How is this our last full day in Argentina? The time has passed so quickly because we have been enjoying each other so much. We have become so much closer as a group since the beginning of the trip, and this has become a truly unbreakable bond.

Today began with options including morning Shabbat services, a local breakfast outside of the hostel, or to sleep in. After that, we all met up to take a walking tour of the city and we ended up in the park for a picnic lunch. We had a very long and informative discussion with Katina, who is working on a JDC fellowship in Buenos Aires. She had a lot to say about her experiences in the JDC and it is safe to say that some people on this trip have now been inspired to apply for this fellowship.

After the picnic lunch, we attended an art fair and got to purchase local Argentinian merchandise for ourselves and family/friends. Some of us tried our hand at bargaining with the sellers, but it was not very successful. After days of service, we experienced a day of tourism, and it felt very refreshing. It brought the trip full-circle and it really added to the whole Argentinian experience.

After our day of tourist-like activity, we had dinner at the local Moishe house. A Moishe house is a house for Jews that are post-college and pre-marriage, and they hold social programming events for the local Jewish community. We ate sushi for dinner (in Argentina?) and held a Havdalah service with them. After a very enlightening dinner, we went out to experience Argentinian nightlife. It is hard to believe that our trip has nearly come to an end, as this is our last full day here. Today was very bittersweet, as it added a lot to the trip but it is among the last hours that the whole group will spend together. As the trip winds down, that means the blog is also winding down, and I love this blog…

Today was so eventful I don’t even know where to begin. We visited several different sites and observed Shabbat, so the group is now understandably tired. But since when has a little lack of sleep hurt us? We are a mighty tough group. But I digress…

We began the day with a visit to AMIA, (Asociacion Mutual Israelita Argentina), which serves as the umbrella organization for all Jewish organizations in Argentina. It is well known for its 1994 terrorist attack in which 85 people were killed. We held a short memorial service in its honor. When the building was rebuilt, large barricades were placed in front of it and every safety precaution was taken. We felt very protected while inside the building. The visit was rather short but very productive.

After our visit to AMIA, we stopped at LeDor VaDor, a retirement home for elderly Argentinian Jews. Within the large, state-of-the-art center, there is a day-care center, Baby Help, started by JDC’s very own Vivianna. We spent time and sang songs with young and adorable children. After our short stint in the day-care center, we ate lunch with elderly residents. They were all incredibly engaging and genuine. The language barrier was not as large as usual, as most of them were able to communicate with us in English.  The experience is definitely one that none of us will ever forget. We took a quick tour of the facility, and then we were on our way to the next stop.

Our next stop was a visit to the Tel Aviv School, where we toured the facility, met with some of the students and held Kabbalat Shabbat with them. They were very grateful to host us and they performed a melody of songs for our enjoyment. There were murals throughout the building from other American college groups, including Wisconsin and Cornell, and it made us feel a sense of community among past groups that came and contributed their time and effort.

After our visit to the school, we came back to the hostel for a quick break to get ready for Shabbat. We began in the Hostel with the lighting of Shabbat candles, and the making of Shabbat-grams, all led by the Shabbat committee. Shabbat-grams are short, anonymous notes to people stating the good qualities we find in them and what we enjoy about them. After all of this was done, we hopped on the bus to head over to NCI Emanuel Synagogue for services and dinner.

The services were very well attended, and we could really see how strong the Jewish community in Argentina is. After a very fun and entertaining service, we had dinner with some Buenos Aires youths. They all spoke English very well and were very outgoing. After dinner, we came back to the hostel for Oneg Shabbat. We reflected on our experiences of the day and read our Shabbat-grams. They all made us feel incredibly good about ourselves, and it was a great way to end the day. Only one full day left in Argentina, where has the time gone?!

After another long bus ride, Buenos Aires has welcomed us with open arms.

But before we left, we had some business to take care of. We raced to apply the finishing touches to the newly renovated SUIM facility, and then we had our big revealing ceremony. SUIM faculty and community members gathered to see the newly painted gym, classroom and mural. We also presented them with gifts ranging from picture frames to Northeastern apparel. It was very fulfilling to see all of the happy faces and we felt very proud of what we accomplished.

Gym before

After we bid our final farewells, we left for la Casualidad, a large recreational area outside of Mar del Plata. We enjoyed playing with dogs, rock climbing, miniature golf, archery and last but certainly not least, human foosball. Human foosball was an incredibly new and exciting experience. There was a small court for soccer, with harnesses set in designated areas. Players were put in these harnesses, and could only move within a certain small radius, much like foosball. Once the soccer ball was put in play, crazy dirty fun ensued. After about two hours of playing around like we were in summer camp again, we sat down for a large feast of a lunch. It was a grand barbeque with meats and vegetables grilled with a local flavor.

Gym after!

It all tasted incredible, and to say we were full would be an understatement. After lunch, we hopped on the bus to head to Buenos Aires.

