New Studio Now Oven In Harvard Row Mall e INSIGHT t/ i Argentina Continued from Page 49 SPO 50°/0-70°/0 OFF ALL NAME BRANDS • Vertical Blinds • Levolor Blinds • Pleated Shades • Wood Blinds 21728 W. Eleven Mile Rd. Harvard Row Mall Southfield, MI 48076 Free Professional Measure at No Obligation Free in Home Design Consulting Daily 10:00-5, Thurs. till 8 Saturday 11:00-3:00 352-8622 BE CLASSIFIEDS THE.LUBAVITCHER REBBE • Call The Jewish News Today BE A WINNER, PLAY 354-6060 ON CABLE T.V. • The public address will mark the 42nd Yortzeit of the Rebbe's father Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson (1878-1944). RABBI MENACHEM M. SCHNEERSON MONDAY, AUGUST 25, 1986 9:30 P.M. CONTINENTAL CABLEVISION CHANNEL 11 ALSO CAN BE SEEN FREE OF CHARGE AT: CONG. MISHKAN ISRAEL NUSACH H'ARI LUBAVITCHER CENTER 0 68 OAK PARK, MICHIGAN 48237 14000 WEST NINE MILE ROAD Friday, August 22, 1986 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS that is moderate despite its name, Argentina now has a Jewish planning secretary a Jewish finance secretary, about 10 Jewish congressmen and a Jewish Supreme Court Justice. In fact, the govern- ment is often jokingly refer- red to as the 'Radical Synagogue. Until recently few Argen- tine Jews participated in politics, although many, like pianist Daniel Barenboim and Nobel biology prize win- ner Cesar Milstein, had achieved prominence in the arts and sciences. Jewish reluctance to participate in politics stems from Argen- tina's persistent anti-Semit- ism. Never the official policy, it has been pervasive enough to persuade most Jews to main- tain a low political profile. Over the years, anti-Semitic acts have included bombings of empty synagogLies, the desecration of Jewish graves, and the publication of anti- Semitic literature. These acts are 'perpetrated by small groups of ultra-nationalists usually found in the military and in the right-wing of the Catholic Church. Most Argentine Jews have reacted by denying their Jewish identity, becoming secular and, eventually, assimilating. Only a small minority of Argentine Jews have asserted their Jewish identity. What will be the effect on Argentine Jewry of their in- creasing acceptance in the political arena? Will it, as some fear, hasten the already galloping process of assimila- tion, or will Jews seize this emerging tolerance to estab- lish a new, strong identity as `Argentine Jews'? Limited statistics on the Argentine Jewish community make predictions difficult. The most precise data on Argentina's Jewish popula- tion Stem from the country's 10-year census; yet, even those figures fluctuate so much that they are viewed with skepticism. Before 1960, it was estimated that there were 500,000 Jews living in Argentina. A decade later, perhaps as a result of more accurate census statistics, this figure had dropped to 350,000. By 1980, there were only 233,000 Jews left in the country. A low birth rate among the middle class, high emigration in the 1970's, and rapid assimilation contributed to this sharp decline in Jewish population. Even the most optimistic projections in- dicate that by the year 2000, the number of Jews living in Argentina will have fallen below 200,000. `The assimilation of Jews in small towns is perfectly un- derstandable," said Rabbi Mordechai Levin, head of inter-community relations at Argentina's Latin American Rabbinical Seminary and assistant rabbi at a suburban temple. "The Jewish popula- tion in the country-side is so small that the number of eligible Jewish marriage part- ners has become very limited. But, assimilation is occurring just as rapidly in Buenos Aires, the home of over three- quarters of Argentina's Jews." Rabbi Levin believes that the increase in assimilation is a direct result of Argentine Jews' secularization. Even to- day, he said, only the more secular Jews are acceptable as politicians. • "Jewish politicians are mostly non-practicing Jews who do not belong to a con- gregation and who often don't even represent Jewish inter- ests," said Rabbi Levin. Rabbi Baruch Plavnik, of Buenos Aires' Conservative Bet El Congregation pre- sented a brighter perspective. An identity crisis, he said, is at the root of Argentine Jews' assimilation. "The Argentine Jew," said Rabbi Plavnik, "feels that there is a contradiction be- tween being a Jew and being an Argentine, so he must choose between one identity or the other. There is only one way to save Argentine Jewish youth from total assimilation— teach them that to be Argen- tine and to be Jewish are not mutually exclusive." Rabbi Plavnik said that now, at a time of greater Jewish acceptance, this lesson becomes far easier to teach. Throughout its history, Argentina has had an am- biguous attitude towards Jews. Jews have been ad- mired and accepted as suc- cessful businessmen and in- tellectuals. Yet, Argentinians' own insecurity about their identity -has led to the crea- tion of intensely nationalistic groups that have resented Jews' success and who have claimed it occurred at the ex- pense of Argentina. This has put Jews in the awkward posi- tion of being accused of na- tionalist, communist ideas if they are poor and for betray- ing their country through capitalist-imperialist ideas if they are rich. Basically, Jews have re- acted in three ways to this ambiguity. Some Jews prefer to identify strictly as Argen- tines and to minimize their Jewish heritage. Some opt for a totally Jewish identity. And some reject their Jewish and Argentine identities in favor of a distinctly "European" identity. Many Jews who settled in the Barrio Once, the Jewish neighborhood of Buenos Aires, still speak Yiddish and send their children to