Aside from that McDonald’s, a map of kosher restaurants and establishments geared to the Orthodox is published. Among the restaurants listed are at least three that serve sushi and others that serve the favorite Argentine food after steak and hamburgesas – pizza. Numerous shops catering to Jews sell religious items, books, wigs and garments acceptable to the Orthodox.

The question of exactly how many Jews there are in Argentina is one of debate. Reputable sources cite figures that range from a low of 184,500 to a high of 595,000. (The national population is 38 million.)

Laura Szames, the assistant director of the Jewish Museum and Cultural Center, cited a figure of 250,000, down from 500,000 in 1960. Regardless, Buenos Aires has the largest Jewish population in Latin America.

Szames attributed the wide range of population estimates to the old debate over who exactly is a Jew. Rather than mass emigration or a precipitous drop in the birth rate, Szames attributed the fall in the numbers in part to assimilation. There are people whose grandparents are buried in Jewish cemeteries, who think of themselves as Jewish, she said, who are not counted by official number-counters.

Szames said that there were more Orthodox Jews now than earlier, but she said that it only appeared, because of their distinctive dress, that Orthodox Jews dominated the local population. There are more than 80 synagogues in Buenos Aires, she said, and they cater to all varieties of Judaism. Szames said she attended a Reform congregation.

We spoke in the magnificent space of the Templo Libertad, a historic center for Conservative Judaism adjacent to the small museum, which serves, in part, as a visitor’s center to the much larger temple. Built downtown between 1897 and 1932 in neo-Byzantine style, the temple served a middle-class Jewish population before much of it moved to greener neighborhoods after World War II.

The fact that Jews are now dispersed throughout the city, not clustered downtown or to the rag-trade district of Once, speaks to the ease in which Jews live today in Argentina.

While I was visiting last spring, Hasidic rapper Matisyahu performed in one of the city’s large music halls, his prayer shawl-covered head appearing on billboards all over town. There were backlit posters in the subway for Passover explaining that “Pesach Means Freedom.” And Israeli writer David Grossman was the subject of the cover story of the weekly cultural supplement of La Nacion, the country’s major news daily.

But recent history has put Argentine Jews on guard. Two violent attacks on Jewish institutions left more than 100 dead. In 1992, the Israeli Embassy was bombed, killing 30, and in 2004, the Jewish service organization AMIA was bombed. The names of the 86 killed in the unsolved terrorist attack are scrawled on a billboard across the building’s façade to chilling effect.

Today, Jewish institutions are barricaded and guarded by young men who fiercely scrutinize would-be visitors.

“The bombings were the worst things that ever happened for Jews in Buenos Aires,” Szames said. “My uncle took his children out of Jewish schools because he was so afraid. People stopped coming to our community center.”

The temple’s rabbi, Dr. Simon Moguilevsky, answered my question about the barricades with resignation. “It’s the same for Jews all over the world,” he said. “You have to pass through similar barriers to enter the Great Synagogue in Paris.” When I expressed surprise, he said, “Ah, but you’re from the United States.”

Szames said that even more worrisome to Buenos Aires Jews is the fragile economic situation. The bottom fell out of the economy in 2001 and a formerly prosperous country had to confront widespread poverty for the first time. It is estimated that more than a million homeless people have constructed shantytowns on the outskirts of the city.

“The Jewish population of Buenos Aires was largely middle class,” Szames said. “After the financial collapse we found that there are many homeless Jewish families living in the ‘villas miseria’ (the Argentines term for the slums). That comes as a shock to the community.”

Szames said that American Jews visiting Buenos Aires have a rewarding time. “American Jewish tourists are fascinated,” she said. “They always go to the kosher McDonald’s even if they don’t keep kosher at home. We hold a seder for tourists every year – last year more than 200 came. It is a revelation for Americans, I think, to see how another diasporan community adapted.”

I got a confirmation of sorts from what Szames said on the roof terrace of the apartment I was renting. Another renter was Anna Grantham-Gold, an Orthodox Jew from England, who was visiting her daughter.

