Argentina:
The key element of the background and foundation of
Argentinean Jewry was a righteous Jew called Reb Yaakov Isser
Mazal z"l who arrived in Argentina in the last century
as a young boy. His father, Reb Yosef Mazal zt"l, was
a big talmid chochom in Brisk. He wrote a sefer
called Kvod HaTorah be'Argentina which was one of the
only seforim ever privileged to receive the
haskomoh of the Brisker Rov ztvk"l.
It was difficult for Reb Yaakov Isser Mazal during that
period, in 5684 (1924), to establish a mokom of Torah
in Argentina. Following the advice of the Chofetz Chaim
ztvk"l he went to Belgium at the age of twenty-seven,
where he founded a yeshiva in Haida, which still exists
today. At the start of the Second World War he stopped his
activities there and fled, experiencing miracles, to
Argentina. On his return to there, he established the Heichal
HaTorah kehilla. Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim was
established by him on the 15th of Av, 5703 (1943).
In doing this, he in fact founded the Torah world in
Argentina. Until that time people there had no idea what
Torah or Judaism were about. There were a few cheders
where children learned until the ages of nine or ten and that
was it. In the wake of the Yeshiva's establishment, the
spirit of Torah entered Argentina and with it the development
of kashrus awareness. Later he brought over the
Debricin Rov, HaRav Moshe Stern zt"l, who served as
the rov of the community for several years.
In addition, he established the central mikveh and
paid for all its expenses from his own pocket. He was a
zealous Yid whose aspiration was to keep
Yiddishkeit properly. His connections with the
gedolim served him in good stead during his conflict
with the Zionists who had unopposed control in Argentina up
until then. He battled quietly, and nothing Zionist found its
way into his community. On the other hand, he was ostracized
by the Zionists for his refusal to hang up their pictures in
the community building. Rav Mazal was not worried and
continued, with his own capital, creating the community
according to true Torah ideals.
No one actually wanted to learn in the yeshiva. What did Rav
Mazal do? He paid students a salary. The refugees from Europe
were very poor then and so the bochurim were paid to
come and learn. HaRav Avrohom Yisroel Mishkin from Slonim, a
talmid of Rav Elchonon Bunim Wasserman ztvk"l
Hy"d, served as rosh yeshiva of the yeshiva. He
was a fervent Jew, and also a very warm person. Serving at
the helm of the yeshiva with him were other great talmidei
chachomim: HaRav Nissim Becker zt"l from Mir and
HaRav Steinberg zt"l who came from Russia.
The yeshiva drifted from place to place in Buenos Aires.
Later HaRav Tzvi (Zeidel) Semiatitzky zt"l, a great
talmid chochom, came from England to join the yeshiva.
Four week after his arrival, with great plans for
establishing a yeshiva gedolah, he passed away
suddenly. His passing stunned the Jewish community and became
a turning point in the history of Argentinean Jewry.
The passing of Rav Mazal in 5720 (1960), left the community
with nothing to lean on. The cheder of Heichal Hatorah
had one hundred and fifty students, but the chareidi
atmosphere amongst the Jews living there began to dwindle. In
Rav Mazal's later years, the teshuva movement began
under the auspices of Rav Velvel Greenberg zt"l. He
received room in Rav Mazal's building, who greatly supported
and encouraged him.
Fifty years ago Rav Greenberg was the only one who dealt with
the baalei teshuvoh and this movement was called "the
Sephardi Agudas Yisroel." After Rav Mazal's death the
connection between the Sephardi Agudas Yisroel and the
Ashkenazi Agudas Yisroel, which had been headed by Rav Mazal,
was severed. Later the Sephardi community developed and
adopted the name "Shuva Yisrael." In the meantime the Yeshiva
Ateres Zvi named after HaRav Tzvi (Zeidel) Semiatitzky was
established by Shuva Yisrael.
