This project is continuing its activities in Latin America, enabling members of the respective Jewish communities to connect with those who have fallen by attaching name labels on a wall display and adding personal messages, which were also sent on to the fallen soldiers’ families.
The Zionist youth movement leadership cadres’ conference for Central and South America took place in Mexico in November, bringing together some 50 senior Zionist youth movement leaders from Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Panama. The purpose of this conference was to share, discuss and seek ways to imbue Zionism with renewed significance and enhance community resilience in the wake of the deep social schism that led to the October 7 events. The title, ‘Resignificar’ (to redefine, re-assign significance) served as the fulcrum of the conference and emphasized the quintessential need to redefine the essence of Zionism today. The participants’ role as young leaders is especially significant, because they are charged with leading toward change, shaping their communities and impressing the importance of unity, cooperation and community responsibility for the future upon the next generation. During the retreat, participants attended a wide range of activities, including interactive workshops, guided discussions and discussion circles where they shared ideas. These sessions were designed to empower them and provide them with tools that will serve them in their work to strengthen their local communities. The retreat also enabled participants to learn about adjacent communities and develop cooperative programming with them, in recognition of the fundamental importance of fostering regional unity and developing supportive networks. Naturally, the encounter also provided a springboard for exchanges of experience and gaining an in-depth understanding of each other’s country’s unique challenges, all of which added an important dimension to the sense of partnership and regional solidarity. The conference was a call for action, which aimed to transform challenges into opportunities and boost the focal values of Zionism in the wake of October 7.
One of the conference sessions was based around the ‘Heroism Under Fire’ educational kit, produced in conjunction with the Eshkol Regional Council, with a view to preserving first-hand testimony and accounts of bravery from the October 7 events. This was the first occasion on which the resources have been presented in Spanish and these met with an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response. Preservation and memorial represent an essential component of educational processes for future generations of leaders, to ensure their growth and the reinforcement of their Jewish identity as well as the continuity of the connection between the Diaspora and Israel.
In Brazil, there have been two encounters for World Zionist Organization ulpan students and members of the Jewish community, in the framework of the Ivrit Café clubs: one in Rio de Janeiro (with teacher Tsofia Hirsch) and another in São Paolo (with teacher Ofir Wahaba.)
In Brazil, World Zionist Organization ulpan teachers participated in in-service training as part of the ‘Here is the News – Studying Hebrew through Israeli Current Affairs’ framework. The training was delivered by Fabio Radak, a member of faculty at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The session was open to ulpan teachers from Brazil as well as teachers working in other Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America.
The Aliyah Promotion Department team was actively involved in the organization and running of pro-Israel rallies on behalf of the hostages – both in-person and online. The series included an online event, entitled: ‘400 Days in Captivity’ as well as in-person rallies in Buenos Aeres and Concordia.
The Aliyah Promotion Department team has launched a large-scale PR campaign for registration at summer ulpanim, which will run from January through March 2025.
Dozens of World Zionist Organization ulpanim teachers took part in an encounter with the leadership of Orek, an Israeli non-profit that creates socio-economic support communities for populations lacking a family support structure. The project goal is to create organized Aliyah communities in Latin America. Given the ulpan teachers’ deeper acquaintance with Aliyah applicants, they have the potential to act as mediators and serve as natural agents for connecting those entitled to Aliyah status to the social support system.
In Buenos Aeres, another meeting took place under the umbrella of the ‘Uf Gozal (Fly Away, Nestling)’ project, which aims to provide parents whose children are already living in Israel with a wide and diverse range of knowledge about Israel’s multi-layered reality. The encounter on the subject of ‘Israeli music’ was led by Valentina Lipowicz and Sergio Weinberg.
The Psychometric examination (compulsory university entrance examination for potential olim students, conducted in the language of their region,) was held for the fifth time in Buenos Aires under the auspices of the Aliyah preparation project. Dozens of young Jews from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay sat the in-person examination.
The Aliyah Promotion Department team participated in a series of Aliyah fairs in the cities of São Paolo and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) during the month of November.
