• English
• Español
• Deutsch
• Nederlands
• Português

ALIYAH FROM THE SOUTH

A specific prophecy in the book of Obadiah contains a promise to the Jewish people scattered in Sepharad, traditionally held to be Spain but also the Spanish-speaking nations of Latin America.  In Obadiah 1:20, God promises that “the exiles from Jerusalem who are in Sepharad will possess the towns of the Negev.”  The Negev, of course, is the southern region of Israel.

The Jewish people have gone around the world as they established themselves in Spanish-controlled regions.  Jewish settlers came to the New World soon after European colonies began, and by the 1500s Jewish communities flourished in Brazil, Haiti, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and Barbados.  Jewish settlers also lived in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba, but since the Inquisition was a danger to anyone practicing Judaism, most of those settlers kept their faith a secret.

Jewish immigration from Europe to Latin America continued throughout the 19^th and 20^th centuries, and today more than 2.5 million Jewish people live in the region.  Most of them reside in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela. 

Ezra International’s team in South America has seen firsthand the Lord’s fulfillment of His word through Obadiah.  In 2002, our direct involvement in aliyah from the south began.  Our South America team has offered assistance to Jewish families and individuals making aliyah not only from Argentina but also from other South American countries.  Our work in the region has developed substantially over the years as we have helped olim pay for transportation to the airport and for airplane tickets to Israel.