Yidishe Gauchos

Eli Wallach narrates this unusual documentary which chronicles the settlement of Jewish immigrants in Argentina. When 800 Russian Jews ended up on the pampas in 1889, a new culture was born: the Yidishe Gaucho, or Jewish Cowboy. In Moises Ville (termed the "Jerusalem of Argentina"), Jewish settlers built their own schools, synagogues, theaters, and well-stocked libraries, etc., and donning their gaucho apparel tamed the land and made a living for themselves. They were aided by a tremendous gift from Baron de Hirsch, a German Jewish philanthropist who, with 450 million dollars, created the Jewish Colonization Association. Between 1891 and 1932, the JCA purchased some 1.25 million acres of prime Argentine land for Jewish settlement. Eventually, the Jewish population was accounting for 7% of the total agricultural output. Using first-person interviews with contemporary Jewish residents in Argentina, coupled with remarks from academics, along with archival photographs from the period, Yidishe Gauchos tells an interesting story. Suitable for schools and larger public library collections. (Available from: Fine Line Productions, 2600 10th St., #205, Berkeley, CA 94710.)