Grantham-Gold, who was sunbathing, told me that she had gone to a wonderful kosher restaurant the night before. She said that because the only kosher butcher had shut down in her small English city, her family had become by default vegetarian. She was enjoying eating out according to her ritual in a city where she could eat meat. When Grantham-Gold went to the temple, she said the rabbi invited them to Shabbat dinner. “We immediately met a new crop of friends.”
________________________
FUENTE:
“Exploring Jewish Buenos Aires”
By David Bonetti, Special to the Light
Thursday, August 26, 2010
http://www.stljewishlight.com
http://www.stljewishlight.com/features/article_585ccd42-b063-11df-b832-001cc4c03286.html

The country has 15 projects in the development pipeline representing 1,700 rooms, according to STR Global. Of those 1,700 rooms, 68.9% or 1,172, are currently in the in-construction phase of development.

Argentina’s pipeline is bested in South America only by tourism mecca Brazil, which shows 51 projects comprising 7,042 rooms.

“The market in South America is going very well,” said Arturo Garcia Rosa, president of HVS Argentina.

The city of Buenos Aires has been performing at a particularly high level for hotels. The market’s occupancy skyrocketed 87.3% to 62.5% in July in year-over-year comparisons, according to STR Global. Meantime, average daily rate increased 15.8% to US$134.48 and revenue per available room zoomed 116.9% to US$83.99.

Garcia Rosa attributed the uptick to a return of leisure travelers caused by Buenos Aires being featured prominently in several travel magazines. “Buenos Aires is a market that’s tremendous,” he said. “There’s been a strong performance of luxury.”

He added, “Buenos Aires is one of those cities (where) every year you look at Conde Nast Traveler, and it’s one of the 10 cities that are selected for travelers.”

Bucking the trend

South America as a whole held together reasonably well during the downturn and has been showing signs of a rebound of late, he said.

“The main markets in South America are recovering,” Garcia Rosa said. “The coasts have been doing very well.”

Colombia and Venezuela are not recovering as well. Garcia Rosa believes this could be related to the tense relations between the two countries caused after former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said Venezuela was being used as a hideout for rebels associated with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

Colombia was one of only five countries in which ADR decreased during July, according to STR Global analysis. Rate dropped 2.2% to COP248,859.58 (US$136.77).

Venezuela seemed to fare better, at least according to the data, showing increases in all three metrics. Occupancy increased 5% to 64.4%; ADR jumped 78.3% to VEB771.36 (US$179.41); and RevPAR was up 87.3% to VEB496.37 (US$115.45).

Development trends

Most of the development thus far has come in the way of mixed-use developments, said Garcia Rosa, who also is president of the South American Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference being held 27-28 September in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

Developers are choosing hotels to anchor their developments, he said. These developments generally include higher-end properties, especially in Argentina. Garcia Rosa added that secondary cities in particular are being targeted. The generally low cost of land in South America has added fuel to the development fire.

“Real estate developers understand they can take advantage of hotels,” Garcia Rosa said.

Argentina should have no oversupply concerns. The number of projects in the pipeline isn’t an overwhelming amount, Garcia Rosa said.

“Demand is there,” he said.
______________________________
SOURCE:
“Argentina shows development promise”
26 August 2010 8:02 AM
By Shawn A. Turner
Associate News Editor
Shawn@HotelNewsNow.com
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com
http://www.hotelnewsnow.com/Articles.aspx?ArticleId=3914&ArticleType=35&PageType=News

Transport throughout the city of Buenos Aires is tough to say the least, I have found problems in nearly every form of transport that have taken. Be it delays, overcrowding or just incredibly confusing! But last week I made a discovery. Bicycles.

Its a great feeling to be able to leave exactly when you want, no more getting lost on buses or finding yourself stuck next to the snoring old man on the bus. By bike you can see the city in comfort and with all the flexibility that you could want. There is even the opportunity to skip past the bulky cars stuck in traffic. You can see the sights and the vibes of the city whilst keeping fit and learning the back roads of town.

There are numerous great places where you can really enjoy cycling in Buenos Aires from the rolling parks of Palermo to the culturally rich area of Recolleta. Take a trail that mixes different areas of town and historical sites. A really insightful way to explore the city is to take a Buenos Aires bike tour, a local can tell you much more about the city than you would ever be able to learn from books

Urban Adventures is the appropriately named enterprise that organises these Bike tours. They are situated in Palermo and organise for small groups of tourists, on brilliantly planned routes though the best parks of the city and also into the backstreets of the centre.

