On Tuesday May 26, 2015, we had a tour of Jewish neighborhoods and visited the site of AMIA, which is known as the “mother institution” and center of institutional life for the Jewish community. AMIA opened in 1945 and was the source of community initiatives, the Jewish Education Central Council, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Argentina, and Tzedaka Foundation, among others. The building moved after two suicide bombings, the first in 1992 and the second in 1994; destroying the building along with 85 victims being killed. The new building was inaugurated in 1999. The lives’ of the 85 victims are still being cherished to this day.
Yaacov Agam, a world-renowned Israeli artist, created a monument to the memory of the terrorist attack on AMIA. This monument portrays 7 different positions that each represent a part of the Jewish tradition.
This symbolizes an explosion of 9 columns for the destruction of Jewish values and symbols, a reminder of the July 18, 1994 tragedy.
In this position the star of David appears. The white color refers to the purity of the souls of the 85 people murdered and the paper of the documents and books that were destroyed in the home of AMIA.
This is a double Menorah, seven-branch candle-holder that is the symbol of light and the Jewish people. One of the mirror images faces heaven, conveying hopes and illusions for the future, spirituality and study. The other faces the earth, concrete actions, as a form of reducing the traditions values, the essence and the roots.
Two white triangles appear, overlapped by a blue and a red one. The first symbolizes a man with broad shoulders and narrow hips, while the red one represents a women with narrow shoulders and broad hips. The man-women union is represented by the overlapping of both triangles, a union that then forms the family and the home, the principles that have kept the Jewish people alive along its history.
This is the institutional symbol of AMIA. This is a representation of a community that stands on its feet again, responding to hatred and violence with love and intelligence. It projects towards the future, securing continuity, supporting and endorsing every individual and collective expression of Jewish life in Argentina.
There are 250,000-300,000 Jewish people in Argentina that make up 54 communities, most of which are in big cities such as Buenos Aires. AMIA is an institution that fulfills its initial objectives, providing answers to the vital needs of the community. They aid 4,000 underprivileged families. They offer recreation and assistance to over 2,500 seniors. They help educate over 18,000 students. They help find over 2,000 jobs a year. They host centers attended by over 300 physically challenged persons. They organize a vast agenda of free activities attended by more than 100,000 people a year. It is unbelievable how much AMIA does to support the Jewish community of Argentina. They make life easier for the Jewish people and instill them with hope, so they are a very essential organization for Jewish life in Argentina.
The breakdown of the Jewish Community in Argentina cities.
This represents the “Disappeared Jews”