A Place of Torah Will be Established
There
During this period HaRav Levine was a young avreich
learning in the Ponevezh kollel in Bnei Brak. One
night Rav Mazal appeared to him in a dream and said: "I want
you to know that I am very happy with the things I did during
my lifetime, but you should know that I cannot do anything
further now!"
Rav Levine felt this was more than a hint and with the
encouragement of the Rosh Yeshiva and the Mashgiach he
returned to his birthplace in 5732 (1972), and began to
redevelop the yeshiva. It was obvious that the words of the
Rosh Yeshiva were about to materialize, verbatim: "My heart
tells me that a mokom Torah will be established
there!"
The soil was fertile and seemed to wait for the farmer to
come and sow the seeds.
HaRav Levine asked the rov of the Sephardi community, HaRav
Shechavar, to also open a yeshiva but he was at first
reluctant. Later, when Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim was developing
and members from his community who were learning in the
yeshiva were becoming big talmidei chachomim, he
called HaRav Levine (towards the end of 5737 [1977]) and told
him of his plans to open a yeshiva in the Syrian community
which would be called "Yesod Hadat" on Levalle (pronounced
"Levazha") Street. This yeshiva has since produced hundreds
of learned talmidim.
Later HaRav Ephraim Dinnes established the Chacham Nissim
Cohen Yeshiva in the Flores community. The bochurim
from that yeshiva go to learn in the yeshivos in Eretz
Yisroel and then after marriage they return to their
homeland and continue learning in the kollel avreichim
which was established later.
After this, Ashkenazi Jews opened a yeshiva in the Belgrano
district which is headed by HaRav Doniel Moadav and HaRav
Doniel Oppenheimer. Soon HaRav Yechezkel Levi opened a
yeshiva in the Yeshurun community in the established Palerma
neighborhood. After him HaRav Parva opened a yeshiva in the
Ohr Torah community in the Barakas district, a poor community
mostly made up of people originating from Damascus.
At around the same time, the Shuva Yisrael community headed
by HaRav Eliezer Ben David developed and steered all their
young bochurim to the best yeshivos in Eretz
Yisroel. Some returned to settle in Argentina, and now
there is a strong core of people learning Torah who are
deeply rooted in the hashkofoh of the yeshivos in
Eretz Yisroel.
This was the beginning of the blossoming period of
Argentinean Jewry, whose success is also hailed by Satmar
chassidim who are opening a Yeshiva Od Yosef Chai for
Sephardic Jews with chassidic inclinations.
"Everyone laughed," Rav Levine recalls, "when in 5732 (1972)
I came to give a speech in Barakas and I said to them: `You
will see that there will be a Yeshiva here one day!' Today,
although they learn there only part time, who would have
believed that they would educate their children in the
yeshivisheh way and send their daughters to Bais
Yaakov?"
Those communities (which we will discuss later) which do not
have the appropriate educational frameworks for girls and
boys completing their primary school education, send their
children to learn in the Heichal Hatorah community in the
Once (pronounced "unsa") neighborhood under the auspices of
Rav Levine and his wife ("the teacher"). Or they may send
their boys and girls to the equivalent excellent institutions
of the Shuva Yisroel community also in Once.
Today there are twenty yeshivos and kollelim in Buenos
Aires, including yeshivos for baalei teshuvoh. In
addition there are night kollelim in which about a
thousand people learning Torah partake in this immense
spiritual "party" and including two hundred avreichim
who are in full time learning!
If we include all those avreichim -- altogether about
another two hundred -- learning in Israeli centers like Bnei
Brak, Yerushalayim, Modiin Elite and Elad (one can identify
them by their South American accents), then we get a big
number. "Today," Rav Levine tells us, "anywhere in Argentina
where one hears the Torah being learned, all the teachers,
rabbonim and headmasters are of local origin."
In his opinion, Buenos Aires could have had five hundred
avreichim and two thousand bochurim today. "It
could have been incredible," he sighs, "but this is the way
Hashem wants it and, b"H, every year, more and more
avreichim and bochurim who are constantly
learning, join us."
