Redefining the Sephardic Role in the Argentine Zionist Movement

Author: Marcos Guinazu

Field of Study: Political Science

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Bryan Kirschen, Dina Danon

Easel: 90

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: In the early 20th century, Argentina saw an influx of immigration. The Jewish immigration in particular was dominated by the Ashkenazi majority, overshadowing the Sephardic minority. This research explores how the traditionalist beliefs of the Sephardic community served their interests, allowing for cultural preservation, and how this went on to affect their position on the Zionist project. Through analysis of magazines, newspapers, scholarly articles, and literature, this study challenges that the Zionist movement was solely Ashkenazi-driven. The evidence suggests that the methods of the Sephardic community were not irrational acts of isolation, but rather a foundational structure that allowed them freedom of expression in Argentina. Sephardic traditionalism served as a method for both cultural survival and political activism; by analyzing their works from this period, it becomes clear that Ashkenazi Jews were not the only supporters of the Zionist project.