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Jewish Education in Barranquilla:

Assimilation Versus Group Survival*
by John K. Smith
Almost everyJewishcommunityin the Diaspora has had to face at least one
crucial problem: the perpetuationand survival of the cultural group versus its
disintegrationand disappearance.In those countrieswhere antisemitismhas not
beena majorfactor,or wherethe statehastakenonly a limitedinterestin theoutcome
of the struggle,this problemhas been particularlyacute. Under these conditionsit
has restedwith the individualJews and with the Jewishcommunitiesas a whole to
makethe choice.Traditionally,of course,mostJewshavechosenat leastsomedegree
of survival,and in doing so, they have placed great stress on formal educationto
reinforcethe bondsjoiningthem.As P. Y. Meddinghas noted,
The educationalprocess is of crucialsignificance.This is the majormediumthrough
whichthe child is introducedto the beliefsand practicesof the Jewishreligion,and the
literature,history,and the cultureof the Jewishpeople.Jewisheducation,therefore,providesthe basisfor perpetuatingthe heritageand ensuringcontinuity.

This study is concernedwith the Jewishcommunityin the Colombiancity of

Barranquilla,and how this communityhas respondededucationallyto this problem
of groupsurvivalversusassimilation.The Barranquillacommunity,whichnumbers
approximately1100in total population,is the resultof threesmall immigrationsa Sephardiin about 1915,an EasternEuropeanin the 1920's,anda WesternEuropean
in the 1930's.**Although certainlytheir feelingstoward Judaismwere held with
varyingdegreesof intensity,these immigrantsall broughtwith them upon arrivala
Jewishreligionandculture.In Colombiatheywereconfrontedwitha completelydifferent environment:an almost totally Catholic country and what may be called
(albeit somewhatloosely)a Latin culture.

* The research for this article was done as a

part of a larger project sponsored by a grant from the
Midwest Universities Consortium for International Activities.
**The total Jewish population of Colombia is about 15,000. Of this total, 2300 live in Cali, 700 in
Medellin, and 8000 in Bogota. The balance are spread out among the smaller urban areas. As such, they
constitute .00075 percent of the total Colombian population and .0022 percent of Barranquilla's population. However, it must be noted that all of these figures are only approximations. None of the communities
have an accurate record of their own population and the government census does not categorize by religion.
Medding, P. Y., From Assimilation to Group Survival (Melbourne 1963), p. 77.

239

JEWISHSOCIALSTUDIES

240

Eventhoughthisnewsocietywasnot activelyhostileto them,thereis littledoubt

that theseearlyimmigrantsdid not intendto stay in Colombia.Most of themhoped
that this countrywould only be a transitionalstep towarda laterimmigrationto the
United States,or if conditionsimproved,a possiblereturnto Europe.However,the
highlyrestrictiveU. S. immigrationlawsof 1923effectivelyeliminatedone alternative,
and the riseof Nazismmadea returnto Europeout of the question.As a result,they
remainedin Colombia and began to develop businessesand industries,to raise
families,and to generallybuild their individualand communallives.
Jorge Michovnik,a leadingJew from Bogota and the publisherof one of the
first Jewish newspapersin Colombia, has best summarizedwhat he called this
transitionalperiod:
Wehavepassedthatepochin Americathat could be calleda transitorypartin our lives.
Thegreatmajorityof the Jewsestablishedin the countriesof SouthAmericado not have
the desireto returnto live in their old homes, and if they do it is more in the form of
a platonicdream.The Jewsare now rooted not only by economicties, but also by sentimentalties and at times by blood. There is a youth that has neverknown another
patriathan LatinAmericaand thathas no nostalgiatowardthe old inhospitableghettos.
Whenthe recentimmigrantshave adaptedto a new life, or whenthe old generationhas
died, we will have a new type of Jew: a LatinAmericanJew.2