Dance instructor would be a 31-year-old Chilean Enzo Hoces who had his first tango lesson from his dad at the age of seven and has been hooked since then. After attending classes, joining competitions and reaching the finals, Enzo accepted invitations to teach in Brazil, Paris, Madrid, and Russia.

“I am very happy and excited to teach my different styles of tango to the Filipinos as I was told that they are excellent dancers. Having the Latin blood embedded in their veins, I am sure that beginners can easily pick up the dance,” says Enzo.

Enzo will teach the Tango Argentina, milonguero style, tango salon and tango Nuevo as well as the Milonga traspie, and the Waltz to groups divided into beginners, intermediate and advanced levels.

Ironically enough, the Tango Argentina, the particular type most serious dancers swear by had its origins in society’s underbelly, the brothels of Buenos Aires, until it was performed at a fashionable salon in Paris, gained popularity, and henceforth came to be synonymous with the glamour and elegance of the upper class.

Admitting that Tango Argentina can be most addictive, Enzo is one of the thousands who have found in it a solution to their ailment be it spiritual, physical, or mental. Chita herself discovered the dance form in Paris and got so involved in it that she took up her instructor Pablo Veron’s advice to go to Buenos Aires, Argentina where the dance form emanated.

And now, Chita who stays half the year in Paris and half in Argentina wants to share her discoveries with the Filipinos by staging this series of workshops.

Montreal communications consultant Keith Elshaw is even more effusive. When asked by research student Rita Alcaire if Tango was a big part of his life, he replied, “Excuse me? Tango IS my life. Tango has shown me how to communicate more effectively; how to be with people and how to approach life. It continues to show me the way to enjoy ‘the moment’ and reap life’s rewards (which involves relationships).”

Today’s youth in Argentina and other big cities all over the world have started to discover themselves through the Tango’s own unique character, and why the dance art form has become more powerful than ever.

Persisting with his verbal homage to the Tango, Elshaw continues, “Certainly Tango asks for expression, sensuality, sensitivity, compassion, humility, honesty and generosity. While we’re dancing, I feel blessed. When all the full panoply of alluring chemistry happens, I am reduced to moving, walking, standing in sway with body contact; ‘figures’ or the need for variety – even Tango itself are a distant abstraction. There is only the emotional intimations and swell of the music, the intoxication of my partner’s embrace and my gratitude to her for the moment; enjoying it… with no thought for it being anything but holding, taking, giving. Here, I know bliss. Tango dancing has receded, but only Tango could have brought me here. So, I love it more than ever.”

There seems to be certainly nothing more one could ask of Tango enthusiasts, tangeras as Chita calls themselves. For inquiries and reservations, call 09155189116. Workshop starts Sept. 1, Monday through Saturday 1-6 p.m., Bodypoint Studio, Makati Cinema Square, Makati.

(The author has been a journalist with the original Manila Times publications, Mirror Magazine, ABC Channel 5, before turning events & celebrity manager, and freelance writer)
_______________________________
SOURCE:
“Authentic Tango Argentina comes to Manila”
Observer
By BIBSY CARBALLO
August 29, 2010
http://www.mb.com.ph
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/274678/authentic-tango-argentina-comes-manila

And then, a week later, I did it again.

I freely admit that the five hours I spent watching “Eat Pray Love” were not my finest. But as soon as Liz Gilbert, the author of the memoir that started this whole mess, suffered a new age bullshit-laced breakdown in her friend’s office and declared her intention to run away to the world for a year, I was hooked.

It felt like I was looking in a mirror. At the beginning of this summer, I was what is commonly referred to in these parts as “a hot mess.” My grades were unremarkable, my hair was frizzled, my relationship had fizzled. Instead of a flashy internship or a volunteer position teaching children/convicts/children convicts to read, I elected to study abroad in Buenos Aires. I, too, ran away to the world on a mission to EAT, to PRAY and to LOVE.

