5/24/2015

A week into the trip, we are becoming more accustomed to our new  Argentinian lifestyle; we are experts on the public transportation system, gradually learning the language, and know to never expect anything other than carne. We spent the first half of today exploring the San Telmo market and its rich culture.  The market- similar to a flee market in the U.S.A- was composed of endless tables and tents stretching in every direction in sight.  The locals were selling everything from food and drinks to art to clothing and accessories.  I used the time to buy my mother a purse and my father a hand carved, wooden wine holder.

In the process of getting my family gifts I quickly learned the culture of the market.  After traveling through many other countries with my family I assumed that bargaining would be commonplace.  While this is true to some degree at any market anywhere in the world, I noted that it was not as prevalent here.  Luckily, most prices were reasonable from the start.

In addition to the diverse array of goods, we ran into different street performers at every corner, including musical groups of sizes ranging from one to ten playing different instruments and singing, magicians, puppeteers, and dancers.  They were very talented and a big hit with the crowds, contributing to the fun and unique character of the market.

For lunch, we grabbed the city’s favorite street food- chorizos.  Made up of a grilled sausage cut in half on bread, this authentic “fast food” also comes with the option of toppings including veggies, chimichurri, and different sauces.  Although I can’t imagine that I would be happy to learn the ingredients of the somewhat suspect-looking sausage, I allowed myself to ignorantly close my eyes and continue to enjoy the juicy and delicious mid-day meal.

When we were ready to go back to the hotel we realized we had spent all of our pesos enjoying the market and that we would have to walk back!  Luckily, the excitement of the city streets persisted the entire journey back. We were surrounded by independence day festivals, street market, and bustling cafes and restaurants.  After an unusually lively Sunday, we were happy to return to the hotel for a siesta before getting dinner.

5/26/2015

Today was packed with excursions, class, and a huge dinner.  We started the day in the Jewish neighborhoods of Buenos Aires.  We had to bring our passport along with us because all of the facilities are maximum security as a result of a history of terrorist attacks.  Our first stop was AMIA, the Jewish community center and one of the victims of a major attack in the 90s.   To commemorate the victims, a plaque of names and a large art memorial donated by an Israeli artist stand in the outdoor entry “room” of the facility.  The art piece is composed of nine pillars (like a Hanukia) and illustrates different images from different perspectives.

We learned that AMIA stands at the center of daily Jewish life because 80-90% of the 300,000 Jews in Argentina reside in Buenos Aires.  Many of these people came to escape the Russian pogroms and the last years of the second world war.

Next, we made a stop at the local shopping mall where we got to see the only kosher McDonalds outside of Israel!

After a quick snack, we visited the central synagogue.  It was large and intricate, built much like a church.  We learned about Jewish history and customs from a staff member and were able to look through the synagogue’s museum.  Although I do not have any family in Argentina, I have Jewish family members who immigrated to other parts of the world to escape persecution.  Therefore, it was particularly interesting for me to learn how these people built their new lives, and how their descendants live today.

Next, we saw another memorial to the victims of the terrorist attacks and another developing historical memorial.

After the excursion,we headed back to the hotel for a class discussion with a local political scientist/historian.  I was particularly interested to learn about the evolution of Peronism in the country, as well as the similarities and differences in political party structure here and in the U.S..

Finally, we ended a long day with a delicious group dinner at a nearby authentic restaurant!

On Tuesday May 26, 2015 we went on many different tours focusing on Jewish neighborhoods and being Jewish in Argentina. I could talk all day about going to the neighborhood, the first Senegal, the only Kosher McDonalds outside of Israel, the old Israeli embassy and dinner at a Kosher restaurant. But I would like to focus this blog on what struck me the most about the day which was the tour of Amia.

Amia is a Jewish community center that promotes the individual, family and institutional growth of Jewish life in Argentina. Amia was originally founded when thousands of Jews began to migrate to the city and other urban areas in Buenos Aires. So because of that many different types of Jewish societies came together and in 1894 they established a place for Jew’s to come together as a community. This place was called Chevra Kadisha and it also included a cemetery where Jew’s were buried in their traditional ways. Over time this Chevra Kadisha transformed into the Association Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA). This place continued to grow and became a place that supported the communities education, social, health care and childcare needs.  

