On this beautiful, Argentine fall day our group began our morning with a trip to the historic Recoleta Cemetery. Founded in 1822, the Recoleta Cemetery was named for the Recoleto Monks serving as burial grounds for Argentine Catholics. However, subsequent to its establishment the cemetery expanded in some ways but became more exclusive in others- it became open to other religions but also eventually transitioned into a resting ground for only the wealthy and powerful, easily distinguished from common cemeteries through its use of grand mausoleums.

As we arrived to the cemetery, we were able to quickly see what sets Recoleta apart from other burial grounds. Its grand, white entrance detailed with symbols of life and death and a message that reads “Requiescant In Pace” (Latin for “Rest in Peace”) provides a nice preview for what lies inside. Past the gates, the cemetery is lined with nearly 5,000 mausoleums all impressive in their own ways. With some of the mausoleums costing nearly $4 million it came to no surprise that Recoleta serves as the resting grounds of some of Argentina’s most wealthy and notable people.

The cemetery features the tombs of countless presidents, soldiers, entertainers, and other awarded figures, some of the most notable graves belonging to Nobel Prize winner Luis Leloir and First Lady Eva Perón. Overall, the Recoleta Cemetery was eerily enchanting and worth the visit.

Next stop on our list was a quick visit to the El Ateneo bookstore. As it was originally used as a theater, El Ateneo is enormous in size and rich with intricate details making it unlike any other of its kind. The selection may be similar to the book stores we have back in the states but the setting makes it renowned as one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world and surely a necessary stop for anyone visiting Buenos Aires.

To finish the day we stopped for a nice lunch at Piegari restaurant. All in all it was another wonderful and eventful day in Argentina.

Wow… So far, this trip has been an action packed adventure of exploring the city and learning about Argentinian culture. The long days and early mornings left many of us literally exhausted… (See photo below)

Thankfully both the National Museum of the Arts and the National Decorative Museum provided a relaxing afternoon of appreciating different aspects of Argentinian culture. For the record, I am not an art major nor do I consider myself a connoisseur of fine art, but I’ll share certain aspects of the museums that I found interesting.

Both museums had a large amount of religious artwork. These works were usually in older sections of the museums. It really showed the impact that the church had in society. Not only was the church a major political force during this time period, but it heavily influence people’s daily lives. Some pieces that were not religiously focused still had religious symbolism involved. For example the painting below.

Another interesting aspect that I noticed is the influence from other countries such as France, England, Spain, and others in the paintings, sculptures, and even the architecture in some of the buildings. I found these subtle crossings of culture to be interesting. For example, the picture below shows a French flag waiving in the background of the picture.

A third aspect of the museums that I found interesting was the amount of pieces that were dedicated to animals. The photo below shows there was a room exclusively filled with horses. I am really curious to learn why certain animals have so much significance in Argentinian culture. Part of me wonders if it is due to the impact they had in Argentinian agriculture throughout history, and how critical they were to the economy and life in general.

My favorite part of the museum was the modern art sections. Even though my knowledge of the arts is laughable, I was still able to appreciate the different works of art and the method that was used to create them. It was nice to slow down and just appreciate the giant works and the craftsmanship required to create them.

Tango is the quintessential essence of Argentinian culture.  That claim could easily be misinterpreted to suggest that Argentinian culture is one dimensional and constant, as the perception of Tango is that it consistently involves a machismo man and a graceful woman. However, the reality is that Tango and it’s array of forms are as diverse as the people in it’s founding country.  After going to the Tango bar, I have learned how different one Tango dance can be from another. Each dance seemed to tell it’s own story, with it’s own unique emotions.

For example, one of the first dances involved three men and one woman. The woman began the dance with her partner, a stereotypical and unaffectionate machismo man. When he grew tired of her, he flung her away and left her alone on stage.  Two new men entered the fold, with dirty looks on their faces.  They grabbed the woman and forced her to dance with them, flinging her about about.  She, much smaller, remained graceful, with a sad face showing her despair despite her elegance.  I felt as though she was being raped in a sense, her dancing with them was certainly not consensual.  Later, her man returns, and his anger is not only directed at the men dancing with his girl, but at his girl for dancing with them.  The machismo man fights of the two men, and whisks his woman away, as cold as ever, blaming her for what was really his own fault. The dance was hard to watch, and it made me very upset at the male characters involved.

