Bolivia
Overview
Bolivia celebrated its 200th anniversary of independence in 2009. It is considered a developing country and is one of the poorest nations in South America, with a poverty level of approximately 60%. It is a multiethnic nation with significant minority populations of Amerindians, Europeans, Asians, and Africans. That the current Jewish population is so small contrasts sharply with the situation during and after World War II, when Bolivia was one of the few South American countries that offered visas to Jews fleeing Nazi Europe. Jewish immigrants settled in La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz, establishing communities that thrived in the postwar years, with some 12,000 to 15,000 Jews living in La Paz in the 1950s and 2,000 in Cochabamba. (Comparable figures today are about 200 and 110, respectively.)
Need
Bolivia suffered a devastating economic crisis during the early 1980s, which it was recovering from when the global financial crisis of 2008-2009 hit. Many of the Jews who have been emigrating in recent years are third-generation Bolivians seeking better social and educational opportunities in larger Jewish communities, while both young and old are looking for wider professional opportunities.
Response
JDC continues to help local Jewish communities adapt to new scenarios and emerging challenges within the context of political uncertainty and economic difficulties. With the aim of keeping Jewish life viable and vibrant in the country, JDC provides consultations on Jewish renewal efforts. JDC’s work includes:
- Community counseling and consulting assistance in fundraising, employment initiatives, and implementation of a regional management information system for welfare services
- Jewish educational activities in the communities of La Paz, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz
- Assistance and direct advising in the creation of an organization representing all the Jews of the country before national and international authorities (AJB, the Spanish acronym for the Jewish Association of Bolivia)
Impact
- Prompted by JDC involvement, three geographically and culturally separate Jewish communities have, for the first time, begun working cooperatively to improve services and foster Jewish renewal throughout the country
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