After years of success that AMIA provided to the Jewish community in Buenos Aires, something tragic took place in 1994 that struck Jews around the world. On July 18, 1994 a suicide bomber drove a van bomb into the Jewish Community Center which killed 85 people and inured hundreds. But it hurt more people than those killed or injured, it affected the families of the casualties, the families of the community center and the families of the Jewish religion.  It was classified as a terrorist attack but the real story of who was behind it is still a mystery.  However the community organized ways to keep the memory alive and is still demanding justice. 

But despite the loss caused by terrorism the the strong Jewish community rebuilt AMIA in 1999 at the same spot where the bombing took place. A beautiful art piece was then made to honor the victims of the horrified bombing. The art piece demonstrates a symbol against terrorism and the expression of Jew’s struggle, peace and truth. You can view this art piece in 7 different ways and it showed you 7 different images. Some of these views symbolized the Argentina & Jewish flag, a rain bow that shows that after rain sun shines, candles that represented looking into the past to move on to the future and many more.    

AMIA was then known to be very strong in time of hardship during the turn of the new century as Argentina went through a social & economic crisis. AMIA began to assist many different communities socially, by providing food & medication and by employing thousands of people. It still holds the same values and is still looked at as one of the best Jewish Community center not only in the country but the world.

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”

Feliz 25 de Mayo! Today is Argentinian Independence Day! We had a free morning today so I took some extra time to sleep in and refuel. At 2:00, we went to Malba, the modern art museum. I thought that this was a really cool experience because it was so different from any other museum we have been to. There were a lot of pieces that used light and optical illusions as part of the art and others that used human subjects. In one exhibit, there was a man standing with strings tied to him that went to pulleys the walls or ceiling and held up everyday things such as a coffee cup and a car bumper. This was really cool and kind of eerie because whenever the man moved, all the pulleys would squeak and the objects hanging around the room would move as well. Another exhibit had a man with a mask that was two rectangles put together to cover his face and was covered in lights. This man permanently lived in the museum and would walk around as he pleased.

After the museum, we went back to the hotel and many of us made our way back to the Plaza del Mayo where the celebrations for the 25 de Mayo were happening. There were people everywhere! Among them, there were a ton of vendors selling food and goods such as Argentina scarves and flags and lots of balloons. We stood near the middle of the plaza and listened to some live music for a while as everyone waited for President Christina Fernandez de Kirchner to speak

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After leaving the plaza, the group went to Las Nazarenas for Argentinian barbecue where they ate all parts of the cow. I, unfortunately, did not go on this excursion because I was not feeling well.

Today the class started the day taking a tour of the Jewish neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. Although there is only a small population of Jewish Argentines in this very Catholic country, the community is very prominent and active. We started by taking a trip to AMIA. AMIA is the Argentine Jewish cultural center and federation. It also serves as a networking and umbrella organization who strives to help the Jewish community. It is impossible to talk about AMIA and their struggle, without talking about the tragic 1994 bombing which left 86 dead and many more injured. Israeli artist Yaacob Agam created one of the most impressive optical sculptures, I have ever seen. Named the Homenaje y Recordanción a las Victimas del Atentado a la AMIA del 18 de Julio de 1994, it is build upon a platform that forms the Star of David, with seven different images representing destruction, Chanukah, the Star of David, a rainbow, Menorah, Magen David, and finally the symbol of AMIA. This is all created with 9 upright columns that when in different positions change into the different images.

Next the gang took a trip to the largest synagogue in Buenos Aires. This castile like temple is called Synagogue de la Congregación Israelita. This beautiful synagogue is still in use today, holding regular services Saturdays and Sundays. The conservative Jewish congregation also had a Jewish heritage museum. This had many artifacts from the Holocaust and also records of the first Jewish immigrates and settlements in Argentina.

After leaving the “Templo Libertad” we went to the former farmers market and current shopping mall, Abasto. Abasto Shopping mall is very Americanized. You can see many American stores and food but the most excited this in Abasto is McDonald’s! Yes, a weird thing to say, but this is no ordinary McDonald’s. This McDonald is actually the only kosher McDonalds outside of Israel.

After the class took a quick lunch break, we were joined by Professor Lila Caimari. She is a very knowledgeable Argentine political scientist who has taught in Argentina, France and The United States. Professor Caimari covered a big array of our questions from Independence Day, current politics, ethnic makeup, and providence inequality. Where we mostly focused, were Peronism and its lasting legacy. We had an open discussion about why Peronism has been able to survive so long, citing the differences between the different eras and comparing them all to the Peronism we see today in Argentina, Kirchnerism.

To end the day, the group ate at Pasaje Resto, one of Argentina’s most famous kosher restaurants. The menu included many cultural and typical Jewish, Argentine foods. We enjoyed salads, empanadas, pizza, and pasta.

