Volume 5, Issue 2 / Shevat, 5762 / February 2002
Argentinean Jews are Coming Home
By Simon Griver
Ruti Romero was out on the streets in Buenos Aires during December demonstrating against the bankrupt Argentinean government policies. A couple of weeks later, at the end of December, she made aliyah with her two small children - Yael, 8 and Uri 6. " I have come home now," she said. "This is my country. I should have made aliyah a long time ago."
Ruti Romero was speaking from the Jewish Agency's Yeelim Absorption Center in Beer Sheva. She and seven other families, all from Buenos Aires, reached the capital of the Negev as a group. The absorption center is currently home to 450 new immigrants from 28 countries.
A graphic designer, Ruti is already fluent in Hebrew, having spent a year in yeshiva in Israel ten years ago. She is therefore confident of finding work even before she completes the advanced ulpan in which she is now enrolled.
"It's two years since I had a full time job in Argentina," she said. ‘But I did find part-time work and that earned me enough money to feed the family. I am not bothered by the possibility of terrorism. Maybe I'm a bit scared but not as scared as I was by the high crime rate in Argentina."
Carlos Alberto, 47, reached Israel with his wife Beatrice and their two sons Yonatan, 17 and Damian, 14. The Albertos too cannot understand why they waited so long before making aliyah. "The boys have been nagging us to come for a long time," he said.
Over the past year both Carlos, who worked in a clothing store and Beatrice, who had a job in a travel agency, became unemployed. In recent months Carlos worked part-time as a guard at the Jewish cemetery in Buenos Aires, protecting it from anti-Semitic vandalism.
Unemployment also plagued Jorge and Patricia Levi, who immigrated to Israel with their five children - Sebastian, Gaston, Nicole, Matias and Magali. Patricia had been selling mattresses, while Jorge had worked in the clothing department of a large store.
"In recent months we were living off charity," explained Patricia. "Even if we had had any money we would have been scared to go out. Crime rates are so high. It's a pleasure here in Israel just to walk around the streets and feel safe. We do not feel threatened by the security situation. This is the first time I have been to Israel, although I have a sister in Rishon Le Zion and an aunt here in Beer Sheva."
Moving to Israel is a new beginning in many ways for Nilda Spivakov, 52, who immigrated with her son Patricio, 10. Her daughter Victoria, 17, immigrated to Israel a year ago. Several months ago Nilda's husband Eujenio died after a long illness.
Nilda, who worked as a cosmetics consultant and salesperson did have a job Argentina, though sales have been down drastically in recent months.
"I want to concentrate on learning Hebrew," she said, "and get my son settled in school and then I can worry about work. I would like to carry on working in the cosmetics field here in Israel."
"I feel a wonderful sense of tranquility here," observed Nilda. "I have put all my troubles behind me and come home."
Beer Sheva has 12,000 residents of Argentinean origin, half of whom started out at the Yeelim Absorption Center over the years. Many of these veteran Argentinean immigrants have visited the absorption center in order to meet the new immigrants, help them settle in and make them feel welcome.
Credits: Photos by Vera Etzion
To download this file as a word document, click here.
