Jewish immigration to Latin America began with seven sailors arriving in Christopher Columbus's crew. Since then, the Jewish population of Latin America has risen to more than 500,000 — more than half of whom live in Argentina, with large communities also present in Brazil and Mexico.
Chilean Jews
An estimated 20 to 40,000 Chilean Jews live in the country, the majority live in Santiago and are predominantly found in higher-paying professions and all walks of public life. The Chilean Jewish population decreased in the political turmoil of the 1970s and 1980's, but their identity as Jews in Chile remains. Here is a list of some prominent Chilean Jews.
- Marjorie Agosín, human rights activist, professor, and writer1
- Shai Agosin, TV producer and presenter2
- Mordo Alvo, physician and member of the prestigious scientific academy Instituto de Chile3
- Shlomit Baytelman, actress4
- Alberto Belán, golf player5
- José Berdichewsky, Pinochet's Ambassador in Israel6
- Solange Berstein, Superintendent of Private Pension Administratorscitation needed
- Eduardo Bitrán, former Minister of Public Works7
- Claudio Bunster, scientist (Jewish mother)8
- Cristopher Carpentier, chef (converted to Judaism)9
- Fernando Cassorla, physician and member of the prestigious scientific academy Instituto de Chile3
- Jacques Chonchol, Minister of Agriculture in the Allende government10
- Alejandro Cohen, actor4
- Gregory Cohen, engineer, playwright, actorcitation needed
- Oro Colodro, TV Broadcastercitation needed
- Ariel Dorfman, playwright, novelist, human rights activist11
- Roberto Dueñas, famous' manager12
- Agustín Edwards, businessman (crypto-Jew)citations needed
- Julián Elfenbein, journalist, television host13
- Daniel Emilfork, actor14
- David Ergas, football playercitation needed
- Leonardo Farkas, businessman
- Efrain Friedman, director of Chilean Atomic Research Committee10
- Benjamín Galemiri, playwright15
- Pedro Bar-Cohen Gómez, Anthropologistcitation needed
- Carla Guelfenbein, writercitation needed
- Rodrigo Guendelman, journalist13
- Pablo Halpern, expert in communicationscitation needed
- Clarisa Hardy psychologist; current (2006-) Minister of Planning16
- Rodrigo Hinzpeter politician, dirigent of National Renewal party
- Tomás Hirsch, politician, businessman17
- Jeremías Israel, motoracing driver (Jewish father)18
- Mauricio Israel, television host13
- Ricardo Israel, political scientistcitation needed
- Alejandro Jodorowsky, film director (Chilean-born)19
- Alberto Van Klaveren, current (2006-) Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations16
- José Klein, former owner of Minera Santa Barbara20
- Anita Klesky, actress4
- Marcelo Kormis, rabbi21
- Mario Kreutzberger, better known as Don Francisco, TV host4
- Vivi Kreutzberger, television host4
- Blanca Lewin,actresscitation needed
- Marcos Libedinsky, former president of the Supreme Court of Justice22
- Alejandro Lipschuetz, anthropologist and endocrinologist10
- Pablo Lugt, rabbi21
- Nicolás Massú, tennis player (Jewish mother)23
- Sergio Melnick, economist, Minister of ODEPLAN under Pinochet24
- Lily Pérez, politician25
- Daniel Platovsky, businessman, politician, and eldest son of Milan Platovsky (Jewish father)26
- Milan Platovsky, businessman who wrote a best-selling autobiography26
- Andy Pollack, jazz musician10
- Karen Poniachik, journalist; former Minister of Mining and Energy16
- Sarika Rodrik, fashion designer27
- Efraim Rosenzweig, rabbi21
- Sebastián Rozental, football player28
- Paulina Saball, Undersecretary of Housing and Urbanismcitation needed
- Katherine Salosny, TV hostess and actress (Jewish Russian father)
- Daniel Schidlow, Chief of Pediatrics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. (Chilean born)29
- Romy Schmidt, MInister of Public Goodscitation needed
- Miguel Schweitzer Speisky, Pinochet's Minister of Justice630
- Miguel Schweitzer Walters, Pinochet's Minister of External Affairs and ambassador to the UK630
- Nissim Sharim, actor10
- Jorge Schaulsohn, politician31
- Gabriel Silber, deputy32
- Claudio Spiniak, businessman. In jail since 2004 for being a practitioner of pedophilia and coprophagia3334
- Jacob Stoulman Bortnik, businessman, kidnapped by DINA during the Operacion Condor plan in Argentina20
- Shmuel Szteinhendler, rabbi (Regional Director Masorti Latin America)21
- Volodia Teitelboim, leader of Chilean Communists
- Víctor Tevah, fiddler10
- Marcelo Tokman, Minister of Energycitation needed
- Jael Unger, actress4
- Julián Vainstein, rabbi21
- José Weinstein, Minister of Culture under Ricardo Lagos35
- Jaime Wisnaik, director of department of engineering at the Catholic University of Santiago10
- Gabriel Zaliasnik, lawyer
- Daniel Zang, rabbi21
References
- ^ VG: Artist Biography: Agosin, Majorie
- ^ La palabra israelita, Entrevista, a letter by Enrique Vainroj, August 24, 2007.
- ^ a b Instituto de Chile
- ^ a b c d e f [1] page 48: "Chile's best-known actors are Jewish, including Shlomit Baytelman, Alejandro Cohen, Anita Klesky, Jael Unger, and Mario Kreutzberger"
- ^ http://www.lapalabraisraelita.cl/26%20agosto%202005/8%20(26).pdf
- ^ a b c The Jewish Experience under Military Dictators in Chile and Argentina during 1970s and 1980s
- ^ La palabra israelita, Ministro Eduardo Bitrán en el Mercaz, September 29, 2006.
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3] Interview in Spanish
- ^ a b c d e f g The Virtual Jewish History Tour - Chile
- ^ Dorfman Limns a Tangle of Ethics in 'Picasso'
- ^ [4] Article in Spanish
- ^ a b c [5] Article in Spanish
- ^ Daniel Emilfork obituary - Times Online
- ^ Untitled Document
- ^ a b c Most Jewish gov’t outside Israel – in Chile - Israel Jewish Scene, Ynetnews
- ^ [6]
- ^ [7] Article in Spanish
- ^ Alejandro Jodorowsky
- ^ a b La Ultima Gran Operacion De La Dina:
- ^ a b c d e f Monthly Report
- ^ JewishJournal.com
- ^ Nicolas Massu
- ^ The Jewish Experience under Military Dictators in Chile and Argentina during 1970s and 1980s
- ^ Manifestaciones, marchas y caminatas de solidaridad con el Estado de Israel
- ^ a b http://www.crt-ii.org/_awards/_apdfs/Stein_Franz.pdf
- ^ La Tercera ::: Mujer
- ^ The Jewish Chronicle
- ^ http://www.drexelmed.edu/med/pediatrics/
- ^ a b [8]
- ^ Detalle noticia
- ^ http://www.lapalabraisraelita.cl/septiembre_22_06/22_22.pdf
- ^ http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caso_Spiniak
- ^ Revista QuéPasa
- ^ Revista QuéPasa
See also