Michovnikthenwenton to add a prescriptivecommentand suggesteda programfor

Jewishlife in Colombia.
It is absolutelyindispensablethat we form a harmonioustogethernesswith the society
in which we live. This is not possible on the one hand, withoutcontributingour own
forces, the best of us, to the public service.And this fundamentaloptimismof ours
is not a nativeimitation,but the truthful,genuineus, whatis necessarilyJewish... this
approachwould allow us to enjoy a new life wherewe can affirmwhat is ours without
breakingharmonywith our neighbors.3

As Michovniknoted,the ColombianJewshavetwo principaldesires.Theywish

to live in harmonywith theirColombianand Catholicneighborsand to be participants in the largerColombiansociety and economy; and they want to protect at
least some aspectsof theirJewishreligionand cultureand to maintaintheiridentity
as Jews. In both cases, they have placed great emphasison formal educationto
fulfill these desires.

A BriefReviewof CommunityHistoryand Contemporary

Life
The Barranquilla Jews are organized into two groups, each with its own social
club, society, and synagogue. The Ashkenazim have the Centro Israelita Filantropico
which was founded in 1927, and the Sephardim have the Club Uni6n which was
2 Michovnik, Jorge, "Meditici6nes sobre nuestro camino en Suramerica, Nuestro Tribuna, (Noviembre 1934), p. 34.
3 Ibid., p. 35.

Jewish Education in Barranquilla

241

founded shortly afterward. Each group has its own rabbi and separate servicesalthough both synagogues cooperate closely on all religious matters. The division
between the two groups has been a prominent feature of life in the Barranquilla
community. Until the middle 1950's, there was apparently little interaction between
the two. Since that time, leaders on both sides have given a high priority to unity and
they have been generally successful in their endeavors.
The Jews of Barranquilla have done quite well economically. There are no poor
Jews by Colombian or U.S. standards. Approximately 28 percent are owners or are
in the upper management of large businesses and industries. Another 44 percent own
small businesses and industries that employ less than ten people, and 28 percent are
in the professions-particularly as doctors, architects, and engineers. This latter
group of professionals seems to be growing the most rapidly, and since the goal
almost every father has set for his children is a professional career, this group will
most likely continue to expand.*
While the Jews have been strong participants in the economic system, they have
only recently begun to participate in politics and political affairs. Although no one
contributes or belongs to a political party, there are signs that indicate the political
profile of the Barranquilla Jews is changing. First, all of them vote in the various
public elections and 12 percent said they discuss politics frequently. Second, two Jews
have recently been elected to the fourteen-man city council. These men were not
elected as representatives of or by the Jewish community; they ran as individuals on
their own merits and each had to have a wide non-Jewish constituency to be elected.
One reason the Jews have not been more active in politics is associated with
their lack of acceptance in the upper social circles. Colombian politics has almost
always been dominated by an oligarchy and political recruitment has generally been
from this group. Although a number of Jews have had the financial requisites and
have made applications, they have only recently been allowed into the better social
clubs.
There is no evidence of official antisemitism, and in fact, the government has
always been quite forceful in denouncing those who would promote these kinds of
attitudes. While every Jew interviewed stated that he had experienced some antisemitic action, these were almost always in face-to-face contacts. This absence of any
serious antisemitism and the generally good living conditions the Jews have experienced is reflected in the fact that almost everyone felt he had been "accepted" by the
Colombians. Acceptance in this context was defined by a number of criteria such as
being able to pursue a career, lead a normal family life, use public facilities, and participate in secondary relations groups such as business clubs.
On the other hand, this acceptance has not generally led to the building of
* All of the following data on the community were gained through a series of interviews with fathers
who had children in the Jewish school. There were twenty-five interviews, which amounted to 25 percent of
the list of fathers offered by the school officials. It would have been preferable to randomly sample all of the
adults in the community, but this was impossible since no complete list of their names was available to the
author.

