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Friday, January 12, 1919 37
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
The History of Bolivian Jewry Is Explored
Bolivian Jews living in
La Paz and in the towns
of Cochabamba, Oruro,
Sucre and Potosi. Jews
came principally -as "ag-
riculturists" to develop
the fertile, tropical low-
lands. There were var-
ious Jewish agricultural
settlements attempted in
Bolivia, on the free
homesteads offered by
the Bolivian government.
The Sociedad Colonizad-
ora de Bolivia (SOCOBO),
founded in 1940, with the
help of $1 million from the
Jewish tin magnate,
Mauricio Hochschild, spon-
sored these settlements. For
a variety of reasons, one
being the inaccessibility of
markets, these Jewish ag-
ricultural colonies failed.
Bolivia had unselfishily
provided a haven for many
of European Jewry after the
Holocaust, despite the fact
that Bolivia had achieved
notoriety as a haven for
former Nazis. Bolivia has
refused French extradition
demands for Klaus
Altmann, the alias used by
Klaus Barbie, the Butcher
of Lyon. Bolivia has never
been pro-Nazi, but the gov-
ernment does not concern
y WARREN FREEDMAN
Jews did not arrive in
olivia until 1905, and after
920 Polish Jews migrated
into this land-locked South
American nation. German
ewish refugees did not ar-
ive until 1935.
In 1942, there were more
an 7,000 Bolivian Jews.
ere had been Marranos in
he silver mines of Potosi
more than 400 years ago,
d they were among the
pioneers who founded the
'ty
anta Cruz in 1557.
To
day, the possible
wry ancestry of the old
ilies in that region is
suggested by their custom of
lighting candles on Friday
ights and sitting on the
ound when mourning.
But the Marrano commu-
nity went into decline with
the establishment of the In-
Sisition in Peru in 1570.
Today, less than 1,000 Jews
live in the capital city of La
az and about 200 in the
wris of Cochabamba and
Santa Cruz. Bolivia is an
poverished land of moun-
tivins and lowlands whose
opulation is 70 percent In-
dian.
In the early 1950's there
were as many as 10,000
itself with the past history
of its immigrants.
- The Bolivians did incarc-
erate Altmann: Once
Altmann was struck by a
Jewish storeowner while
walking down a shopping
street. Altmann decided to
press charges and went to
court. The shopkeeper rol-
led up his shirtsleeves in
order to show the judge this
concentration ,camp
number. The Jewish mer-
chant explained that he
could not help his rage when
he saw Altmann walk in
front of , his store. Appar-
ently the judge asked
Altmann not to walk in
front of the store in the fu-
ture.
Interestingly, Bolivia is
today one of Israel's
staunchest friends. Re-,
cently, Israelis built a
vegetable oil factory in
Bolivia. In addition, a
series of scholarships
have enabled many Boli-
vians to study in Israel.
The Circulo Israelita, or-
ganized in 1955, built a
four-story building in La
Paz as evidence of the pros-
perity of Bolivian Jewry. La
Paz has a Bnai Brith lodge,
a women's Zionist organiza-
It Sounds Like a College Degree
one such recital before any
future Camp David meet-
iftgs.
* * *
and is now to be tried out in
New York.
Education is a strange
It was interesting the
business. You can never
other night listening to
rson Welles on television
Golda Meir is gone but really tell. For instance,
relating how he lost his par- her portrait now hangs on way back there was a young
nts as a young child and the wall of the National fellow — we will call him
was raised by .a Dr. Berns- Portrait Gallery in Wash- Akiba — becaust that was
coin, a Jew, for whom he ington. It was completed his name. He had no educa-
dn't words sufficient to shortly before her death by tion and what was more,
praise. • Welles added that the noted artist Raphael said he didn't want any. He
be ca use of this, he has al- Soyer. -
was a shepherd, and he said
ways regarded himself as a
Celebrities often-are hard he knew how to handle
Ind of honorary Jew.
to paint — they are im- sheep better than any of
Honorary Jew sounds like patient. But, according to those fellows who went to
college degree — like hon- Soyer, Golda was a good sit- school. What did they
know? From his point of
ary doctor of law or some- ter. Gilbert Stuart, who
ing, but we understand painted Washington's por- view, next to nothing.
