When Did Jews Begin to Return to Mexico?

1. When Did Jews Begin to Return to Mexico? • Began during the Porfiriato (1876-1910) • Often occurred among Sefardic Jews from Lebanon as a result of chain migration • Ottoman empire let non-Muslims leave in early 20th century • Many landed in Veracruz and began to engage in trade

2. Mexico • The organization of Jewish institutions in Mexico began in the early 20th century when Sephardic and Ashkenazi worked together to construct a synagogue and burial society. • Schlomo Lobatón, was named the first rabbi and helped found the first burial society in 1912. This was one of the last times that Sephardic and Ashkenazi groups worked together. • This occurred in the midst of the Mexican Revolution which lasted until 1920, and then the Cristero Rebellion from 1926-29. This highly Catholic resistance created opportunities for anti-Semitic acts that made many Jews feel unwelcome. • 1920-1930 3,656 Jews entered, ½ from Poland. From 1930-1940 only 1400 Jews arrived in Mexico and in 1933 most Eastern Europeans declared unaceptable

3. Locations of Lebanese Jewish Communities in Mexico • Unlike their Christian counterparts, Lebanese Jews made their communities in Mexico City • Many began as pedlars and made their way to other Mexican cities like Guadalajara. However, a small group—in 1938 2,000 compared to 15,000 Lebanese Christians • Each community had a rabbi who ran services in Arabic and trained boys for their roles and supervised kosher facilities. • Syrian and Lebanese Jews helped contribute to found the first Jewish cemetery in Mexico in 1912

4. Jewish Communities from Damascus • Arrived in the 1920s. Created the Mount Sinai Alliance 1935, and in 1938 those from Mount Aleppo founded the Sedaká and Marpé (Health and Benevolence) Society. • Arabic spoken at home and Spanish outside the house. Hebrew began to be taught to children as well. Children went to public schools near downtown Mexico City.

5. 20th Century Mexican Demography and Politics • Primarily rural society—90% • High illiteracy rate • Difficult to implant Jewish colonies because land already in hands of indigenous societies– JCA gave up in 1892 • Strong political presence of a Catholic right since 1800s • 1910-1930 Mexican Revolution—when added to Spanish influenza epidemic, the few Jews in Mexico decided to leave

6. Role of U.S. Jewish Groups in Mexico • Unlike Argentina, Mexico’s closeness to the US enabled the US Jewish community to influence the Mexican community in several ways. • Once US cut off immigration in 1921, US Jews decided to form the Asociación Mexicana para la Colonización Judía. Then Presdient Obregón open to the idea. • 1922 US Rabbbi Martin Zielonika arrived representing B’nai Brith—from El Paso—Helped found Alianza Monte Sinai • Jewish immigrants moved to Mexico, especially during the World Wars, to escape the draft in the U.S. They helped set up organizations such as the Young Men’s Hebrew Association as a gathering place. • These Jews tended to be wealthier and more educated than German immigrant Jews and thus this organization, as well as B’nai B’rith tended to serve different communities than other Jewish immigrant societies, especially over the issue of assimilation vs. Zionism or maintaining differences.

7. Role of Left-Wing Jewish Labor Organizations • As in Argentina, working-class European Jews tended to organize within political movements. Both Socialist and Communist groups formed, and each differed with the next over the issues of assimilation, Zionism and the role of secular Judaism

8. Nidkhei Israel • Ashkenazi group that broke away from Sephardic connections in 1906 over burial fees. • Founded their own synagogue and cemetery

9. The Spanish Civil War • In 1939 Spanish Civil War broke out and many Republican combatants fled to Mexico—first significant European immigration to Mexico in the 20th century. • Republican representatives were allowed to set up a government in exile in Mexico in 1945. • Approximately 2500 Jewish refugees made their way to Mexico • Mexico originally joined other Latin American nations to restrict immigration in 1937 but rescinded this in 1938 • During WWII 200,00 people from Europe applied to enter Mexico, but the government again hardened its anti-immigration stance. • However, Jewish immigrants became a central component of Mexico City’s intellectual and artistic community.