A delegation of B’nai B’rith International (BBI) leaders hosted a two-day seminar in Guatemala March 3-4 to hear the challenges facing the small Jewish communities scattered across the region. Led by BBI President Moishe Smith, Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin, and Chair of the Executive Dennis Glick, the team also met with Guatemalan Vice President Rafael Espada, the speaker of the Guatemalan Congress Roberto Alejos, and the chair of the Guatemalan Congressional Israel Friendship group, Zury Rios. Other meetings were with the ambassador of Israel, Itzjak Bachman, and Minister of Education Ana Ordoñez de Molina to discuss the recently announced intention of the education ministry to introduce Holocaust education in the schools.
The seminar examined the political situation across Central America and analyzed the global financial condition and its affect on the region. Of particular note, participants talked about the influence of Iran in the region, and discussed how the Middle East conflict is perceived in Central America. The seminar also focused on the risks and opportunities for organized Jewish life across Central America.
“Through this seminar, we identified the unique challenges facing Jews in Central America,” Smith said. “The global political and social climate has a big impact on how Jews in Central American nations are perceived.”
Though many of the issues are shared cross-nationally, the conference also focused on regional distinctions and sociopolitical influences that impact how the Jewish community interacts with other groups in the country.
“Central America is not homogenous,” Mariaschin noted. “Though there are some trends, we must remember that each nation must be viewed in its own special context.”
BBI also paid tribute to Guatemalan Ambassador to the European Union Antonio Arenales, who previously served as Guatemalan ambassador to the United States and as permanent representative to the United Nations. Arenales was honored for his courageous stand in favor of Israel not only at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights but also at the controversial Durban Racism Conference in 2001.
The Guatemalan Jewish community, led by its president Boris Barac, and director, Marcelo Ascerbud, helped BBI plan and carry out the seminar.
Ram Tapia Adler, BBI consultant for Latin America; Eduardo Kohn, BBI director of Latin America Affairs; and Adriana Camisar, assistant director of the BBI Center for Human Rights and Public Policy, each led break-out sessions to discuss key issues in smaller groups.