Thorough Groundwork
All this success did not come gratis. In the beginning it was
difficult to convince a father to send his son to yeshiva.
"What have you done to my son?" parents would shout at the
Rosh Yeshiva.
"Will it be better for your son to marry a non-Jewess?" he
replied.
They wanted their sons to have a career, to become doctors.
But there were other cases as well, like that Jew who grabbed
the Rosh Yeshiva in the street in 5734 (1974) and cried:
"What will be with my children?"
The Rosh Yeshiva calmed him down: "Do not worry, my friend,
your children will lack for nothing. They will have only
good."
"If the Rav says so," he replied, "then I will be calm."
And today: one of his sons is a rov in Flores and another is
a rov in Mexico and b"H neither lack anything.
Although this Jew passed away a long time ago, he merited to
see naches from his offspring during his lifetime.
This Jew felt that all would end well. He was very happy and
would always say: "Rav Levine told me not to worry, boruch
Hashem!"
"Today there is no livelihood for working people, but the
rabbonim have parnossoh," Rav Levine says cheerfully.
"But then, at the beginning, everyone was a hard-working
merchant and you had to convince them that whoever follows
the way of the Torah is helped by Hashem."
These children, who were street youths, are today precious
avreichim who move heaven and earth even in Israel.
Once it was truly difficult work. Today it is fashionable and
everyone wants to be in full-time learning.
HaRav Levine recalls how he would have to talk about the
Torah at every drosho until his speeches were no
surprise to people anymore.
From where did he derive the strength to withstand the
difficult spiritual and material reality? How could a young
avreich like HaRav Levine carry this heavy burden and
responsibility upon his shoulders?
Here we have to mention that without the support and
encouragement of the gedolim, and at the forefront the
Rosh Yeshiva zt"l, the building would not have arisen.
Everything was always run according to his advice. The
conflicts were bitter but when the leaders were adamant about
their goal, there is great siyata deShmaya.
For example imbuing into the Bais Yaakov girls the desire to
raise bnei Torah. It was not simple. Today it is
simple and clear to each girl, that what she is looking for
is a ben Torah.
There was an additional problem: whether to go to high school
or establish a yeshiva without one. The battle to establish a
yeshiva without high school was successful, in contrast to
America. Today all the yeshivos in Argentina have no high
schools. There are Jewish high schools but there is no such
thing as a yeshiva high school. Nowadays every father knows
that his son does not need a high school education.
To Begin From Scratch
However, one has to admit the fact that everything is
actually an obvious miracle. These bochurim come from
a materialistic atmosphere and a spiritual vacuum and enter
the house of Torah. They hear about Torah learning repeatedly
and then they immerse their entire beings into the sea of the
Talmud. Slowly but surely they begin to feel the taste of
learning. Later on they go to taste the Torah of the holy
yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel. Not everyone does this, but
that is already an accepted path.
When HaRav Levine arrived in Buenos Aires, there were almost
no bearded or hatted men on the streets. If a Jew who looked
like that walked down the street, people turned to look.
How do they live a true Jewish life there? In Eretz
Yisroel there is an abundance of necessary Jewish
services, in quality and quantity. There on the other side of
the globe . . . how does it "work?"
Thirty years ago there were only two Jewish food stores in
the entire city, which has a population of about twelve
million inhabitants today! Today there are about thirty
stores including some kosher supermarkets.
Once when there were elections in the Jewish community no one
cared about the handful of religious Jews. Today they are
considerate of the chareidim and do not establish a coalition
without them. (See box for an explanation of the community
elections.) Labor Party members come to the yeshiva and sign
agreements out of respect and honor for the Torah. They
realize the honesty and the real concern for the spiritual
needs of the Jews. The members of the left wing parties such
as Meretz and Labor allow the treasury to be run by the
chareidim, and their influence extends to other areas as
well.
