To counter hostile Latin American media, and to encourage contacts between Spanish-speaking communities and Israel, and between themselves, A-7 has opened a new Spanish web section.
Heading the new initiative is Rabino Aaron Ribco, who served as rabbi in Venezuela, Uruguay, Mexico and Panama. “We feel that there is a lack of understanding and knowledge among Spanish-speaking Jews as to what is happening in Israel,” Rabbi Ribco explains. “They hear the bad news, but they don’t generally get the positive side of living here. We feel that with this new initiative, we will be able to publicize how and why to live here – not only in the Days of the Messiah, but now as well.”
Rabbi Ribco, who moved to Israel with his family a year ago, said, “When we told people back there that we were coming to live in Israel, many of them asked why we would want to do such a crazy thing. ‘It’s a place of terrorism,’ they said, ‘and people get shot in the streets, etc.’ That is what is publicized over there, and we want to change the picture. We plan to show them about Jewish education and the dynamic Jewish life here, and how one can advance, and all of the positive things that happen here."
The plan is to enhance the site each day with news, articles and interviews from Israel. Rabbi Ribco also sees a need to keep the communities in touch with each other: “The Jews in Venezuela don’t know about those in Peru, and those in Peru don’t know what they’re doing in Brazil, etc., so I will be trying to get them to contribute to the section as well.”
Rabbi Ribco also has his eyes on the educational institutions that are associated with Arutz-7: “We will try to hook up youngsters from South America in the yeshivot here, both post-high school and high school, and in the ulpanah high school for girls. Not only that, but another idea is to help answer the need for teachers, chazanim (prayer leaders), and rabbis in the South American communities.”
Links to the new section are found in the left column on the English homepage of Israel National News.
A new window of Jewish opportunity is thus opening for South American Jewry through which they will be able to reconnect with Israel. Buena suerte (good luck)!