the point. After all, every trait, had a good deal of
Well, Akiba went along
thnic group does in a way trouble with the father of. in this view until he was
represent a special body of his country. Washington 40-years-old, then sud-
,xperience and knowledge: didn't seem to enjoy sitting denly he had a change of
mind. He decided to try
Perhaps colleges should for his picture at all.
i _ nfer an honorary Jew de-
out a bit of schooling. So
Golda was a chain
at 40, he started learning
ee. Perhaps they could smoker, and that may have
offer courses leading to this eased her. Washington what he should have at
five, and do you know, he
degree.
didn't smoke. His mother,
Welles thinks the Jewish however, always had her became the great Rabbi
story is unusual. The pipe in her mouth. Women Akiba of the Talmud.
I think the fact that he
reeks, for instance, he in the early days of
pointed out, for a period America, especially on the began his studies late may
were a transcending farce in frontier, smoked as much as
have helped him a bit, too.
Education works in various
vilization but the Jew, he - the men. Horace Greeley
says, has been a continuous didn't smoke but he tells - ways. He brought to the
school a lot of practical ex-
actor of great moment in how he used to light the pipe
perience.
civilization. He once for his mother.
As we were saying,
lan , he said, to make a
education is a strange
fil ntering on this
e , ut the Jews with
Do you have trouble in thing. One talmudic sage
honey - who were ap-
school? Is algebra or had learned a lot from his
proached to finance this pic-
geometry hard for you? teachers, but more from his
ture didn't approve of the
Cheer up. There is a new pupils.
idea. Why stir things up,
wrinkle now in teaching
they said.
people with these prob-
Hapoel Games
Speaking about the
lems.
Jews who raised Welles,
Dr. Benjamin Bloom of NEW YORK — The 11th
e have a vague recollec-
the University of Chicago International Hapoel
on of having heard
has devised a new approach. Games, (held every four
somewhere that Richard
It is based on what is called years) will take place in Is-
urton was a similar
the mastery principle. It is rael May 1-8, 1979. Hapoel,
ase.
all very simple. If one fails the sports association of Is-
in any study, he is not dis- rael's General Federation of
By the way, Welles' ren-
dition of the words of couraged; he is given a new Labor (Histadrut), has more
chance and the aim is to than 100,000 worldwide
"zekiel prophesying the re-
give him confidence that he members — and more than
rn of the Jews to Israel
can master his subject. The 1,000 athletes from 20 coun-
was very powerful. The
method, it is saicT, has had tries are expected to com-
Zionist organizations ought
great success in Chicago pete in the 1979 games.
to hire him to give at least
By DAVID SCHWARTZ
(Copyright 1979, JTA, Inc.)
-
-
Caricatures
tion, a society for the protec-
tion of immigrants, two
synagogues which are very
active, a Maccabee organ-
ization for young people and
an all-day school for their
children of which 90 attend.
Bad economic conditions
in Bolivia prompted
thousands Of Jews to depart
for the United States, Brazil
and Argentina. Hundreds of
Bolivian Jews migrated to
Israel.
- Today, the press of
Bolivia, unfortunately, re-
prints anti-Semtic articles
for "La Voz Del Mundo
Arabe," published by the
Federation of Bolivian Arab
organizations in La Paz.
Other than the small
Circulo • Israelita
synagogue in La Paz (for
La Paz's .400 Jews), there
is only one other Bolivian
synagogue still open, i.e.,
in the tourist town of
Cochabamba, at Calle
Junin Y Calle,Columbia.
The Instituto Israeleto
Boliviano, an organization
that sponsors articles and
develops contacts in the
government and tries to
create public relations sym-
pathetic to Israel and to the
Jewish community, is
active. Bolivian Jewish
leaders agree that condi-
tions under the present gov-
ernment have been good; as
a matter of fact, Jews have
neverhad serious problems
in Bolivia. There has been
very little overt anti-
Semitism.
Bolivia and Israel have
maintained cordial trade re-
lations; Israeli agricultural
experts continue to work
closely with the Indian far-
mers. .
Peoe
pl
Powe r
for your party
helps
prevent
birth
defects
SAM FIELD
By
Call
399-1320
March of Dimes
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