After a five hour bus ride, we arrived in the nation’s capitol and checked into our hostel. Our group discussion focused on the allocation of scarce resources within underdeveloped communities, which is the problem the JDC faces every day. Although the JDC has vast resources, they are not unlimited. There are still various Jewish communities that are in desperate need of help, and we all should try to do what we can for them. After our discussion, we went to a local ice cream shop and enjoyed various local flavors. We get to wake up slightly later tomorrow morning (yay!), and then we are off to begin service work in the Buenos Aires Jewish community. The trip is already more than halfway done! It feels like we just got here….

How have three days already passed? The local community center, SUIM, as well as the group, is really coming together.  We once again awoke early, but today we began the day with a short tour. We drove through the residential neighborhoods, the naval base and the fish market/shipping area. It was very informative, and we were able to gain a greater perspective on the city of Mar del Plata.

After the tour, we returned to SUIM to continue our service work. We split up into two different groups, one to continue fixing up areas of the community center, and one to visit elderly JDC clients. The experiences with the clients varied, but they were all very insightful into those who were affected by the economic crisis of the early 2000s. The JDC helps these elderly Jews by supporting them financially after they lost all of their savings in the recent economic hardships.

After the visits with JDC clients, we all returned to continue working at SUIM, which included a visit by a local elderly women’s organization. Though our time together was short, they greatly appreciated it. They do not often get to speak with local youths, so getting to be with us was a great experience for them. Group member Nicole Russo added, “I had a really fulfilling experience today! Meeting with the elderly Jewish community of Mar del Plata was unbelievable and I can’t believe how much we connected despite the language barrier”. Jason Pollock, nicknamed “colo” (Spanish for “ginger”) said, “To make a stranger smile is priceless. You can’t put a dollar figure on that.”

After we finished our day of service work, we cleaned up and went for Jason Pressberg’s favorite part of the day, circle discussion time. The discussion was initiated by David Sandler, and we then split up into small groups to talk about different text excerpts relating to Judaism. It was incredibly insightful, and we all learned more about Jewish values relating to service and what it means to be Jewish.

After circle discussion time, we ate dinner at a seafood restaurant with the same group of youths we ate dinner with last night. It was great to be able to reconnect with them and enjoy another evening with them before we leave for Buenos Aires. We head out tomorrow, and could not be more excited to be in Argentina’s capital! Hasta luego!

Painting entrance at the JCC

Que pasa American friends?! Our first full day in Argentina was quite a long one, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. We woke up bright and early for breakfast to fuel up for the long work day ahead of us. We then made our way over to the local JCC, but here it is called the SUIM (pronounced “swim”). It stands for Sociedad Unión Israelita Marplatense.

When we arrived, the building seemed run-down. Many rooms were dusty and cluttered, desperate for a new paint job. We got right to work, splitting up into teams to fix up a gym, a classroom and the front of the building. We broke our backs cleaning, and then applied fresh paint, giving the building new life.

Painting at the JCC

Multiple coffee and meal breaks were supplied by the generous and outgoing chef Susy. She doesn’t speak much English, but we love her anyway. After a long day of arduous work, we came back to the hotel for quick showers and siestas. We then regrouped in the hotel for a group discussion. The discussion was very deep, and we covered topics such as community, peoplehood, and our personal experiences with Judaism. Many opinions were expressed and we established  a “safe zone”, where all were free to speak their minds without fear of judgement. This has brought us much closer as a group, and we are looking forward to future discussions.

After the discussion, we returned to SUIM for dinner with local Argentinian youths. They were very outgoing and excited to practice their English. There might have been a language barrier, but we still managed to learn a lot from them and become fast friends. They quickly expressed their gratitude for our service work, saying that they had never thought the gym could be as clean as it was, as it had not been painted in at least 15 years.

We also played basketball with them, and Andrea Cohen won the first game of knockout! It was very thrilling, and it is an experience she will never forget. Now we are very exhausted and ready for bed, excited for another day of work at SUIM that is certain to make a positive impact on the lives of our new friends!!

Hola from Mar del Plata!

After a nearly 24-hour trip, we have arrived in the exotic, picturesque land of Argentina. We are all tired, well fed and excited to start our service with the JDC.

Our trip was separated in three parts, two by plane and one by bus. Our first plane took off at 7:40 pm on Sunday the 29th, and the bus arrived at our hotel at 6 pm today, the 30th. We then received random roommate assignments, with 2 people to each room. The rooms are rather small and cozy, perfect for each person to bond and get closer with one another.

We met with our Argentinian trip leaders, Yael and Viviana, and had a long, in-depth discussion with them. We discussed what we hope to accomplish on the trip, the goals and purpose of the JDC, and the JDC’s presence in Argentina. It was very informative and has prepared us well for the long week we have ahead of us.

We then went out for an exquisite dinner at La Trattoria, an Italian restaurant not too far from the hotel. Afterwards, we hung out in the lobby, with our eyes clear and bellies full, excited for the week ahead of us!!

To quote the great Jackie Robinson, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives”.

P.S. Lexie watched War Horse on the plane, she really enjoyed it and spent a good portion of it crying.

We’re heading to Argentina with JDC Short-Term Service this spring! Check out our “get to know us” post on Northeastern Hillel’s website.