EAT

There is a scene in “Eat Pray Love” in which Liz takes her sprightly Swedish friend Sophie to Naples for a day because their life in Rome — Italian lessons, elaborate dinners, Vespas ­— has become a grind. The women order two cheese pies at a bustling pizzeria and Liz digs in. Sophie blanches at the sight of so many calories on one plate and declines.

“I have a muffin top,” she says.

“Poppycock,” says Liz. She too has a muffin top.

Her mouth glistens with mozzarella and self-righteousness as she tells Sophie she is giving up on “guilt” and admonishes her to do the same. They will simply buy bigger pants to accommodate their bigger asses and their centeredness.

This struck a chord with me. My days in Buenos Aires were organized around food — breakfasts of tea, toast and a weird jam whose fruit source I never determined and dinners based on meat, bread and more meat. After a three-hour seminar on playwriting in the era of the Proceso, my classmates and I would smother our feelings in fresh pasta or empanadas.

I clearly remember sitting at the kitchen table in my friend’s host mother’s apartment one afternoon. We were chasing miniature alfajores — dense yet delicate shortbread sandwiches — with instant coffee. Our fingers were caked with powdered sugar and I’m pretty sure I had dulce de leche in my hair.

We moaned like the obnoxious 30-something-year-old women in those yogurt commercials — “Catch the bouquet at your friend’s wedding good” / “Do it with the hot best man on the golf course good” — or like Liz and Sophie.

Fuck the fact that our pants, much like those of Liz and Sophie, no longer fit. When you’re in the middle of a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I learned, you say yes to everything that is delicious and you worry about your ass later.

PRAY

I threatened to walk out of the movie theater when an escaped, painted circus elephant with mystical powers walked up to Liz as she prepared to leave an ashram in India for a beach hut in Bali.

“If she gets on that elephant,” I told my friend, “I am leaving.”

Luckily, Liz kept her flip flops planted on terra firma and I kept my M&Ms in my stomach. Though there were no painted elephants strolling through Buenos Aires, there was a large Impressionist-style watercolor poster of Anne Frank in the hallway outside my room in my host mother, Pilar’s, apartment.

Pilar often invited me to her special Shabbat dinners. One of the first questions she asked on meeting me was whether or not I was Jewish. Every conversation we had over dinner turned back to a) the Holocaust or b) which celebrities were secretly Jewish. Pilar’s advice to me on almost any subject was couched in the tremendous losses “our people” had suffered during the Holocaust. I should marry a Jew, Pilar said, because “we run the risk of losing our line again.”

Pilar was very, very Jewish. And she quickly set out to make me more so, with mixed results.

Our relationship was very similar to that of Liz and the brusque Texan she meets at an ashram in India halfway through “Eat Pray Love.” Texan Man repeatedly encourages Liz to shut up and move on using a combination of quotations from “Dianetics” and bumper sticker slogans.

The Anne Frank portrait parked right outside my bedroom was the first thing I saw each morning on leaving my room and the last thing I saw before sleep. My gut reaction was to hate it — and to hate my host mom’s pushy spirituality, just as Liz first loathed her Texan.

I never could quite bring myself to board the elephant, so to speak. But as my relationship with Pilar grew stronger, I fought to look past the kitsch — be it cheap pastels or bumper sticker platitude — and focus on the meaning buried inside of it.

LOVE

I came to Buenos Aires fresh off a breakup back at Yale. But despite my desire to run away to Latin America and not look back, the mess I made in New Haven was never far from my thoughts.

While lurching from class to club to home again, I stewed. I danced, I laughed, I made new friends. I was even pursued by a pocket-sized graduate student named Mike. But still, I stewed.

After watching “Eat Pray Love” the first time, I actually felt worse. When Liz complained about not having been single since the age of 15, I sunk a little lower in my seat and one of my friends shot me a look that had a built-in finger snap. The impact of this upon Liz was clear from the first scene in “Eat Pray Love.” She visits a toothless Bali medicine man on assignment from a magazine, and instead of asking for wisdom, wealth or perfectly stacked chakras, she wants advice on her doomed marriage.

“DIVORCE IS HARD,” Liz later whines to her happily married New York friends, her gluttonous Rome friends, her spiritually centered India friends and her sex-obsessed Bali friends.