The belligerent and inciteful attitude against Judaism that
prevails in Israeli politics does not exist in Argentina. The
non-religious see that the chareidim have integrity and a
genuine interest in having the community run properly. The
battle there is that of pure truth, and the only ones who
tried to interfere with the chareidim were the Conservatives
who have by now all but disappeared.
"Three years ago we took over the treasury of the community
with a twenty million dollar debt" HaRav Levine said.
"Everyone told us we were crazy to accept it. Today the
community has no debt!"
Another unique thing about Argentinean Jewry is the fact that
its Chief Rabbi, HaRav Shlomo ben Chamu, is a chareidi Jew
who is particular about all the halochos and
everything is done according to the true, faithful, Jewish
spirit.
HaRav Levine excitedly tells us another mofes about
the Rosh Yeshiva zt"l. About twelve years ago the
issue of running a slate of chareidi candidates in the
community elections was on the agenda. HaRav Levine opposed
this, but the more he expressed his reservations, the more
the Rosh Yeshiva zt"l pressured him to set up the
list. At the end the list was set up and since then, although
they have always been a minority party, chareidi Jewry has
been at the center of the community.
The AMIA Community
Today, in the merit of the Rosh Yeshiva, people feel a need
for the chareidim and seek to follow their advice. If the
list had not been set up, one could say that there would have
been no Jewry in the community today!
The non-religious Jews know that all the matrimonial and
kashrus issues and all matters relating to holy things
are conducted in accordance with halocho. Both the
Syrian community headed by HaRav Shechavar and the Hashemite
community led by HaRav Ben Chamu subject themselves
completely to the rulings of the rabbonim.
The community's name is AMIA (Asociacion Mutualista Israelita
Argentina), renowned for the terrible blast which destroyed
its building. Today the AMIA community is 40,000 strong and
remains the central community. Everything passes through
AMIA. Overall there are an estimated 197,000 Jews in
Argentina (down from an estimated 310,000 in the early
1960s), and of these 40,000 are said to be religious.
"We, the chareidim," says Rav Levine, "became stronger after
the blast at AMIA. The chareidi community grew from day to
day. Part of the non-religious Jews are scared to send their
children to the non-religious Jewish schools, and there are
those who specifically want to follow the path of the youth
attending yeshivos."
Regarding the national economic crisis and its ramifications
for the Jewish population, Rav Levine comments that it is in
fact a miracle. Although it should have brought antisemitism
in its wake, in reality no antisemitism is evident. The
policemen posted next to Jewish institutions are idle.
"Boruch Hashem we do not need them and are not
interested in their aid," says Rav Levine.
We, who hear the reports of poverty in Argentina, think that
they reflect the reality. However, one should be aware of the
fact that there are people with personal interests involved
in this. To tell the truth, although the situation is indeed
difficult, there is aid from the Joint and other parties in
America and b"H AMIA is managing to continue its
financing of the schools and the welfare needs without
enlarging its debt.
Avreichim are not needy and were never in need of
assistance. In accordance with the instructions of the Rosh
Yeshiva zt"l the avreichim do not receive
assistance from the government. The burden is on the heads of
the various institutions to ensure that the avreichim
can persevere with their learning. An avreich is not a
social case nor is he a poor man -- Rav Levine proclaims.
For this reason Vaad Hayeshivos was established. Its purpose
is to ensure that all the yeshivos, including those which
have no connections outside Argentina, will receive financial
support from wealthy people from all over the world.
The echo of Vaad Hayeshivos reverberates all over the world.
There is a desire to help the Yeshivos continue functioning
despite the difficult economic situation. HaRav Dovid
Shustal, one of the roshei yeshiva of Lakewood, and
other important roshei yeshivos were enlisted to
help.
One has to remember that all funds formerly received from the
wealthy local Jews have entirely ceased. But all this, as we
said, does not affect the avreichim through whom the
Torah's promises are fulfilled. They receive their guaranteed
monthly salary and are not at all worried or concerned about
the situation.