242

JEWISH SOCIAL STUDIES

primaryrelationshipsoutsideof the community.Onlyabout30 percentof the respondentscould name at least one non-Jewishfriendwhom they felt close to. The other
70 percentsaid whilethey had friendsoutsidethe community,they did not consider
themclose friends.Along thesesame lines, 88 percentof the fathersare opposedor
stronglyopposedto intermarriage.
Oneof the mostinterestingthingsaboutthecommunityis thatit is not veryactive
religiously.It has best been describedas "non-practicingOrthodox."Althoughthe
BarranquillaJewsgenerallyidentifythemselvesas Orthodox,only a veryfew follow
the ritualsassociatedwith OrthodoxJudaism.While90 percenteitherhold or attend
a SederduringPassover,only 6 percentmakeany seriousattemptto keepa Kosher
home. Only 4 percentstrictlyobserve the Sabbath;48 percentmake some effort
such as lightingcandles,and 48 percentdo not observethe day with any special
notice. Synagogueattendanceis relativelyhigh, however,with 48 percentattending
weeklyand 12 percentgoing at least once a month. This apparentinconsistencywill
be explainedlater in termsof the school's influence.
Jewish Education in Barranquilla-History and Founding

The establishmentof a permanentschool in Barranquillawas precededby two

short-livedattempts,the firstin 1935and the secondin 1936,whichwereunsuccessful
due to financialproblemsandlimitedcommunitysupport.4In 1946a newschoolwas
startedusing the facilitiesof the CentroIsraelitaFilantropico.Althoughtherewere
numerousproblemsand only mixedcommunitysupport,the newschoolmanagedto
surviveand in 1958a new buildingwas constructed.In the next yearthe high school
sectionwas initiatedand the firstclass graduatedin 1964.Sincethat date, the school
has offereda completeprogramfrom kindergartento high school. The following
table gives studentenrollmentdata from 1954 to 1958 and from 1964 to 1970.5
Unfortunately,no breakdownof the numberof JewishversusCatholicstudentsis
availablefor the earlieryears.
The processof establishingthe school was neithera smooth nor a steadyone.
Evenwhenthe communityhad the potentialto adequatelyfinancea school,manyof
the fatherswereunwillingto entrusttheir children'seducationalfutureto a school
whoseownfuturewasuncertain.Theschoolhadto proveit couldprovidethechildren
with a seculareducationthat was equal, if not superior,to the educationthey might
receiveelsewhere.
The best exampleof this testingprocesswas in the years 1954to 1958whenthe
numberof studentsenrolleddroppedby almost 30 percentbecausemany parents
felt the school was offeringa substandardeducation.Probablythe only two factors
4 Deparatment6 de Educacion, Barranquilla, Acta de Vista, 1965, pp. 4-6, and Colegio Hebreo
Union, Anuario, 1958, pp. 1-2.
5
Colegio Hebreo Unidn, Libro de Matricula, 1954-1958 and 1964-1970. For the years 1959 to 1963
the enrollment records were not available.

Jewish Education in Barranquilla

243

TableI
StudentEnrollmentin All GradeLevels,
ColegioHebreoUni6n
Year

Jews

Catholics

1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970

Total

%Jewish

94
72
81
62
121
178
193
194
197
203
197
197

72
81
99
116
160
165
153

250
274
293
313
363
362
350

71%
70%
66%
63%
56%
54%
57%

that saved the school were the construction of a new building and an intensive
campaign by community leaders to convince the parents of the need for supporting
a Jewish school.
The question arises as to why the schools were founded. Certainly, behind the
entire process lies that characteristic of almost all Jews and Jewish communities: the
desire for a quality secular education combined with solid instruction in Jewish
religion, history, and culture. However, there were also a number of very important
and specific considerations related to Jewish life in Colombia.6
It was recognized very early in the community's history that if the children were
to have any systematic instruction in Judaism, professional help would be needed. A
large number of the fathers admitted to having little knowledge of the subjects
mentioned, and they had little free time to spend with their children at a time when
they were struggling to become financially established.
There were two other compelling arguments for having the community found a
school. A "grouping" of the students in one school, it was contended, would help
prevent them from developing friendships outside the community and therefore
lessen the possibilities of intermarriage. Some of the more perceptive in the community also noted that by having most of the children in one school, another bond
would be forged among the adults. In fact, the school was named Union precisely to
symbolize this desire for a closer relationship among the individual adults and
between the Ashkenazi and the Sephardi groups.
Of course, no matter how compelling the above arguments were, they did not
6 Thedataon the
problemsthecommunityhadwithfoundinga schoolweregatheredin formalinterviewsand in informaltalkswithvariouscommunityleaders.