The ‘Protected Immigration’ (‘Aliyah Mugenet’) project, designed to assist potential olim with special needs and/or victims of violence within the family setting, arranged a meeting for a group in Latin America. The session was moderated by project coordinator Vanina Steinhaus.
the UNIVRI Reform temple to commemorate the victims of the October 7 atrocities.
Over 2,000 ulpan students and members of various communities in Buenos Aires met with Amitai Cohen and Erez Amsalem, two combat soldiers who fought in the “Iron Swords” War, who are currently visiting Argentina. They spoke about the bravery of the IDF soldiers, the resilience of Israeli society and the rehabilitation process for the war-wounded. Five encounters with the soldiers were organized for the different communities.
The Aliyah Promotion Department team for Latin America continue to plan and take an active part in pro-Israel events and solidarity rallies for the hostages. One major Israel solidarity rally held in Buenos Aires attracted over 30,000 people. Seven online events were attended by about 5,000 people each.
A “Zionist Gala” evening was held in Buenos Aires in support of the State of Israel, attended by over 500 members of the Jewish community.
The seminar took place in La Plata, Argentina. As in previous years, the seminar welcomed dozens of young Jews from around Argentina and other Spanish-speaking countries and proved to be one of the highlights of the World Zionist Organization’s Aliyah Promotion programs.
This framework organized an additional meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for parents of olim who meet to support and encourage each other and receive detailed updates about the situation in Israel, where their children have chosen to live.
the Director General of the Ministry for Aliyah and Integration and the Chairperson of OLEI (The Association of Olim from Latin America), who was on a World Zionist Organization shlichut mission in public diplomacy, were greatly impressed by the level of the teachers and students as well as the network of ulpanim, during their visit to the WZO Hebrew ulpan at the Martin Buber Day School.
A delegation from Ofek Israeli held an in-person encounter with teachers and students from the World Zionist Organization’s Hebrew Ulpan based at the Maccabi Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
An online encounter for Spanish-speaking members of Jewish communities in Latin American countries on the subject of Here is the News – one of a series of encounters in the in-service program for teachers (focusing on teaching Hebrew through Current Affairs content.) The lecture was presented by Fabio Radak, of the Hebrew University.
In Rio de Janeiro and São Paolo, an activity program was held at the Café Ivrit Club.
The Aliyah Promotion Department team was involved in the preparations and organization of the Expo Aliá Fair in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where it promoted department programs and opened registration for ulpanim for the new academic year.
The Vice Chairman and Acting Chairman of the World Zionist Organization and the head of the Department for Israel and Holocaust Commemoration Worldwide attended the meeting. The Head of the Aliyah Promotion Department delivered a lecture at the event and facilitated three workshops on the subject of Aliyah promotion. During her visit, she also met with heads of Jewish communities and Zionist organizations in Mexico, Argentina and Uruguay, and conducted dozens of encounters with and supplementary lessons for classes at World Zionist Organization Hebrew ulpanim in Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
Performance by Latin American Artists of New Song in Spanish, Appealing for the Release of Hostages from Gaza – Regresa is an original song with moving lyrics, designed to raise awareness about the barbaric cruelty perpetrated by the terrorists on October 7 against innocent civilians and the abduction of the hostages, in a world that remains silent about the brutal atrocities and the plight of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. This special project forms a new element of the campaign for the release of the hostages and solidarity with their families, and in coordination with the Forum’s Latin American desk as well as the support of the Zionist Council of Mexico and World Zionist Organization in Argentina, the World Zionist Organization and engaged with famous Spanish-speaking singers to produce this unique recording. The musical director is Ari Litvak; with Ariadna Faerstein as artistic director and Nathan Grynberg as production assistant.
An online Tu B’Shvat Seder was held in Spanish, centering on the call for the immediate release and return of the hostages.
The World Zionist Organization established a complex that included an educational empowerment activity on the relationship with Israel and raising awareness of the current situation at the Pan American Maccabi events in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Many delegations from a large number of countries participated, including the USA, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Panama, France, Great Britain, Israel and many others.
As part of the activity, several booths were set up with messages concerning the events of the massacre on October 7th.