"When the situation is difficult," says HaRav Levine, "one
has to increase Torah learning and do one's utmost not to
disturb the avreichim from their learning."
The economic situation pushes more and more people below the
poverty line, and gives rise to kidnapping for ransom money.
It is to be pointed out, however, that although the
phenomenon is becoming more widespread, it is not
significant, and boruch Hashem it is not felt in the
central sections of Buenos Aires and the Jews do not suffer
from it.
Although there are solutions to the livelihood and security
problems, we may still wonder about the solution to other no
less existential problems. Where can one buy an esrog?
And what about kosher meat, and a mehudar
mezuza and tefillin? It seems that in far-away
Argentina, one assumes it is practically impossible to get
all the necessities of shemiras mitzvos.
The Story of the Mikveh
We will begin with one of the most basic community needs: the
mikveh. The inhabitants of large Jewish communities
are used to finding a mikveh in almost every
neighborhood. But those living in a vast non-Jewish
metropolis like Buenos Aires may have to travel extensive
distances, which calls for real mesirus nefesh.
The story of the mikveh in the Once neighborhood
begins about seventy years ago when Rav Mazal donated the
building for it.
Twenty years later Rav Kos shlita joined the picture.
"In my childhood my father asked me to run the mikveh
and, although I did not want to do it, I am here to this
day."
The mikveh, which at the beginning was still heated by
wood, is now very beautiful and sophisticated. Rav Kos
expends all his resources and talents on the mikveh
and he even developed a halachic approach regarding
the laws of hashokoh (mingling new water with existing
water) which won the approval of the gedolim including
HaRav Shmuel Halevi Wosner.
Today due to the welcome increase of religious Jews, many
more mikvo'os can be found in other neighborhoods,
which have followed in the footsteps of the central
mikveh.
Excellent Kashrus
The important area of kashrus is also a big success
story: the rabbonim of the community battled to preserve the
traditional ways of shechitoh. For example the
examination of the internal organs is done while the carcass
is prone and not while hanging (as is done in other
communities). Since various problems in the animal's abdomen
have become widespread lately and can only be checked while
the animal is prone, the pressures to change have been pushed
aside.
The community's shochetim, HaRav Levine tells us, are
all faithful bnei Torah known in Israel. There are
several other mehudar shechitos, he says, but this one
is the main shechita of the bnei Torah, headed
by Rav Yosef Lieberson.
"Aside from the shechitoh," Rav Lieberson tells us,
"we have developed other areas such as wines and candies."
Because of the very strict kashrus standards, many
rely on the hechsher of the Agudas Yisroel Argentina
even in America, England and Israel. All the products are
bishul Yisroel and the milk is cholov Yisroel.
The dozens of mashgichim in the dairies all over the
country ensures a supply of milk, and despite the
difficulties this incurs, there are no compromises.
"Another important, complicated and unique area which exists
in our kashrus system is the concern for yoshon
flour. We know that there are poskim who are lenient
in this matter. Nevertheless we make it our business to
ensure that anyone interested will be able to use only
yoshon.
"It is important to remember" he points out, "that in a
kashrus system in a non-Jewish country it is
relatively easy to dispose of non-kosher merchandise without
any major loss. Meat and fish that are found not kosher can
be sold at very reasonable prices.
"An avreich who wants to establish a Torah home can
rely on our kashrus with no reservations! Whatever we
cannot produce with great hiddur we import from Israel
and do not rely on any leniency in the halocho!" HaRav
Levine concludes the kashrus issue.
Torah-True Education
We go down two flights in the same building where Rav
Lieberson lives and enter Rav Yisroel Feder's house, the
principal of the cheder of the Heichal Hatorah
community.
Education, always a main concern for the chareidi public,
receives maximum attention and investment here. The children
who come from religious homes have the proper spiritual basis
and the cheder's goal is to educate them to Torah and
yiras Shomayim. The children are given very little
vacation, so that they should not roam the streets, and we
see the outcome very clearly.