The next dance however, offered some redemption.  From the start, it was apparent that this dance would be different.  The man was heavy set, sturdy, not the typical skinny man we are used to seeing dance the tango. His partner, a slender blonde woman, was clearly out of his league.  But when the dance started, the man gave an uncanny display of his dexterity, his ability to dance and move were beyond anything I could have imagined for a man of his body type.  More importantly however, was that he was smiling, always smiling, at his partner.  It was obvious he wanted her.  But not in the aggressive machismo way displayed earlier,  but rather in a sweet and humorous way.  He was a gentleman, inviting his partner to dance, not taking her by force.  The woman, amused by his interest, played with him.  She would indulge him for a little, then push him away, with a coy smile saying “try harder.”  The man however, never lost his smile. He never became discouraged, and continued to try his best to impress the woman of his dreams.  He remained confident, never doubting his ability to win her over. However much she teased him, it was obvious to everyone involved what the end result would be.  When she finally relented,  and the two happily embraced, I could feel myself smiling, just like him.

If there is anything I learned from watching a Tango show, it is that every dance is different, each story it’s own.  There is no one way to do Tango, there is not one way a Tango dancer should look.  Tango is a diverse dance, capable of inflicting it’s admirers with a myriad of emotions; it is of little surprise that the dance is so loved.

The Jewish neighborhood was going to be special for me no matter what.  I was eager to explore the history of my Jewish-Argentinian grandfather.  I also was curious to see what the Latino-Jewish neigherhood would look like in the modern day. Some parts of the neighborhood I found familiar, other aspects were a little surprising. The Mizuzot on the doorway of each business was a common connection to Jews around the world, and showed that the community had many religious Jews running their businesses in the district.  On the other hand,  I had never expected the primary business of the area to be textiles. I suppose I had heard stories of tailors in the shtettles of Russia. However, the sheer number of stores, lined up next to each other (for what seemed like miles) of essentially the same thing, made me wonder how there could possibly be a consumer market large enough for such a huge quantity of textile stores.

The visit to AMIA was another part of the tour with which I could relate.  Even back home in Cleveland, we have our own Jewish Federation, and the concept was very familiar to me.  Usually in the United States there is a separate Jewish Federation for each city with a major Jewish population.  Interestingly, Argentina only has AMIA, as 80% of Argentina’s 300,000 Jews live in Buenos Aires.  AMIA provides many of the same services for the Jewish community in Argentina that our Federations do back home.

The terrorist attacks against AMIA and the Israeli Embassy truly hit home for me. Seeing the memorials for each made me feel for the victims of terror, and shows that the world still has a ways to go when dealing with anti-semitism.  What amazes me, however, is that more than 20 years later, the Argentinian government still has not found the culprit.  I can only imagine the public outcry if America simply took no action and had no response to 9/11. While justice still has yet to be served, I was happy to see such a thriving Jewish community, and that even through adversity the Jewish community still took pride in their culture and country.

Today’s adventures were, in my opinion, the most prominent and interesting of this Global May program. We started our journey by visiting the Zanjon de Granados and Casa Minima. By visiting these places I learned so much of one of the oldest parts of Buenos Aires. From all that I have learned the Zanjon de Granados was the most intriguing because of the history that it holds. The historic mansion resides in the San Telmo area of Buenos Aires which adds more history to it and goes back to the 1700’s. The owner first bought the building in the 1980’s to build a restaurant but as he starts renovating his vision of the historic mansion completely changed. Years of renovating and with the help of local archaeologist’s, centuries of history was discovered in this house. From the network of tunnels that were used to channel waters (It was later known that the channels were sealed off when the yellow fever outbreak struck which is why nobody knew about the tunnels when the house was renovated) to the foundation of past constructions this house soon became a site to see. Then across the street was the Casa Minima which was very interesting because it is known to be the most narrowest house in Buenos Aires. Going back in history the residents of these house were African servants who rented the “house” from their employers that lived next door in a magnificent mansion. There was a kitchen down stair which was big as a local gas station bathroom. Then there were narrow stairs that led to the living room/bed room/family room which housed the whole servant family. This too was big as a gas station bathroom, maybe smaller. Learning about these historical houses really gave me a good outlook on the history of Buenos Aires in many different aspects.

