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March 12, 2008
Argentine-Jewish Relations Subject of Lecture on March 25
The city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, is second only to New York City in the number of Jewish inhabitants. During the 19th century, the city saw an influx of both Jewish and European immigrants. In more recent years, especially in the 1970s, Argentine Jews have emigrated to Israel in considerable numbers. Relations between Argentina and Israel have always been important to both countries.
Ra'anan Rein, professor of Latin American and Spanish history and vice-rector of Tel Aviv University, Israel will present a lecture titled "Searching for Home in Argentina and Israel: History and Identity Among Jewish Argentines and Argentine Israelis," on Tuesday, March 25, at noon in the West Dining Room, sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C.
The lecture, which will be presented in English, is being sponsored by the Library’s Hispanic Division and the Hebrew Language Table, in cooperation with the Embassy of Israel. The program is free and open to the public; no reservations are required.
Rein completed his doctoral studies at Tel Aviv University. Since 1991, he has taught Latin American and Spanish history at his alma mater. He was visiting professor at the University of Maryland at College Park and at Emory University. Winner of several awards, in 2003 he became the first Israeli scholar to be elected to the Academy of History of Argentina. His many publications include "The Franco-Peron Alliance: Relations Between Spain and Argentina, 1946-1955," "Argentina, Israel and the Jews: Peron, the Eichmann Capture and After" and "Under the Shadow of Peron: Juan Atilio Bramuglia and the Second Line of Peronist Leadership."
The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution, is the world’s preeminent reservoir of knowledge, providing unparalleled integrated resources to Congress and the American people. Founded in 1800, the Library seeks to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, which bring to bear the world’s knowledge in almost all of the world’s languages. The Hispanic Division, established in 1939, furthers this mission as the Library’s center for the study of the cultures and societies of Latin America, the Caribbean, the Iberian Peninsula and other areas where Spanish and Portuguese influence have been significant.
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