Campaign aims to help Jews in Argentina
April 30, 2002
by Teddy Kider and Rachel Rubin
In response to the growing economic crisis in Argentina, a group of students organized the Scholem Aleichem Campaign, to increase awareness and raise money for the Jewish Argentinian community, where many families are living well below the poverty line. Eight students, along with faculty adviser Aileen Goldstein, began a partnership with the Scholem Aleichem Jewish Day School in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to fund a lunch program for 45 students whose families cannot currently provide food for them.
“Because of the present situation, lunch is the only meal that many of these students may receive during the day,” said the campaign’s Project Coordinator Joel Kliksberg. “The Scholem Aleichem Campaign is working to raise funds to contribute to the food assistance program which the school is currently providing.”
Goldstein has high hopes that the campaign will increase k’lal yisrael, the entirety of the Jewish people around the world.
“This program is a very good way to enhance the school’s interests in k’lal yisrael and to make it a very real notion that we, as Jews living in America, can really make a difference for Jews living somewhere else,” said Goldstein.
“I firmly believe that as Jews we have an obligation to take care of Jews around the world in a time of need, and now more than ever the Argentinian Jews are in a time of need,” she said.
The Scholem Aleichem School, which caters to students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, is one of 82 Jewish schools in Buenos Aires.
The school’s enrollment has dropped from 1,500 students in 1997 to a current enrollment of 850 students, according to Kliksberg.
“Seventy-five percent of students currently receive some form of financial aid. Last year, 11 percent of students had to leave the school because of financial reasons, and 6 percent of students left the country,” said the campaign’s Director of Education Reena Teichman.
The campaign will kick off during an after school program at the Lerner Family Upper School Campus, on May 7.
“We want to have a big program and invite the entire community. Our main goal is to educate people about the situation in Argentina,” said the campaign’s Director of Events Joshua Goldkind.
“We have invited Dr. Ernesto May, the World Bank Director for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management for Latin America, to speak about the economic situation, and Rabbi Jeffrey Wohlberg of Adas Israel Congregation to speak about the Jewish community in Argentina,” he said.
In addition to raising awareness about Argentina, the kickoff program, together with other sources, is designed to raise money for the Scholem Aleichem Campaign.
Several student organizations will contribute to the campaign.
The Student Council decided to help raise money for the campaign by holding a raffle, and a coin drive during Color War to collect tzedakah.
“Our goal is to raise a lot of money for this important cause, and we hope to accomplish this in two ways,” said Student Council President Alexandra Charrow. “First, we are holding a coin drive during color war where students will have to bring in change in exchange for points. We are also trying to organize a raffle with a really great prize so we can donate all the proceeds to help the Jewish community in Argentina,” she said.
In addition to the Student Council’s events, each grade government has decided to help raise awareness and raise money for the campaign.
The sophomore class already decided to donate a portion of the profits they receive from the pre-Color War Dance to the campaign effort.
“We’re giving a dollar from every ticket sale to help out the campaign,” said Sophomore Grade Government Co-President Jaimie Shapiro.
The freshman class will hold a baby sitting program for Lower School children on a professional day, and the junior class opted to organize a JDStival later in the year, from which a portion of the profits will go to the campaign.
According to Principal Rabbi Reuven Greenvald, the campaign is a good opportunity for students to help Jewish communities throughout the world.
“This campaign not only provides much needed assistance to the Jewish community in Argentina and to the Scholem Aleichem School and its students, that are so similar to ours, but it is also a great opportunity for JDS students to learn the meaning of Tikkun Olam and to reach out to our community here and abroad,” said Greenvald.
“In a very important and real way we are changing and helping the lives of these students,” said Goldstein. “Even more than kids getting the education, we are giving kids food. We can make the biggest impact.”
For more information visit the Scholem Aleichem Campaign's website at
www.cesjds.org/~argentina
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