244

JEWISH SOCIAL STUDIES

automaticallylead to a total agreementthat a completeschool systemwas the best

way to handlethe educationalproblems.Especiallyin the earlyyears,manyfathers
felt that a seculareducationcould be obtainedelsewhereand that the community
shouldconcentrateon havingonly afternoonor eveningclassesin Hebrewlanguage
and Judaism.
However,in the finalanalysisthis argumentcould not prevail.First,the Colombianpublicschoolsystemhasa reputation,whichwasjustifieduntilrecently,of being
of inferiorqualityto the privateschools. Second,almostall the privateschoolsthat
providea highqualityseculareducationare runby variousCatholicreligiousorders.
While there is no evidenceof any overt antisemitismin these schools, there were
apparentlya number of incidents that were interpretedas being discriminatory
towardJews. Especiallyduringthe 1930'sand 1940'sit was often requiredthat a
Jewishchild attendchapelin the Catholicschools, and on occasiona school would
not accept a Jewishchild for the following year-even though he had successfully
completedthe past year.
At any rate, as of 1958 the school finallybecamefirmlyestablishedwith two
goals in mind. As the presidentof the school boardsummarizedit,
The school is to educate the finest of our youth, for the good of Colombia and Israel,
the latter our ancestral patria, the former our adopted patria.7

TheSchoolas a BiculturalInstitution
Accordingto the goals statedabove, ColegioUnionis attemptingto inculcatein
its students what might be called a "Jewishness"and a "Colombianness."The
school'sattemptto transmita "dual"culturecan bestbe demonstratedby discussing
the organization,curriculum,atmosphere,and teaching staff of the school.
First,the dailyadministrationof the school is not solely in the handsof Jewish
educators.The directorof the school is a Spanishimmigrantand a Catholic.There
is one importantreason why a non-Jew was selected for the top administrative
position. The communityhas expressedthe desire to providetheir childrenwith a
good secular education, to have the school officiallyapproved,and to have the
studiesand diplomasrecognizedby the educationalauthorities.Thefeelingis thatan
especiallywell-qualifiedand well-knownman in Colombianeducationalcircleswill
develop a strong generalstudiesprogramand therebyhelp the school receiveand
maintainofficialapproval.
Eventhoughthe directoris not Jewish,the subdirector,who is also the head of
Hebrewstudies,is an Israeliwho has been with the school for over sevenyears.In
realityhe is the school'scodirector,and all policydecisionsof majorimportanceare
madein consultationbetweenhim and the director.8As such,this situationis a case
of what could be called "biculturaladministration."
7
8

Colegio Hebreo Uni6n, Anuario, 1964, p. 8.

Interviews with the director and subdirector of the school.

Jewish Education in Barranquilla

245

Second, the complete program of studies offered by the school also has this
bicultural characteristic. The school has a Hebrew department and a department of
standard curriculum studies. The former department presents a minimum of five
hours a week of Hebrew subjects-including language, religion, and history. The
latter department, in accordance with Colombian educational law regulating private
education, follows the official curriculum like all other public and private schools in
Colombia (see Chart I).9
The largest single block of classwork is taken up by what is called "coprogramming and intensification," open hours that a school's director may use to give additional course work in any area he feels will most benefit the students. In the Jewish
schools these hours are overwhelmingly devoted to "hard" sciences. Most interestingly, there is no evidence that the time has ever been asked for or given to the
Hebrew department for additional study in that area.
ChartI
The OfficialCurriculumfor Public and Private SecondarySchools in
Colombia,withthe HebrewStudiesAdditionsMadein the JewishSchools.
Hoursper yearby gradelevel
I II