Tuesday May 26th, 2015

Buenos Aires is a city built on immigration from mainly European countries and Jewish people added a lot of diversity to the initial culture of Buenos Aires. We initially started our tour at AMIA which is the Jewish Federation of Argentina. AMIA provides several services to its members including job opportunities, legal issues, and travel to Israel. AMIA was a target of a terrorist attack that killed 85 people and damaged the building extensively. Today, AMIA is under extensive security and a passport is required in most cases for tourists. These were some of the artifacts that survived the blast and are still on display today.

The next stop on the tour was the Abasto. Years ago, the Abasto used to be an old farmers market. Over the years it went out of use and was empty. It was recently renovated and today it is a mall with several American brands such as Wendy’s and Burger King.

There are over 95 synagogues in Buenos Aires and the next stop on the tour was the oldest synagogue in Buenos Aires. The synagogues was first started in 1897 by Russian Jews but it wasn’t completed until 1932. The architecture of this synagogue was just like that of a Catholic Church.

The synagogue also had a museum that included items that immigrants had brought over from their homelands. After we got to the hotel we had a conversation with a Guest Professor that talked with us about about various topics concerning Argentina. The viewpoint from a professor that wasn’t from the United States was interesting to hear and really gave a different feel to the topic rather than the news that I have seen beforehand in America.

To finish the day we had a group dinner at El Pasaje Resto. El Pasaje Resto is a Jewish restaurant and the meal was kosher and predominantly vegetarian. It was interesting to see a different style of dinner because up until now it had been predominantly meat. The meal tied the entire day together and really showed the impact of a specific culture on Buenos Aires.

Welcome to Buenos Aires, a city where you never really know what to expect. The private tour of Malba was definitively a different experience from every other museum we have visited thus far. It was an extremely modern representation of the arts as shown by the photo below.

One aspect of the tour that was interesting to me was the human representations of art. This was something that I have never experienced. It was very uncomfortable at first, but at the end of the tour I came to appreciate the modern approach. The different human representations included humans forever painting a room, humans acting as revolving doors, humans bound to different aspects of society, as well as others. These representations are shown in the photos below.

Today was also their national holiday of independence 25 de Mayo, and the experience lived up to the hype. Plaza de Mayo was packed full of people all day. There were different food stands set up, entertainment, exhibits, and much more. I was shocked by how many people that were out walking the streets, and sitting in the plaza all day. We listened to the President’s speech, and I was very impressed. No hablo espanol muy bien, but the president was a very passionate speaker. It was very interesting to see the crowd react to what she was saying. She seems very well liked by the people, because she entered the plaza like an absolute rock star, with fireworks and music. It was interesting to see the crowd’s passion for politics and their high sense of nationalism throughout the whole event especially during the national anthem. Although we were not able to get very close, but the picture below show what the scene was like in the plaza.

Finally we ended the day at La Nazarenas to experience some authentic aspects of Argentinian cuisine. Some parts were not my favorite, but definitively worth a try. The best part was looking at everyone faces after they realize they just ate kidney. Although I didn’t snap any live action shots they looked similar to the face shown below. All in all another culturally full day.

Every year the people of Argentina celebrate el Dia de la Revolucion de Mayo or the Day of Revolution that falls on May 25. In fact, the whole week – May Week is celebrated to remember the week of May 18-25 in 1810 that lead to the revolution which helped achieve independence from Spanish rule. People throughout the country are celebrating in many ways including: marches, parades and concerts.

Yesterday, some of my classmates and I visited the Plaza de Mayo in the morning when we had some free time to see these marches, parades and concerts in action.

Some of us in Plaza de Mayo

Of course the first thing you notice is the amount of people that are gathered in this single Plaza. It is eleven some in the morning when we arrive and already there are thousands there. Then you notice what these people are wearing, saying, and carrying. This celebration involves a lot of politics – everyone is wearing wardrobe to represent their parties and balloons are up in the air displaying their messages and logos.

Balloons from various parties.

We are told later that only a fraction of the parties in Argentina are represented there even though it feels like very many. If you notice in the picture on the right their is a face. That is none other than their president Cristina Kirchner. Many of the political party posters contain the phrase “con Cristina” meaning they support the Kirchner administration. This is not so surprising since the president was to speak at 6:30pm that afternoon and many of her supporters were waiting to see her.