“DIVORCE IS HARD,” Pilar told me between sobs one afternoon after a particularly painful court date with her husband. Pilar’s husband had been trying to divorce her for 15 years, but thanks to Argentina’s archaic divorce laws, there was a chance the union wouldn’t be dissolved until 2015. Despite this, Pilar was in the process of trying to date for the first time in 30 years. We unexpectedly found ourselves on equal footing.

After watching Liz break up with her man candies a whopping six times and seeing Pilar struggle with self and singlehood after 25 years of marriage, I can safely say that BREAKING UP SUCKS.

While my classmates in Argentina took advantage of what my host mom euphemistically referred to as “Argentine hospitality,” I floundered. At the time, I thought it was because I was still hurting, and I was. But I also had no idea how to be with my ex-boyfriend, no idea how to be single and no idea how to be myself.

On this point, I realized, Pilar and Liz agreed: Yes, breaking up sucks. But when you’ve lost yourself, it is a very necessary “sucks.” And you can get past it.

I am not ashamed to say that it took a repeat viewing of “Eat Pray Love” for me to agree.
______________________________
SOURCE:
“Eat eat pray pray love love”
By Lauren Rosenthal
Staff Reporter
Published Friday, August 27, 2010
http://www.yaledailynews.com
http://www.yaledailynews.com/scene/film/2010/08/27/eat-eat-pray-pray-love-love/

One obviously essential thing to bear in mind when studying in Argentina is that you will need to learn Spanish to quite a high level. You need to be able to sufficiently understand the lectures, communicate effectively on paper and orally. Obviously students can learn as they go, researching vocabulary and improving essay technique as you study. But you will need to have a strong grasp of the verbs, a wide and informed vocabulary and an immediately accessible oral repertoire in order to keep up with the fast pace of study. A good idea is to start is to learn Spanish in Buenos Aires before you begin to study your chosen subject. You should Ideally begin to study in your home country before arriving, giving you a head start. Learning the basics can be done from text books on you own, but to really improve you will need to go to a Spanish school.

There are huge number of Spanish schools in Buenos Aires to choose from, one of the less personal but cheaper places to study Spanish is with the UBA which run monthly courses in large classes at all levels. However, if you are looking for a more intimate class than the private schools may be a better option.

Another recommendation is that you should travel Argentina before starting to study to get a feel for the culture that you are about to throw yourself into and to get to know the rest of the country. By doing this you will understand more of the language and find it easier to settle into living and studying in Buenos Aires. Despite the difficulties, many students flock to Buenos Aires each year to study and many will continue to do so for years to come!

“This will position us as …a great place to visit,” said Carlos Melia, a 36-year-old Argentine whose boutique travel agency and consulting firm, CM by Carlos Melia, specializes in gay travel to the region. “We’re on the front pages of newspapers and magazines all over the world. Now everyone’s talking about Buenos Aires and Argentina. Not just gays; other minorities see that Argentina is an open and accepting country.”

Indeed, the July 15 vote in the Argentine Senate to legalize same-sex unions — the culmination of bare-knuckled brawling between President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, a backer of the measure, and the powerful Roman Catholic Church — grabbed headlines from New York to Sydney. The notion that any nation on this heavily Roman Catholic continent, even one as relatively progressive as Argentina, would sanction gay marriage caught much of the world, and even many of the measure’s supporters, by surprise.

“I have gay friends in Buenos Aires who tell me that people went out into the streets and celebrated as if we’d just won the World Cup,” said Argentine Sandra Borello, whose New York-based Borello Travel operates tailor-made tours to Argentina, Brazil, Chile and other regional destinations.

Straight supporters like Borello see gay marriage as critical in a nation where rigid family and inheritance laws leave unmarried couples with little, if any, legal rights. But the longtime travel pro also sees an upside for tourism in a country that has increasingly made its name as a gay-friendly destination.

“There are a bunch of hotels that are extremely gay-friendly, not just in Buenos Aires but in Patagonia, in Salta,” said Borello, whose traditional boutique agency includes a small but growing gay clientele. “In Argentina, a gay person can feel comfortable knowing he won’t be harassed or looked at in a funny way. That’s important.”

