No Longer a Religious Community: The Consistorio Rabínico Sefaradí in Argentina, 1928–30

The Sephardic communal structure immigrants left behind in their countries of origin rested on their status as a ‘religious people.’  Once in Argentina, however, Sephardim had no longer Jewish law at the center, and no longer were rabbis deciding on all aspects of communal life.  In particular, the Sephardim in Argentina did not have a rabbi representing them to the Argentine authorities, as had been the case in their former lands. In 1928, the Consistorio Rabínico was created by Sephardim from Morocco, Turkey, and Jerusalem. Led by Rabbi Sabetay J. Djaen, the aim of this rabbinical institution was to guide Jewish education, oversee all aspects of Jewish ritual, and carry out extensive human, cultural and religious activity in the interior.  He traveled to various provinces in an attempt to expand the work of the society, but the institution closed down in June 1930, “having done very little.”  As well, Rabbi Djaen used this position as a religious leader to interact with members of the Argentine government.  This paper seeks to explore the reasons behind the creation of this organization, and to understand the reasons for its failure.  For while Sephardim are imagined to have been much more ‘traditional’ and untouched by other modern Jewish identity options, the Consistorio Rabínico’s short life suggests that ‘traditional religion’ was no longer a rallying point that could overcome differences of origin and that ‘modernization’ was quickly embraced by these Sephardim, who found in the liberal republic a model to embrace.