For an Argentine Family, a Hotel Becomes Home

As Andrea, 26, heats a bottle for her infant Ariel in the communal kitchen of El Principe ('The Prince") Hotel, she tries futilely to silence his crying. Fellow tenants frequently complain that the baby is noisy. Andrea's husband Joseph, 36, and daughter Nadia, 4, await her return to the cramped 10-square-meter hotel room that has been the family "home" since January 2003.

As for so many other young parents, waking up in a rented room is a far cry from the life that Andrea and Joseph knew a few years ago when they owned a house just blocks from the hotel in Once, a neighborhood of Buenos Aires traditionally inhabited by middle class Jewish families. Joseph and Andrea owned a small shop and the family lived comfortably.

But due to Argentina's economic crisis the couple fell into debt and was forced to close down their business. When their debt amounted to the value of the house they had to sell it, uprooting Joseph's father who had lived with them for years and who suddenly had to move in with one of his brothers. Andrea – then a few months pregnant – Joseph and Nadia had more difficulty finding a place where they could all fit, and lived on the street until they were able to relocate to the hotel.

Their room has a double bed that Andrea shares with Nadia and a cradle for Ariel. Under the bed they store a mattress where Joseph sleeps every night. "We will never allow our children to sleep on the floor," insist the young parents. They all share a cupboard, the refrigerator they used to have in their house, and two chairs. Forced to sell most of the cherished belongings from their home in order to buy food, they preserved the few things with the most significance, namely the menorah that stands on the makeshift table where the family shares its meals.

Andrea and Joseph are reticent to speak about their problems and simply say of their current situation, "We do not feel comfortable," at the hotel. "Every day we dream of moving to an apartment and having a space of our own," says Joseph. But he can only procure temporary jobs and Andrea finds it very difficult to get a job that will allow her to raise her children at the same time. It is therefore practically impossible for the couple to secure the rent for a livable apartment.

"I am positive of one thing: regardless of what the future may bring, my baby will never experience hunger," says Andrea. Through JDC's Baby Help Program, Ariel receives the basic elements he needs to grow healthy that the family could otherwise not afford, including: milk, food, diapers, and vaccines.

Andrea describes the Baby Help Center, located near the hotel, as a haven for her children, who she often takes there to enjoy quality time and forget temporarily about the neighbors' complaints. The family also attends communal celebrations for Jewish holidays; this past year they celebrated Chanukah and Pesach together. Those were beautiful moments for them despite their harsh daily reality; they felt the company and warmth of the Community and experienced Jewish traditions.

Nonetheless, these outings are the only ones that Andrea and Joseph can afford: they do not have money to take the children to a movie, or even bus fare to the park. There is no space in the tiny hotel room for children to play comfortably; their only entertainment is the television set that Joseph's father left the family.

Joseph, still hopeful, continues searching for a respectable job that will enable him to move the family to a more comfortable apartment and once again live with dignity.