The twentieth century in iberian and latin American history

The chapter surveys twentieth century Jewish communities in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America (without the Caribbean). These countries absorbed Jewish immigrants under different circumstances: in Iberia Jews returned after centuries of expulsion; in Latin America the chapter traces how Jewish life was organized depending on political and social conditions in each country. 17 countries are surveyed; 14 of them in detail according to their importance on the basis of communal organization, with emphasis on the important communities of Argentina and Brazil, while 3 others were places of random Jewish settlement. The country surveys are preceded by a comparative discussion of issues common to the shaping of the communities, such as relations abroad, influence on immigration, and settlement policy. The conclusion from the comparative and differential analysis is that domestic policy in each country, coupled with worldwide factors such as the Holocaust and the establishment of Israel, contributed to the organizational patterns of the individual communities so as to meet their communal, cultural, and religious needs. In addition, they maintained trans-national ties that ensured their relationship with Israel.