History of the Jews in El Salvador
Encyclopedia
Jews
have been present in El Salvador
since the early 19th century, starting with Sephardic French Jews and continuing with the arrival of World War II
Ashkenazi refugees.
Jerusalén is a municipality in the La Paz department of El Salvador. It was named by the Cordova family, more specifically by Juan Cordova. They were Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain.
During the Salvadoran Civil War many Jews left the country. The Comunidad Israelita de El Salvador
was established in 1944 with a Jewish community center opening in 1945 and a synagogue in 1950
were inaugurated in the past decade. The Comunidad Israelita de El Salvador holds services on Friday, Shabbat
morning, and on holy days. For Pesach, Rosh Hashannah, Sukkot, Channukah, Purim and Yom Haatzmaut the women's committee organizes meals for the community to share and celebrate together.
University students have a Jewish students association, EJES (Estudiantes Judíos de El Salvador), and a Zionist group, FUSLA (Federación de Universitarios Sionistas de Latinoamérica), both of which are active throughout the year. For adults, the community offers different educational classes in Hebrew and other topics of interest. The "Chevra of Women" offers a course in Jewish cooking, and there is a monthly Jewish bulletin called el Kehilatón, which advertises synagogue events. The Noar Shelanu youth movement, to which about 30 children age 8–18 belong, meets weekly. The kindergarten
for young children also meets weekly. Two emissaries teach Hebrew and Judaism
.
. In 2006, El Salvador announced plans to move the embassy to Tel Aviv
where the rest of the embassies are located. This has been met by controversy, with many believing this decision to be under the influence of the Palestinian community and the President himself, Tony Saca, who is of Palestinian descent.
One of the few times of tension between the two countries was during the civil war, when the Israeli Honorary Consul was kidnapped and murdered by guerrillas.
, diplomat who provided Salvadoran nationality papers to tens of thousands of Jews during World War II.
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
have been present in El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
since the early 19th century, starting with Sephardic French Jews and continuing with the arrival of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Ashkenazi refugees.
History of the Jews in El Salvador
Open support of the Fascists during the 1930s hampered Jewish security, but the situation improved after World War II. On Sept. 11, 1948, El Salvador recognized the State of Israel, and in 1956 the Instituto Cultural El Salvador-Israel was founded.Jerusalén is a municipality in the La Paz department of El Salvador. It was named by the Cordova family, more specifically by Juan Cordova. They were Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain.
During the Salvadoran Civil War many Jews left the country. The Comunidad Israelita de El Salvador
Comunidad Israelita de El Salvador
The Comunidad Israelita de El Salvador is the communal name for the Jewish community of El Salvador. The community is centralized at the synagogue in San Salvador, which is the only synagogue in El Salvador.- History :...
was established in 1944 with a Jewish community center opening in 1945 and a synagogue in 1950
1990s
The signing of peace treaties in 1991 led to the return of several Jewish couples with children who had moved elsewhere during the Salvadoran civil war. A new community center and synagogueSynagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
were inaugurated in the past decade. The Comunidad Israelita de El Salvador holds services on Friday, Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
morning, and on holy days. For Pesach, Rosh Hashannah, Sukkot, Channukah, Purim and Yom Haatzmaut the women's committee organizes meals for the community to share and celebrate together.
University students have a Jewish students association, EJES (Estudiantes Judíos de El Salvador), and a Zionist group, FUSLA (Federación de Universitarios Sionistas de Latinoamérica), both of which are active throughout the year. For adults, the community offers different educational classes in Hebrew and other topics of interest. The "Chevra of Women" offers a course in Jewish cooking, and there is a monthly Jewish bulletin called el Kehilatón, which advertises synagogue events. The Noar Shelanu youth movement, to which about 30 children age 8–18 belong, meets weekly. The kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
for young children also meets weekly. Two emissaries teach Hebrew and Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
.
Relations with Israel
Israel has an embassy in San SalvadorSan Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
. In 2006, El Salvador announced plans to move the embassy to Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
where the rest of the embassies are located. This has been met by controversy, with many believing this decision to be under the influence of the Palestinian community and the President himself, Tony Saca, who is of Palestinian descent.
One of the few times of tension between the two countries was during the civil war, when the Israeli Honorary Consul was kidnapped and murdered by guerrillas.
See also
José Castellanos ContrerasJosé Castellanos Contreras
José Arturo Castellanos Contreras was a Salvadoran army colonel and diplomat who, while working as El Salvador's Consul General for Geneva during World War II, and in conjunction with a Jewish-Hungarian businessman named György Mandl, helped save up to 40,000 Jews and Central Europeans from Nazi...
, diplomat who provided Salvadoran nationality papers to tens of thousands of Jews during World War II.