Subject

III

IV

V VI

Religiousandmoraleducation
Spanishand literature
Socialsciences

90 90 90 90
150 150 150 150
150 210 210 210

90
90
-

90
90
60

Mathematics

150 120 150 210

Languages,Englishand French
Industrialartsand homeeconomics
Aestheticeducation,musicand art
Physicaleducation

90
60
60
60

90
60
60
60

90
60
60
60

90 150 150
60 60 60 60 60

Psychology
Philosophy
Physics
Chemistry

and intensification
Coprogramming
Hebrewlanguage
Hebrewhistory
Hebrewreligion

60
90 120
120 120
120 120

270 270 210 210 300 300

60 60 60 60 60 60
60 60 60 60 60 60
30 30 30 30 30 30

The social studies courses, in particular Colombian history and civics, are really
the key features of the "Colombianness" present in the curriculum. The textbooks
used in the Jewish school for the social studies courses are generally the same as
those used in other Colombian schools. These courses are all taught by Colombians
who have had the same basic teacher preparation as their colleagues in other schools.
9 The secondary program was established by Decree No. 45 of 1962. See Ministerio de Educaci6n
Nacional, Regimen de Enseflaza Media (Bogota, 1968), p. 363.

246

JEWISH SOCIAL STUDIES

In interviewswith a selectedgroup of these teachers,they indicatedthat they are

sensitiveto, and respectfulof, the fact that they are teachingJewishstudents,but
that they also see themas beingColombiancitizensandconsiderit essentialthat the
studentsdevelop a knowledgeand pride in Colombiaas well as a knowledgeand
pridein beingJewish. 0
One differencein these courses, when comparedto public and other private
schools, is that the subdirectorhas workedwith a numberof Colombianteachers
in an attemptto have themmentionJewsand Jewishcontributionswhen pertinent.
As the subdirectorhas noted,
I have triedto do a numberof thingsin this area. For example,we teach variousJewish writersin Spanishtranslationand I have triedto balancethe worldhistorycourses.
Whenthey talk about MartinLutherI have asked the teachersto includea brief,but
specificdiscussionof his effecton Jews in Europe.The attemptshave been successful,
and I thinkthe key to this successin this area has been the high degreeof cooperation
I have receivedfrom the teachers.1
The final point about the official curriculum concerns what is taught under the
title of "religious and moral education." Since the school enrolls a number of
Catholic students, this course deals with the same materials taught in public and
other private schools. The course centers on the history, philosophy, and rituals of
Catholicism and is taught by a Colombian (although not necessarily a priest) who
must be approved by the local bishop. Since it is often the case that the necessary
preparations for the First Communion are considered a part of this program, the
school has made space and time available for these classes.
While the Catholic students are taking their classes in religion, the Jewish
students have classes in Hebrew history and religion. As noted, the school offers an
average of five hours a week of Hebrew subjects. The time is generally divided into
two hours of Hebrew language, two of history, and one of religion. The Catholic
students are also required to take the two hours of Hebrew language and the subject
is officially recognized by the educational authorities as one-half credit toward
graduation.
It is apparent that the Jewish schools are actually presenting two separate
curriculums; each is designed to fulfill different goals. The secular curriculum is not
only to provide an education for a career, but to develop what the Ministry of
Education refers to as, ". .. a knowledge of the national reality, its possibilities for
development, a love for this country, and a desire to serve it."'2 The Hebrew studies
are designed to inculcate in the Jewish children a knowledge of, and an identity with,
Judaism and the group.
As with organization and curriculum, the atmosphere of the Jewish school has
bicultural characteristics. The school board has recognized that if the school is to
10 Interviews with the social studies teachers in
Colegio Hebreo Uni6n.