At the age of eleven the children go to learn in Yeshivas
Chofetz Chaim, and they continue their learning in their
later years in important yeshivos in Eretz Yisroel
such as Kol Torah, Be'er Hatorah and Torah Ohr.
"From time to time we fly to Eretz Yisroel and update
ourselves about educational issues from other cheder
principals and, of course, HaRav Levine insists on importing
all the latest innovations such as Ovos Ubonim.
"Despite the fact that the secular studies are prescribed by
the local Education Ministry, we make sure," Rav Feder
stresses, "to check all the material and the government
allows us to run our educational system as an independent
system."
After having been convinced that one can really grow to be a
ben Yeshiva as easily as in any other Torah center,
and can establish a Torah home, the only thing left to check
was the situation of sofrei stam in Argentina. There
are detailed lists in all the various communities where one
can purchase and check sifrei Torah, tefillin and
mezuzas. The actual tefillin and mezuzas
are imported from Eretz Yisroel.
"Anyone who feels that they do not need a computer
examination, which does not exist here, can certainly rely on
our meticulous sofrim," Rav Levine stresses.
We chose to end the long discussion, which took place close
to Succos, with the following question: we who live in
Eretz Yisroel may not appreciate the difficulties
involved in fulfilling the mitzvos of Succa and
arba minim. For us, Succos has become a very easy
yom tov to celebrate. Is it the same in Argentina?
When Rav Levine arrived in Argentina thirty years ago he
brought twelve sets of arba minim with him. A year
later he came back with twenty sets. A year later the number
increased and today two hundred sets are sent by post!
Naturally the other communities such as Shuva Yisroel and
Yeshurun take care of the needs of their congregants, but the
central market is in Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim. Therefore, if
one wants to fulfill this mitzva behiddur one can do
so.
Now we naturally get to the issue of building a succa.
Once it was rather unusual to see a succa in large
cities overseas. However today, many Jews buy apartments with
succas and many buildings are built with an
arrangement for one. Still, not everyone is able to have a
succah at home and the community is invited to
Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim to fulfill the mitzva of sitting in
the succa, which includes eating and sleeping.
Also in other shuls spread throughout the city one can
find public succas which give community members the
possibility of fulfilling the mitzva without missing any
details.
Wonderful Gemilus Chesed
We cannot possibly encompass the entire scope of the
spiritual activities in Argentina. Many great and important
things take place and every local avreich and rov can
tell his own story of chareidi Jewry there, on the other side
of the ocean.
The gemach in Buenos Aires is also very unique. We
heard about the money-lending gemach from Rav Efraim
Abramchik, which intentionally ignores the rapid devaluation
of the money so that the borrowers can easily pay back the
money they borrowed. We also heard of another unique
gemach: during sheva brochos brides and grooms
need to eat. Sometimes it is hard for them to prepare the
extra, non-festive meals. To make sure that they do not go
hungry, they are sent three meals every day. There is also a
gemach that owns large freezers, allowing people who
cannot afford a freezer to prepare food in advance and
preserve it there.
There is also a tefillin and mezuza gemach, of
course, oriented towards the non-religious community with the
hope that these items will remain with the borrowers for a
long time. The fact that the tefillin are borrowed
induces the non-religious Jew to put on tefillin and
not leave them in the cupboard.
There is also the clothing gemach of Rav Moshe Kavan.
Yes, the same gemach we mentioned at the beginning of
the article!
As we promised, after our short (partial) survey we can now
understand how this gemach is a short summary of the
entire history of Argentinean Jewry.
If not for the wind of Torah blowing through Argentina today
there would be no awareness of Jewish spiritual activity. If
not for the Rosh Yeshiva zt"l pressuring HaRav Levine
to set up a yeshiva, there would not have been all the other
yeshivos, talmudei Torah and Bais Yaakov schools. If
not for the holy persistence of the roshei yeshiva, a
vibrant Jewish world would not have arisen, and the poor
elderly man (whose story began the article) would have
remained with his torn worn clothing and been cold during the
winter.
