One year after the collapse of Argentina's economy: a glimmer of hope amidst continued struggle

As Argentina recently commemorated the one-year anniversary of the collapse of its economy, the country continues to spiral downward. Savings accounts are still frozen and everyday more and more people are losing their jobs. There continue to be riots against the government and with the presidential elections coming up in March, the future for this once affluent country remains uncertain. The desperate economic situation has hit the Jewish communities throughout Argentina particularly hard.

For decades, JDC has been a pioneer in the revival of Jewish life and a champion of Jewish welfare in regions like the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe where Jewish life was almost nonexistent. We implemented Meals-on-Wheels, built Jewish Community Centers and reconnected people to their Jewish heritage. The people also know where and how to ask for help. Unfortunately this was not the case in Argentina. The Jewish community was affluent and already had a strong foundation. It prided itself on being one of the communities the Jewish world turned to when it needed help. Now the tables have turned, and the Argentine Jews are the ones asking for help.

Within the past year the number of JDC-sponsored Social Assistance Centers has grown from 34 to 74. The number of people registering for aid grows on a daily basis, with 1,200-1,800 new people per month asking for assistance. These centers provide not only the basic needs of the people such as food vouchers that are used in the supermarkets, much needed medicines (over 15,000 prescriptions have been filled through the Central Pharmacy), free legal counseling and subsidies for rent, mortgages and utilities, but also satisfy the human needs that show them they have not been forgotten. Social Assistance Centers are a place where people can go to receive the help they need in a dignified manner.

Other programs created for the Jewish community in Argentina are the Ariel Job Center, the Meitiv Lunch Program for schoolchildren (and some teachers) and Holidays Beyachad ("Together"). These have all been co-developed by JDC and local Argentine Jewish organizations.

The Ariel Job Center is a place where people can go not only to look for jobs, but to receive resume counseling and interview counseling, as well. Another component is the Small Business Center, where people receive assistance in starting their own small businesses. The counselors work with people to strengthen their talents and introduce new business ideas. There have been many cases where people who have similar ideas come together to create one business.

Throughout 2002, teachers began noticing that some of their students had diminished attention spans and became lethargic. These effects of malnutrition were quickly brought to the attention of JDC and together with AMIA the Meitiv Lunch Program was launched. Today 2,000 children at Jewish day schools are receiving one hot meal per day (as do some teachers). In addition to the meal program, JDC contributed to camps for children during school holidays. Many parents worried that they would miss the opportunity to continue to look for employment when their children were on break from school, so day camps were arranged to alleviate this concern. JDC realized that the hot meal provided at school might be the only nutritious meal eaten each day and extended the program to the day camps.

In the Spring of 2002 when the Jewish world was preparing for the Passover celebrations, JDC initiated community seders throughout Argentina, as we knew that people who were struggling to put food on their tables would not have the extra means to fulfill the obligation of the Passover seder. Pesach Beyachad was advertised throughout the country and 15,000 people came together to celebrate the holiday. Since then, the communal celebrations have included Shavuout, Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah. The number of attendees has only increased, and 53 institutions are involved in housing these important celebrations.

Although the future of Argentina is uncertain, the commitment of Jews to help one another is not. JDC has seen an overwhelming response to the call for help for Argentine Jews, but unfortunately the need has not diminished within the past year. The need continues to grow and the people continue to rely on us for their day-to-day existence.