11 Interview with the subdirector of Colegio Hebreo Union.

Decree No. 91 of 1942, in Ministerio de Educacion Nacional, Educaci6n Colombiana (Bogota
1959), pp. 290-291
12

Jewish Education in Barranquilla

247

succeedin transmittinga Jewish heritage,instructionmust be supplementedwith

otheractivities.At the sametime, Colombianeducationallaw requiresthata number
of additionalactivitiesoutside the classroom should take place in all public and
privateschools.
Whileclearlya conceptas amorphousas "biculturalatmosphere"is difficultto
defineand examinein specificterms,a numberof differentactivitiesthat comprise
it canbe examined,suchas thecelebrationof variousJewishandColombianholidays,
a series of extracurricular
activities,and the flag ceremony.
The Colegiopresentsan organizedseriesof observancesfor basicallythe same
set of holidayseveryyear.Amongthe moreimportantof thesearethe Jewishholidays
of Hanukkah,Passover,Purim,andthe IsraelIndependenceDay, andthe Colombian
holidaysof the anniversaryof the birthdayof Bolivarand ColombianIndependence
Day.
The Colombian holidays, which are organizedby the school's director,are
observedthe day beforethe holiday in school with a briefceremony.The activities
generallyinvolve the singing of the nationalanthem,the raisingof the flag, and a
seriesof patrioticspeeches.Thereis no participationon the partof the parents(either
Colombianor Jewish);these are not communitycelebrations.Oftenthese in-school
celebrationstake on a biculturalcharacter.A survey of the school's yearbooks
indicatesthataboutone-halfof the timea talkis giventhatattemptsto linkColombia
and Israel together.
The Jewishholidays,which are organizedby the Hebrewdepartment,do not
generallyhavethis biculturalcharacteristic,sincethe majorityof the dayscelebrated
are religiousholidays.The only exceptionis the celebrationof Israel'sindependence,
whichalwaysbeginswith the raisingof the Colombianand Israeliflags,the singing
of the nationalanthems,and a seriesof speechesabout the brotherhoodof the two
countries. Plays, songs, etc. highlightingIsrael's independenceand struggle for
survivalare presentedby the students. The Barranquillacommunityinvites the
mayor, the governor,the local bishop, and other high officialsfrom the area, who
attendeveryyear.
As with the IsraelIndependenceDay, the observancesof the Jewishreligious
holidays are a total communityaffair.Organizedby the Hebrewdepartment,the
celebrationsinvolveas manystudentsand communitymembersas possible.Almost
everystudentin the highschool section(both Catholicand Jewish)belongsto either
the choir,dance,or dramagroups,whichpracticethe yeararoundspecificallyfor the
above celebrations.
Announcedwell in advance,the celebrationsare alwaysheld in the social club
at night when the fathersare not working.A writtenprogram,a letter urgingthe
parentsto attend,and a booklet explainingwhy the day is celebrated,the historyof
it, and the basicinstructionson how to observethe day in the home aresent with the
childrenand mailed to communitymemberswho have no childrenin the school.
The active and thorough preparationfor these holidays has producedsome
very clear results.The subdirectorestimatedthat attendanceruns between85 and

248

JEWISH SOCIAL STUDIES

90 percentof the adults-including adultswho do not have childrenin the school.