If there were no community like Yeshurun in the Palerma
neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Reb Moshe Kavan would not have
discovered Yiddishkeit and learned Torah, and would
not have set up his clothing gemach in the Chofetz
Chaim Yeshiva in the Once neighborhood.
This is how the holy Torah wanders through the golus,
sustaining Yiddishkeit and the Jews in each and every
location, regardless of place, time and money.
The message of Argentinean Jewry can be summarized in the
well-known words of Chazal: "Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Chanina
said: "Talmidei chachomim increase peace in the world,
as it says: `And all your children learned of Hashem and much
peace to your children' -- do not read `your sons' but `your
builders.' "
HaRav Shlomo Ben Chamu, who serves as the Chief Rabbi of
Argentinean Jewry and as head of the beis din of
Buenos Aires, has his office on the top floor of the new
building that replaced the old AMIA building which was
destroyed in the terrorist attack.
During our conversation it became apparent that, unlike many
other places around the world, the office of Chief Rabbi here
is occupied by a chareidi Jew.
"The Argentinean community is a very extensive one and Buenos
Aires today can easily be termed an ir vo'eim
beYisroel due to its yeshivos, chadorim, kollelim
and Bais Yaakov institutions.
"AMIA is the central community and is a very unique body.
Unlike other Jewish communities around the world, here
everything is conducted according to the party lists of the
Israeli Knesset. However, here UTJ is in second place behind
only the Labor Party and, in practice, any decisions made are
strictly in accordance with halochoh. Any Jew leaving
us has no need to prove his Jewish status, unlike many other
places."
[Note: In Argentina the community is run by elected
representatives who run according to the parties in Eretz
Yisroel. The makeup of the board is different from Eretz
Yisroel, however. UTJ is the second largest party in
Argentina. Perhaps in this respect Argentina is the vanguard
of the future.]
The Chief Rabbi points out the special relations that have
developed between him and the Meretz representative,
stressing the great honor accorded to him as the community's
Secretary of Religious Affairs. The tensions prevalent in
Eretz Yisroel are not felt here at all!
On motzei Tisha B'Av 5754 (1994) the terrible
explosion took place in AMIA. The names of dozens of victims
are inscribed on the wall in the street. The new building is
much further away from the street than the previous one and
security is noticeably tight.
"As distressing as that event was, we must not let it break
the spirit of the community, and you could actually say that
we came out strengthened by it. Some parents are afraid to
send their children to Jewish schools, but this phenomenon
does not exist among the religious population."
HaRav Ben Chamu has been in Argentina for thirty-five years.
He feels that even Jews older than he cannot remember there
ever being such a difficult economic situation as today. The
collapse of the currency together with rising unemployment
have confronted the community with a new situation. In the
past, welfare activities were concentrated solely on medical
and nursing assistance, but today AMIA for the first time
finds itself supplying food packets to needy families and
many poor people. "Every month, basic commodities are
distributed, and we hope that this coming year will see an
improvement in the situation."
Who in Rav Levine's community does not know Rav Michael
Tchourba?
He is a public figure who leaves his mark on the yeshivos,
chadorim, kashrus and chesed institutions, but
above all he is a modest, pleasant Jew. We chose to speak to
him at the yeshiva where he learns half a day, devoting the
rest of the day to serving as Rav Levine's right hand man.
"Here in the yeshiva we feel that HaRav Levine is like the
godol hador. We consult him for every little question.
Actually, people from all the various communities in
Argentina come to consult with him because he is the most
important rov in Argentina."
He is known as "the teacher Michoel" to the cheder
boys at Heichal Hatorah and he has twenty- two years'
teaching experience behind him. He just teaches alef
beis but he is happy and does not look for a more senior
position or for honor. He was offered tempting positions
(outside Argentina) in education, but he stresses: "A
teacher's job is not to earn money but to earn children,
souls."
