An Argentine Jewish student attending the Rabbinical School of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America here, reported today that 6,000 Argentinian Jews and non-Jews marched yesterday in Buenos Aires to urge government action on a growing spate of anti-Semitic incidents and violations of human rights.
Rolando Matalon, who is also a student at the Rabbinical Latino Americano in Buenos Aires, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, that the march was sponsored by the Jewish Movement for Human Rights (JMHR), a national organization. Matalon, who has been studying at the Conservative seminary here for two years, said the demonstration was led by Rabbi Marshall Meyer, director of the Buenos Aires Seminary.
Matalon stressed that the JMHR was completely independent of the DAIA, the central representative body of Argentine Jewry, and that the JMHR is the first such movement within the Argentine Jewish community to “go public.”
The JTA was told that there was a feeling among JMHR leaders, including Rabbi Meyer, that the DAIA would have preferred the protest march not take place. This was conveyed to Meyer both before and after the march.
Among the events which have disturbed Argentine Jews have been an increase in the smearing of swastikas on synagogues, occasional kidnapping of Argentine Jews for ransom and the need for increased police protection for synagogues during the recent High Holy Days.
Matalon, a resident of Buenos Aires, said he was close to Rabbi Meyer and that the Rabbi had called him to tell him of plans for the protest march. He said he had called Meyer today to find out what happened.
Matalon said Meyer reported that not only was there no police interference with the protest march but that police provided protection for the marchers. Matalon said he did not know the proportion of Jews to non-Jews among the 6,000 demonstrators. He said he had been told they marched quietly through the streets and that the event ended with addresses by several speakers, including Meyer.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