At the same time, the celebrationshave becomeinstitutionalized.That is, they are
an establishedcommunityevent, an integralpart of communitysocial life, and the
communityhas come to expectthese activitiesto take place everyyear.
A variation on this theme of religiouscelebrationsis the prayersand other
religious servicesthe students have in school. The most importantof these, the
FridayafternoonKabalatShabatservice,is attendedby both Catholicand Jewish
students.At the traditionalservicetwo Jewishstudentsare chosento say the prayers
and lead the others.Daily morningprayersessionsincludea prayerin Hebrewand a
Catholicprayerin Spanish.All the studentsare encouragedto say both.
The presenceof non-Jewishstudentsin the school has had a significantimpact
on the questionof biculturalism.The generalatmosphereof the school established
by the directorand the subdirectorallowsfor and even encouragesthe development
of contactsbetweenthe two groups.13For example,by havingcompleteintegration
activitiessuchas thechoir,dancegroups,
of all the studentsin variousextracurricular
and athleticteams,contacthas been sustainedbeyondformalclass hours.The dual
prayersand the attendanceat Bar Mitzvah by the Catholic studentsand at First
Communionby Jewish students(led by the directorand subdirectorwho always
attendboth) have contributedto these mutualcontacts.
Althoughthe variousJewishholidaycelebrationsare optionalfor the Catholic
students,they are encouragedto participatein all the celebrationsand theirparents
receivethe same invitationsand handoutsexplainingthe holiday as do the Jewish
parents.The Catholicstudents'representationin the choir and the dancegroupsis
about32 percentof the total as comparedto 43 percentof thetotal schoolenrollment.
Both the directorand subdirectorsaidthat the contactsbetweenthe two groupshave
contributedto the biculturalatmospherein the school.14
One of the most interestingof all of the events in the school is the Izadade la
Bandera-the "raisingof the flag." By law, this patrioticact must take place in
every school in Colombia at least once a week.15The Ministryof Educationhas
grantedpermissionto the Jewish school to include not only the Colombianflag,
anthem,and pledge,but also the Israeliflag, anthem,and pledge.The ceremonyis
often followedby a shorttalk by eitherthe directoror a student,whichoccasionally
deals with a prominentColombianor Jew. It is not unusualto find talks referring
to the brotherhoodof the two countries.
As noted, the staffin the standardcurriculumare all Colombiansand generally
amongthe bestteachersto be foundin the Barranquillaarea.TheJewishschoolpays
well by Colombianstandardsand workingconditionsare as good as in the better
privateschools in the area.As a result,the staffis veryhighlyqualifiedand competent.16 The staff of the Hebrewdepartment,however,presentsa differentpicture.
13
14

'1
16

Interviewswith the directorand subdirectorof ColegioHebreoUni6n.

Ibid.

DecreeNo. 2229 of 1947,see EducacionColombiana,op. cit., p. 403.

Ministeriode Educaci6nNacional,Actade Visita,1965,p. 24.

JewishEducationin Barranquilla

249

At the core of the problemis the fact that there are almost no pedagogically
qualifiedColombianJewswillingto teachin the Jewishschool.The salariesof teachers are very poor comparedto those in areassuch as businessor industry.Second,
trainingin Hebrewstudiesmust be takenin Argentina,the United States,or Israel,
requiringa considerableinvestmentof time and money comparedto otherfieldsof
study that can be pursuedin Colombianuniversities.As a result, teachingin the
Jewishschools holds no particularattractionthat would induceColombianJewsto
go to the necessaryexpenseor trouble.
Sincethe communityhas been unableto recruitlocal personnelfor the schools,
they have had to obtaintheirteachersfromeitherArgentinaor Israel.For a number
of reasonsthis solution has presentedproblems.First, for the Israeliteachersthere
is a languageproblem. Since they do not speak Spanish,they have initially had
problemsboth in teachingand in integratingwith the community.Second, often
these teachers(from both sources)are not particularlyinterestedin theirjobs and
even less interestedin the more generalcommunityproblems,since they come for
only a short-termcontract (two years).
Fortunately,this problemseems to have been resolvedfor ColegioUnion.Althoughthe school has had problemsin the past, the subdirector,who has been with
the communityfor the last sevenyears,is a dynamicmanwho hasnot only developed
a strong programin the school, but has also been involved in numerousother
communityaffairs.
TheSchoolandthe Community
In attemptingto fulfill this biculturalrole, the school has supplementedits
directly educational activities with other, more communitywideactivities, from
holidaycelebrationsto adult education.As such, the school (along with the social
club) has becomethe most importantinstitutionin the community.As the school's
subdirector states, ". . . to whatever extent there are community projects going on,

they are organizedthroughthe school... the school is involvedin all community

affairs."