HaRav Yosef Oppenheimer: Thirty Years of Leading
Argentinean Torah Jewry
by Rav Betzalel Blidstein, Rosh Yeshivas Or Mordechai,
Telse-Stone
Many Argentinean Jews owe their spiritual existence to Rav
Yosef Hacohen Oppenheimer, zt'l, who lived in
Argentina for nearly 30 years until his passing 20 years ago.
Born in Frankfurt am Main, he studied at the yeshivas of
Telz, Kelm and Kamenitz, which was very rare among German
Jews.
He received semichoh from HaRav Simchah Zelig Riger, a
dayan in Brisk, and from HaRav Boruch Ber Lebovitz,
and then went to Argentina to serve as the rov of a
kehilloh of German Jews who immigrated after the
Holocaust.
Upon his arrival HaRav Oppenheimer found minimal Torah
institutions (except for Yeshivas Chofetz Chaim and Heichal
HaTorah Institutions, under the late Rav Mazel) and
immediately set to the task of making this desert bloom.
Through mesirus nefesh he set up an extensive kashrus
network; although only a handful of kosher consumers were
stringent regarding various products (e.g. cholov
Yisroel) he insisted on supervising their production to
make them available commercially. He traveled 1,000
kilometers (620 miles) to produce kosher wine and would
personally oversee shechita lemehadrin, not trusting
any other mashgiach. His dedication knew no bounds. In
order to encourage more people to buy kosher products, rather
than taking a short flight he would travel 18 hours by bus to
help keep prices low.
As head of Beis Haknesses Achdus Yisroel he had a fine
mikveh built nearby.
Together with other askonim he set up Beit Sefer
HaChazon Ish (founded in the year of Maran HaChazon Ish's
passing) and later the first Bais Yaakov seminary in
Argentina, where he even served as principal and gave
shiurim, asking no monetary compensation whatsoever.
He was also widely involved in kiruv and worked with
talmidim from nonobservant homes.
Rav Oppenheimer encouraged many parents to send their
children to study at Torah centers in the US and in Eretz
Yisroel, setting an example by sending all of his own sons
and daughters to distant institutions. When parents claimed
they lacked the wherewithal to send their children to faraway
places he set up Keren HaTorah to fund travel expenses for
yeshiva students. Roshei yeshivos and maggidei
shiurim from Argentina now involved in the holy task of
teaching Torah in Eretz Hakodesh and the US, attribute their
present positions to Rav Oppenheimer's efforts.
He fought fiercely against Reform and Zionist organizations
and even published articles presenting clear hashkofoh
in the local press. He wrote several articles including
"Keitzad Ma'asrim" on ma'aser kesofim and "Veyikoreh
Shemo Beyisroel" on customs relating to naming children, as
well as a sefer called Rof'ei Yisroel on
topical questions on medicine and halacha. His works received
approbations of Maran HaRav Moshe Feinstein, zt'l, and
HaRav Shmuel Wosner, ylct'a.
During his later years, when the general rabbinate found
itself with no one qualified to oversee gittin, Rav
Oppenheimer reluctantly joined the rabbinate out of a sense
of responsibility to uphold Jewish marital institutions and
divorce.
He enthusiastically supported Agudas Yisroel, even serving as
a delegate for Argentina at the major convention in Jerusalem
in 5724 (1964).
His home was a place of assembly for talmidei
chachomim and distinguished guests, including
marbitzei Torah and leaders of Agudas Yisroel and
chareidi Jewry visiting from Eretz Yisroel and the Diaspora.
He was held in high regard by all due to his careful
adherence to matters of bein odom lechavero and his
exceptional humility.
Rav Oppenheimer passed away on Taanis Esther 5741 (1981) and
lies buried on the Mount of Olives. His son and successor,
Rav Doniel Oppenheimer, heads Beis Knesses Achdus Yisroel and
plays an active role in kiruv and upholding Judaism in
Argentina. He also serves as the Shearis Yisroel's
representative in Buenos Aires.
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