Blog 2

On Saturday May 30^th we had a free day. It was nice being able to sleep in but also to explore. Some students went to a soccer game while others di their own thing. I personally had a relaxed day but was able to explore on my own to places that I found interesting. One place that I went to was the olbilistc to take a few pictures. I also managed to get myself some street food (Choripan). Knowing Spanish makes exploring on my own easier and more enjoyable.

At night time we wall went to the tango show. We were not served dinner so everybody had eaten before but was excited for the dessert and wine that was included. The show itself was very entertaining. I thought it was cool how the performance showed the evolution of tango over the years. I did not care much for the singing but the dancing the best part for me.

On Thursday, May 28th we began with class in the hotel and then we visited the Buenos Aires cathedral which was an amazing sight to see. When I first entered the cathedral I was impressed but it wasn’t until progressing a bit further that I realized just how big this cathedral was. It reminded me a lot of when I went to Spain and saw one of the biggest cathedrals in Europe. There are parts of the cathedral that one would think could only be found in Europe but are still implemented into the architecture. There is certainly a lot of European influence but it’s amazing how Argentina still how it’s own distinct elements in a place like this. We then went to the Museum of the Revolution which had a lot more kid-oriented things and kids than I had anticipated. The museum was impressive and offered a balcony view that let us see plaza de mayo from another perspective. This is a reoccurring theme for Buenos Aires as there are an unbelievable amount of different ways to look at any one point in the city. We continued to walk around and see different parts of the city and then proceeded to visit an almost ancient bookstore which felt like something one might find in Manhattan but retained it’s own elements and was an amazing thing to see. It was also amusing to see how the names of books and movies are changed when they’re translated to Spanish. The bookstore gave a familiar feeling that wasn’t too far off from something in the United States which was nice because it showed that although different cultures go about certain things with their own style, in the end there are striking similarities between how humans layout something such as a bookstore. After the bookstore we went to Cafe Tortoni. This was a nice change because many of the times we’ve gotten food we’ve had ice cream for dessert but this time I had the opportunity to try a cake-like dessert that had chocolate mousse and dulce de leche. After taking some time to eat and talk at the cafe, we walked for a while and saw the Congress Building. It was once again amazing to see how similar this building was to something of the same nature that would be found in the United States. By the end of the day I really felt that it was incredible how even though cultures can be very different, there are still underlying common factors about how people layout and create their society.  

Thursday May 28th, 2015

The first stop of the day was the Buenos Aires Cathedral, once inside you could view the tomb of Jose de San Martin.  To see the tomb of one of the most revered people in all of South America up close was really cool. One of the interesting things about the tomb itself are the three statues that surround it; the statues represent the three countries, Argentina, Peru, and Chile, that San Martin had played a large part in freeing.

The cathedral itself was very large and according to our tour guide it has a rare depiction of Christ in which he is nailed to the cross using four nails instead of the usual three.

The next stop was the National Revolution Museum. It was interesting to see the some of the things that were actually used during the revolution such as a battle standard. The architecture of the museum was very Spanish, which I found interesting because I had not really seen that style around Buenos Aires.

Afterwards we walked to some of the oldest parts of the city, parts that are so old that cars are not allowed to drive in fear of the buildings falling down. One of the stops happened to be the oldest bookstore and it has had past Presidents of Argentina shop there.

As we continued our walk down Mayo Avenue we stopped at Cafe Tortoni. Cafe Tortoni has been around many years and has been used by the many luminaries of Buenos Aires. Alfonsina Storni, an author from a passage in the Argentine Reader, has a spot dedicated to her in the Cafe. The Cafe Tortoni also has a table dedicated to some of its other famous customers. A trip to the Cafe Tortoni also allows a customer to have access to a barber shop as well.

Our final stop on the tour was the Congress Building. The walk up to the building was very fascinating filled with gardens and sculptures such as The Thinker by Rodin. The pathway also contained a pneumatic system that connected the Pink Palace and the Congress Building. The entire tour was filled with a lot of history and interesting architecture. The tour stops really help me connect the material that we learn in class with the historical relevance of the actual buildings.

