Jewish Museum of Buenos Aires

The Jewish Museum of Buenos Aires belongs to the Israeli Congregation of the Argentine Republic (CIRA) and was founded on October 22, 1967, through the initiative of Dr. Salvador Kibrick. He donated, from his own collection, a torah (Pentateuch), sidurim (books of prayers), pictures, ancient books, coins and other objects that represented aspects of the Jewish culture through their symbolic value.

The permanent exhibition illustrates the history of Jewish colonies in the country, mainly driven by immigrants who fled from the persecution of different governments and towns in Old Europe.  The first Jews to massively immigrate to the country arrived thanks to the actions of the Jewish Colonization Association, a philanthropic organization presided by Baron Hirsch, who dedicated himself to help mitigate the difficult circumstances under which European Jews lived. In this way, the Baron laid the foundation for this colonization enterprise that, with the support of the legal conditions of our country (the Immigration and Colonization Act, also known as Avellaneda Act), was able to establish a large number of settlements in rural areas, and create a new emerging heritage by virtue of different and varied cultural identities.

The Museum tells the story of the Jewish community in our country, offering guided visits in Spanish, English, French, German, Hebrew, and Portuguese to both the Museum and the First Synagogue of the Argentine Republic. Opening hours are 11 AM – 6 PM, Tuesday thru Thursdays, and 11 AM – 5 PM on Fridays.