The Jewish Museum: the Past of a Community

We had passed in front of its door a thousand times and never realized it existed. Of course that while walking along Libertad Street, almost on the corner with Córdoba Avenue, the great temple that rises with its façade towards the square will certainly catch the eye. But to one side, very modestly, the Jewish Museum can go unnoticed.

Now featuring a larger sign that invites visitors to come in, the Jewish Museum is open for the members of the community to revive their past and for those who wish to learn a little bit about the history of the Jewish community in Argentina.

This time, we would go in. We left behind the sunshine on Lavalle Square, the noises from the construction sites in front of the Colón Theater and the traffic. Shade and silence awaited us inside.

What is interesting about visiting the Jewish Museum is that the tours are guided. Not only do guides accompany visitors and show them what the museum has on display, but they also basically explain what each item says without actually saying it. Visiting the Jewish Museum is a possibility to learn a little about Judaism in general and about the Jewish community in Argentina.

Our tour started with a visit to the temple, whose façade we had seen from outside but which is joined to the museum through an inner corridor. This was the first Jewish temple in Argentina. The simplicity and grandiloquence of the building give silent evidence of its significance.

Our guide gave us details about the encounters that take place in the temple, what ritual function is attributed to each element and the reasons for the various traditions. He also showed us the plates on one of the walls, which commemorate the victims of the AMIA and the Israel Embassy attacks.

After visiting the lower temple (smaller and more intimate), we returned to the main body of the museum. We could see rolls of the Torah, siddurim, ritual elements and coins inside the glass cabinets. The show is very ample and includes beautiful details.

In another section, with large maps and enlarged photographs, the guide told us the history of the temple, the museum and also the history of Baron Hirsch, an essential character in the immigration of European Jews in Argentina.

We could see a replica of the record of the Jewish families that registered their entrance to the country on a table. This is a very special place form any Argentinian families.