Kirchner’s face

One party I noticed that was particularly prominent at the Plaza with supporters young and old was Campora. This party is both Peronist and supporters of Kirchner. To provide an idea of the magnitude of Campora’s party size and the idea of how people were celebrating in other parties, I have included the following video:

Taking a slight break from the holiday action, our group visited Malba – a modern art museum. I have actually recently discovered a new appreciation for art and have been painting on canvas myself at home recently. However, this museum showed things I have never seen before in an art museum. On the first floor there was an exhibit of Latin American art from the 20th century, these pieces were interesting, colorful, and used many different mediums including paint, metals, and moving pieces.

A view paintings from the first exhibit

The other exhibit currently showing at Malba is called Infinite Experience. This exhibit had live works; for example, there was a woman who had words drawn on the wall behind her and she was speaking into a microphone. There was a man who had many wires connecting himself to an object suspended in air that moved when he moved. There was a man who walked around with a mask made of glowing lights that completely covered his face. There was a room covered in signatures where you could as yours too. Finally, there was a group of people who acted as a revolving door in a circular room to leave the exhibit into the hallway.

One piece in the exhibit – woman speaking into a microphone

Room with the signatures

As Yonni, Gabby and I walked downstairs to the main section we overheard a lot of noise generating outside of the museum. We left briefly to check it out and to our surprise a sea of red covered the middle of the streets. It turns out that the River Plate fans paraded in the street. Soccer here is no joke and the rivalry between River Plate and La Boca is substantial – bigger than OSU vs the team up north! These fans seemed to be walking by endlessly. After what seemed like 10 minutes of watching them walk by (and still missing some who walked by at the beginning), they had several buses packed like sardines bringing up the rear. Many of the fans had bottles in their hand that looked like coke but suspiciously had their labels removed and were most likely a combination of coke and fernet, their favorite local beverage (which I personally dislike a lot).

River Plate fans in the street

As if we hadn’t seen enough parading and chanting, after a brief stop at the hotel, some of us returned to the Plaza de Mayo. Concerts were going on from 4 until late to celebrate. At this point we are packed in tightly – tighter than in the morning. We had no hope seeing the stage or Cristina when she came out later, but we had a chance to listen and dance with the locals who also sang along. Below is a video of some music played from the stage in the morning. I never got a video from the afternoon, but this gives an idea of how it was setup.

Many would see the 25th of May in Argentina comparable to the 4th of July back in the United States. I had a great time seeing the Plaza in action and getting a better idea of their attitude towards politics. We are lucky to have the timing of this trip when we did so we could experience something integral to the Argentine history, and I only wish I had captured more of the experience to share with you all!

If you like awesome steals, souvenirs for the family, and unique antiques with a good story, San Telmo Flea Market would be your Mecca! Fortunately, on Sunday, May 24th, we had the opportunity to experience this shopping pilgrimage. Every Sunday morning and afternoon, the streets of the historic district of San Telmo are flooded with vendors and shoppers eager to take part in the largest flea market in South America. Vendors set up their booths, selling anything from homemade leather purses to antique silverware sets. While the market is especially attractive to tourists and outsiders, the atmosphere also attacks the everyday Porteños with its live performances and welcoming atmosphere.

The market started off small- originally, it was just an antique market for residents in the center plaza in San Telmo. However, over the years it has grown! Keeping to tradition, the majority of the antique booths remain in the center plaza, while the other homemade goods and food are set up on the surrounding streets. While I did not take part in purchasing any of the antiques, I was able to snag a few souvenirs for the family (and of course a few things for myself!) My purchases include personalized mate cups, homemade leather purses, Argentina magnets, and a leather bracelet.

After the group met back up in the Plaza de Mayo, we grabbed a quick lunch and returned to the hotel to take a much needed siesta. When I woke up, I met up with some friends and we walked back to Plaza de Mayo to partake in day 1 of their Independence Day celebrations. Formally known as 25 de Mayo, this holiday celebrates the signing of the Argentine Declaration of Independence, officially proclaiming their separation from Spain on May 25, 1810. The location of the event is particularly special for this event- at the west side of the plaza is the actual building that the declaration was signed!

During the festivities, Argentinians from all over fled to Plaza de Mayo the night before the actual holiday to listen to live music and eat street meats. We were immersed to famous Argentine singers and ate authentic choripan. While we waited for (what seemed like a century) to get our street meat, the indulgence of grilled sausage, chimichurri, tomatoes, and onions was well worth the wait! We finished our sandwiches and ended the evening feeling like real Porteños.