And it’s that reputation for social openness that tourism officials hope will provide Argentina with a leg up in the region. Buenos Aires, for example, which boasts a vibrant gay nightlife alongside its growing number of top-flight gay-oriented hotels, has been working for years to attract gay travelers. By legalizing same-sex marriage, said Melia, a former Mr. Gay World who advises the capital city on its gay-marketing efforts, Argentina has effectively created a competitive advantage.

“Now, the Brazilians for sure will have to come out with something to let people know that Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are better than Buenos Aires,” he said teasingly.

And it’s about more than just boasting rights, of course. Gay travelers are more likely to visit destinations where they feel welcome, an issue that can pose challenges in a region as socially conservative as Latin America.

And it’s that comfort level that travel pros like Borello are already working to harness. Immediately following the gay marriage vote, Borello Travel launched two packages aimed specifically at gay travelers interested in traveling to Argentina to marry or honeymoon. Her Yes, I Do! In Passionate Buenos Aires package features five nights in and around the capital, including a stay at the swanky Legado Mitico, whose First Lady room honors gay icon Evita Peron ($2,218 based on double occupancy), and a Yes, I Do! In Romantic Argentina five-night package, which takes couples from Buenos Aires to Iguazu Falls ($1,386, based on double occupancy).

“The gay market is still relatively small,” said Borello. “But we have hopes that the [gay marriage] vote will bring good things.”
_____________________________________
SOURCE:
“Approval of gay marriage is boon to Argentina tourism”
By: Mario Correa
August 13, 2010
http://www.travelweekly.com
http://www.travelweekly.com/article3_ektid218832.aspx

________________________________
SOURCE:
“Photos: Tango World Championship in Buenos Aires”
 Aug 25, 2010
KOMO News
http://www.komonews.com
http://www.komonews.com/news/entertainment/101530813.html

The unique element of this event is that the organizers have committed to donating a portion of the proceeds to Cimientos, a non-profit organization that specializes in improving educational opportunities for students from low-income families.

While the concept is certainly not groundbreaking, BA Players Ball Co-Organizer William Stewart attempts to explain exactly what distinguishes this particular event “We are hoping to establish a precedent with this party by linking the luxurious nightlife scene of Buenos Aires with a very important and often overlooked principle: Giving Back To The Community”.

Special activities and entertainment will include jamaican reggae singer MC Lion, a Champagne Raffle, and a Burlesque Dance Show. Costumes will retain an emphasis on the 1920s mobster/burlesque period.

DJ Faya, DJ Andy K, and guests will be switching off on the turntables throughout the night, playing Hip-Hop, Reggae, Electronic, and Latin Music.

If you would like more information about this topic, please email contacto@onceinmotion.com

Understanding Locals

To truly understand the culture of a country you need to understand the locals. From there you can discover the customs and what it means exactly to be Argentine. The real secrets of a country are unlocked when you begin to make true frinds with those who live there, and is the first step in the transition from tourist to local.

Getting Better Deals

Tourists and foreigners are always getting taken advantage of, from the moment you open your mouth in a foreign language, many locals will just hear the sound of opportunity. Being able to hold your own in spanish negociations is a great learning experience and also will save you money

Everyday Tasks

Forget struggling to buy bread form the supermarket or having no idea how to describe to a taxi driver where you are going, with some knowledge of the spanish language you can get yourself around the city with out the stress and embarresment associated with not knowing the language.

Reading the Newspaper

Reading the newspaper is a great insight into the culture, views and to find information on the modern city in which you are staying. Its a great place to find work and will also give you a warning of any potential country wide problems.

Finding Work

If you are coming to Buenos Aires in search of work then some knowledge of Spanish will be at the very least useful if, not essential to any job that you may find. Although knowledge of English makes you more employable there will always be times here in Buenos Aires where you will need to use Spanish.

One great place where you can learn Spanish in Buenos Aires is at the Vamos Spanish Academy, a unique school in the friendly neighbourhood of Palermo. There you can learn Argentine orientated Spanish so that you can gain practical vocabulary and phrases immediately accessible and usable in your surroundings.