On Tuesday, May 26^th, our class went on a tour of Buenos Aires’ Jewish neighborhood. Argentina has a large Jewish community of about 300,000 people, the vast majority of whom reside in the city and suburbs of Buenos Aires. This constitutes the sixth-largest Jewish community in the world, albeit it was at one point the third largest. We started the day with a visit to AMIA, the main association for Jewish people living in Argentina. AMIA had been bombed in 1994 in what is the single deadliest bombing in Argentine history, killing some 85 people and injuring hundreds more. For this reason, the AMIA compound is heavily protected by security protocols, and getting in involves airport-style security and submitting one’s passport for inspection.

Once we gained access to the compound, our tour guide provided us with a brief introduction to AMIA. She explained to us the significance of a strikingly beautiful work of art in the compound’s courtyard that was created in commemoration of the victims who perished in the 1994 bombings. The work is composed of nine colorful pillars, meant to symbolize a Hanukia. From different angles, one can enjoy different views of the artwork, seeing the Israeli flag, the logo of AMIA, etc.

AMIA Pillars

Our tour guide then presented us with a work of art dedicated to the 1,900 Jews who lost their lives or disappeared under the rule of the military junta between the years 1976 and 1983. Given that the total number of those who disappeared is about 30,000, it is clear that Jews made up a disproportional amount of those affected. The dictatorship targeted those involved in or suspected of being involved in left-wing politics and activism, and Jews were frequently stereotyped as communists. The empty womb of the mother in the artwork was meant to symbolize those who were lost.

AMIA Artwork

We then entered the main building, where we watched a short video detailing AMIA’s work. AMIA supports the Argentine Jewish community by providing social services, helping with job placements, educating people about Jewish history, promoting respect for diversity, etc. The guide also touched upon a few topics of Jewish Argentine history, talking a bit about Jewish gauchos, the first Jewish immigrants to Argentina, and a few other matters. One of the biggest ironies is that Argentina both accepted Jewish immigrants throughout its history and sheltered the Nazis during and after World War II. I also found it interesting that the Argentine Constitution did not provide for civil marriage until 1888, forcing non-Catholics to undergo Catholic rites in order to marry. Another point of interest is that the President of Argentina, until 1994, had to be a Catholic. For this reason, Carlos Menem had to convert from Sunni Islam to Catholicism in order to assume the presidency.

After our visit to AMIA, we took a brief stroll around the Jewish neighborhood. We went to the Abasto shopping mall, where we had the opportunity to see the only Kosher McDonald’s outside of the State of Israel. As Adriana mentioned, this is pretty incredible given the U.S.’s very large Jewish population, numbering around six million.

Kosher McDonald’s

We next visited a Conservative Jewish synagogue. I was surprised to see that it was constructed very much in the style of a Church; it was very large and splendidly beautiful. The Rabbi explained to our group the significance of various Jewish symbols and talked a bit about the lengthy Jewish history of Argentina and how it is closely intertwined with Argentina’s rich history as a nation of immigrants. Afterwards, we examined some documents and artifacts in the temple’s museum.

Jewish Temple

Next, we briefly visited the site of the old Israeli Embassy, next to the present-day Romanian Embassy. In 1992, the embassy was bombed, and 29 people were killed and 242 were injured. We took a look at the memorial honoring those who perished.

Old Israeli Embassy

After enjoying lunch on our own, it was time to return to the hotel for a two-hour discussion with an Argentinean political science professor. Our group posited many questions to her, and I learned a great deal of information about such varied topics as Peronism, Evita, Catholic Church influence in Argentina, Kirchnerism, the Argentine welfare state, and social issues in Argentina. I found what she had to say very interesting and illuminating.

After an afternoon break and a siesta, we proceeded to dinner at El Pasaje Resto, a delicious Kosher restaurant. There, we enjoyed scrumptious appetizers, salads, pizzas, pastas, and desserts. It was probably my favorite restaurant outing of the whole trip.

Tuesday, May 26 was definitely a long day, but I learned so much about the Argentine Jewish community that I did not know before. I look forward to exploring more of Buenos Aires and discovering more about Argentine history in the days ahead.

-Mircea Lazar