Marcus M. Gilban RSS

Marcus M. Gilban is JTA's correspondent in Rio de Janeiro. A freelance journalist and columnist, he contributes to Brazilian Jewish newspapers, magazines and news portals.

Latest

• Brazil’s Jewish history celebrated at Rio Carnival

  February 13, 2018 8:28am

  RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — The saga of the European Jewish refugees who established the first synagogue in the New World and eventually also North America’s first congregation was celebrated in Rio’s Carnival parade. A group of 80 Jewish community members joined more than 3,000 Portela samba school performers on Monday night as they paraded…

• Colombia extradites Israeli for drug and human trafficking

  February 5, 2018 8:05am

  RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — An Israeli citizen accused of belonging to an international crime organization was captured and extradited from Colombia. Binyamin Cohen, 35, was extradited on Sunday and will face trial in Israel on drug trafficking charges. He had been arrested in Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city, on crimes including arms trafficking, car robbery, home…

• B’nai B’rith honors Guatemalan president for embassy move to Jerusalem

  January 30, 2018 7:55am

  RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — The president of Guatemala was honored with an award from an international Jewish organization for his decision to move his country’s embassy to Jerusalem and for his unwavering support of Israel. Jimmy Morales received the Human Rights Award from global and regional B’nai B’rith officials during a ceremony Thursday in…

• Brazil extradites Israeli man convicted of killing Palestinian in 2004

  January 18, 2018 11:31am

  RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) – A German-Israeli man who fled to Brazil after being convicted in the killing of a Palestinian taxi driver in 2004 was extradited. Yehoshua Elitzur, 46, was arrested in Sao Paulo in 2014, putting an end to a decade-long manhunt. He left Brazil on Wednesday and was scheduled to appear in…

• Personal trainer sued for displaying swastika tattoo at Brazilian Jewish club

  January 17, 2018 8:06am

  RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — Rio’s Jewish community sued a gym teacher hired by a Jewish club who unveiled a swastika tattooed on his triceps. Personal trainer Rodrigo Silva, who works at a gym center operating inside the Brazilian Israelite Club, published a picture and a video on social media showing him working out while…

• Uruguayan hostel rejects Israeli guests over owner’s anti-Israel political view

  January 14, 2018 6:36am

  RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — A Uruguayan hotelier rejected an Israeli couple as guests claiming he disagrees with Israeli politics. Amit Bradush, 22, and his partner received a personalized message from the hotelier via the  Booking.com platform explaining their reservation had been canceled because his political view was “very contrary to the policies of your…

• Brazilian Jew named central banker of the year

  January 11, 2018 7:45am

  RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — Brazil’s Central Bank president, an Israeli native, was named central banker of the year by a British magazine. Ilan Goldfajn, who was born in Haifa and raised in Rio de Janeiro, was selected by The Banker magazine due to his successful performance taming Latin America’s largest nation’s annual inflation. Since…

• El Salvador, last nation to shut down its Jerusalem embassy, will not move back

  January 2, 2018 6:31am

  RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — El Salvador, the last nation to shut down its Jerusalem embassy, will not be moving back to the Israeli capital. “We will not move our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem out of respect for the peace process in the Middle East and particularly Israel and Palestine,” the Central American…

• Brazilian expats help countrymen navigate high-tech industry in Israel

  December 21, 2017 9:36am

  RAANANA, Israel (JTA) — The Israeli city that is home to the country’s largest Brazilian community hosted a pioneering event to boost the professional network in the high-tech industry for immigrants from Latin America’s largest country. Some 150 people attended the first “From Brazilians to Brazilians,” an event held here Wednesday featuring lectures and panels…

• Latin American Jews honor Guatemala’s education minister for Holocaust project

  December 20, 2017 6:16am

  RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — Latin American Jewish officials honored Guatemala’s education minister for promoting studies about the Holocaust in schools. Both the Latin American Jewish Congress and the country’s Jewish community recognized Oscar Hugo Lopez’s efforts to promote programs aimed at disseminating and sensitizing the impact of the Holocaust through education, as well as…