The largest event for young Jewish adults in Latin America filled the central convention center of Buenos Aires as 1,500 Jewish university students and young professionals from Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Brazil gathered for the Shabbat 1500 gala.
It was the fourth international Shabbat dinner organized by El Lazo Juventud Judia—the first and largest center for young Jewish adults in Latin America—established in 1995 by Rabbi Shlomo and Rochel Levy. There are approximately 200,000 Jews in Argentina, the largest Jewish community in Latin America.
Among the participants at the Shabbat dinner was Iair Kostovezky, 22, who studies business administration at Universidad de Palermo, near Buenos Aires, and who works as an administrator for a local business.
“I was anxious at first because I didn’t know anybody,” Kostovezky told Chabad.org. “But I was also excited. I felt more comfortable as the evening progressed, and I met lots of new people. In fact, the dinner inspired me to observe Shabbat.” Since the dinner, Kostovezky has become more involved with El Lazo and says that “El Lazo is more than a synagogue. It is a community, a place to meet others, a place where young people can come together.”
Albert Pustilnic, an engineer, traveled from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, just for the gala. “I wanted to share the energy of being at a Shabbat dinner with other young people and to get to know more Jewish young people,” he said.
Pustilnic added that he enjoyed the conversations without cell phones and hopes there will be more Shabbat dinners like it in other parts of Latin America, saying “we need to do more events like this, twice a year, and in other countries.”
A Critical Part of Jewish Life in South America
Rabbi Zalmi Levy—who helped coordinated the event with his wife, Rivkah, along with Rabbi Shalom and Tzipi Levy, and the hands-on assistance of 40 volunteers—explained that El Lazo, roughly translated as “ties” or “connection,” is a critical part of life for young Jews ages 18 to 35. Unlike in the United States, most students in Latin America do not live in dorms, and many work while in college. This makes forming and maintaining social ties a challenge.
“It is important to provide a space where young Jews can gather safely to share a meal, to learn Torah or to have their spiritual questions answered in a safe space,” Levy explained.
Preparation for Shabbat 1500 included banners hanging in the streets of Buenos Aires announcing the gala, as well as posts on social media.
Magali Roger, a 22-year-old studying social work at the University of Buenos Aires, echoed the sentiments of her peers:
“This was my first time participating. I loved the idea of so many young Jewish people getting together. I could not imagine at first what the evening would be like with so many in attendance, but I felt at home at the dinner, saw friends I had not seen in a long time and was able to connect with so many other young people.”
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