The booths included a stand with the names and photos of the murdered and kidnapped, a ‘Nova Active’ stand, a stand for sending letters to the people from the Gaza Envelope and soldiers and many more. During the event, the participants received a bracelet with the sentence “we can't stop dancing but we can stop anti-Semitism.”
Hundreds of letters were also written at one of the booths for letter sending. Letters sent included prayers for the return of the kidnapped, prayers for the soldiers, 'Am Yisrael Chai,' letters of encouragement and warm hugs from the Diaspora and many, many more.
Many delegations came to the event, including an Israeli delegation that came from the Gaza Envelope, who were very touched to find the memorial station with the names of the murdered.
Several events in support of Israel were held, both face-to-face (Buenos Aires, Brandsen, Tucumán, Canioles) and online.
Many events were set up in Brazil for support of the hostages with an emphasis on showing solidarity to the families of the hostages. Israel's ambassador to Brazil Mr. Daniel Zonshine joined in as well.
A video was produced for Denise Wasserman's social networks as a part of the "I’m Staying" project in which new olim from Brazil share why they choose to stay in Israel and their feelings towards their new homeland.
Watch the video >>
Extensive activities were held in order to raise awareness for the release of the abductees and the atrocities of October 7th. Activities included hanging signs on construction sites with the slogan "they were taken alive, we want them back alive," a demonstration for the return of the abductees in several areas of Argentina (in Buenos Aires, Naucan, La Plata, Salta and more).
A large number of interviews were conducted in various media channels such as television and the press with the families of the abductees.
In addition, the families of the abductees met with the current president of Argentina, the president elect, the Argentine foreign minister and the ambassador of Argentina in Israel, as well as with the Argentina-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Committee. In addition, a dinner was held to support the families of the abductees and a reception with the Jewish community in Buenos Aires and Tigra.
Spanish journalist Pilar Rahola visited Brazil, during which she appeared on television, met with the Jewish community in Rio and Sao Paulo and gave a lecture at the ARI Synagogue. She also held an important meeting with a movement for Brazilian Women.
Pilar is a respected journalist in the Spanish-speaking world, a defender of human rights and supporter of the State of Israel’s right to exist.
A booklet was created over the last week as part of the collaboration with the International Legal Forum (ILF). After being translated into Spanish, it was distributed to 200 key leaders and senior officials in the Jewish community in Argentina. The booklet gathers key answers to questions that arise in the international discourse relating to the war such as: Who is Hamas? Does Israel have a right to self-defense according to international law? Were Israel's actions proportionate? Can Israel harm civilian targets? Is it permissible for Israel to cut off electricity, fuel, food or water to Gaza? Link to the brochure in Spanish: PDFfiller
A representative from the World Zionist Organization participated in the Spain-Valencia Study Conference which unites the Jewish community during this complex period.
The organization's representative hosted the Jewish community and brought them up to date with the events happening in Israel and discussed their feelings in light of the war and the growing anti-Semitism.
This was the first time that a study conference was held in Valencia which enabled the diverse Spanish community to gather together and engage in Jewish content and delve deeper into what is happening in Israel and the Diaspora. The lecture at the conference touched on the war, the feelings arising from it in Israel and in the Diaspora and how to deal with it.
⦁ There was a screening of the video "Look in their Eyes" in downtown Buenos Aires produced by the World Zionist Organization.
⦁ A bicycle tour was organized in memory of cyclist Tomer Spirer, who was murdered while biking in Be’eri on October 7th.
⦁ An event was held to mark the 70th anniversary of the "Young Israel'' youth movement where presentations for the return of the abductees were presented.
⦁ Mats were organized on the beaches of Sao Paulo in Brazil for the return of the hostages.
⦁ A rally was held protesting against the women's movements that ignored the atrocities of October 7th on a main street in Sao Paulo.
⦁ A social media campaign called "I am with Israel" was launched in Brazil.
The Bnei Brit organization hosted Marcelo and Diana Wasser from Kibbutz Nirim, survivors of the October 7th massacre, in Costa Rica, Panama and Argentina for a series of meetings that included elected officials, legislators, journalists, students, Bnei Brit members and members of the Jewish communities. Below are links to the visit coverage in the Spanish-language media:Link 1, Link 2