As noted, one of the maincommunitywideactivitiesof the school is the holiday

celebrations.Since participationby the parents is estimatedto run at about 90
percent,thesecelebrationshave becomeimportanteventsin the community'slife.18
The lecture series and adult educationhave been less successful.In that Hebrew
classesrequirecontinuousattendanceand homework,the classeshavealwaysbegun
with greatenthusiasmbut wereterminatedonly a month or two later. Community
involvementwith the lectureseries,while not broadlybased, has been fairlysteady
amonga smallgroup.
One of the most interestingquestionsexaminedin the area of school-community relations was that of the support given the school-that is, how large a
17
18

Interview with the subdirector of Colegio Hebreo Union.

Ibid.

250

JEWISH SOCIAL STUDIES

percentageof the Jewishchildrenof school age is enrolledin the Jewishschool. It is

estimatedthat 68 percentof the childrenattendthe Jewishschool and the other 32
school. 9
percentattendotherprivateschools, particularlythe American-sponsored
In an attemptto find out why some fatherschose not to supportthe Jewishschool,
a numberof exploratoryinterviewswith this group were undertaken.*
Certainlythis group of fathers does not show any greatertendencytoward
assimilationinto Colombiansociety. Theirreligiousprofilesare basicallythe same
as those of other fathers;they are no more active in Colombianpolitics; they are
stronglyopposedto intermarriage;and they all said beingJewishmeantsomething
to them and that this feeling should be transmittedto the children.However, a
numberof other characteristicsdifferentiatethem from the other Jewish fathers.
They are all in the upperlevels of the community'seconomicstructure;many
of them have attendedschool in the United States; and they speak Englishfairly
well. While these fathersadmit that the Jewishschool is of high academicquality,
they feel the Americanschool is better becauseit is organizedlike a U.S. public
school,usesAmericanteachersin manyof the subjectareas,andalmostall the classes
are taughtin English,a languagethe fathersfeel is essentialfor advancementin any
professionalcareer.
Finally, one otherimportantfactorshould be mentioned.Althoughthe school
wasfoundedby theAshkenazim,it wasnamed"Uni6n"to symbolizethegoal of many
communityleaders to furtherunite the two groups. While communitydivisions
betweenthe Ashkenazimand Sephardimhave been reducedeveryyear, one of the
carry-oversfromthe past has beena differentialrate of enrollmentbetweenthe two
groups.Among the Ashkenazicchildrenof school age, 85 percent(153 children)are
enrolledin the Jewishschool, comparedto slightlyover 40 percent(44 children)of
the Sephardicchildren.2
The ColombianGovernmentand the School

Since the Jewish fathers have chosen to have their schools approvedby the
ColombianMinistryof Educationand to have the degreesgrantedrecognized,they
mustcomplywithColombianeducationallaws,whichareenforcedby the Inspection
Departmentof the Ministry.
Interestinglyenough, the Jewishschool has not been forced to totally comply
withall the government'sregulations.In manycasesthe Colombiangovernmentand
the Ministryhave grantedthe Jewishcommunityand school officialsspecialpermission to modifyregulationsdealingwith mattersof most concernto the community.
The relationshipbetweenthe governmentand the communityon thesequestionscan
* These interviews were
exploratory because they were not based on a random sample. No complete
list of these fathers was available and it was generally more difficult to set up interviews with this group.
Thus only five fathers out of 35 were successfully contacted.
19
20

These figures were taken from records compiled by the subdirector of the school.
Ibid.

JewishEducationin Barranquilla

251

be characterizedas one of give-and-takebased on mutual respect and goodwill.

For example,successfulcompletionof coursesin Hebrewlanguage,not being
of
part the officialcurriculumprescribedby law, was not requiredfor graduationand
a degree.Before 1969many of the students(both Jewishand Catholic)weredoing
the minimalamountof workin thesecourses.In that year,the DepartmentSecretary
of Educationapproveda requestby school officialsto recognizeHebrewlanguageas
a subjectvaluedat one-halfcredit.Now studentscannot legallyreceivea degreeif
theycontinuallyfail Hebrewlanguage.
A secondexampleof cooperationhas beenthe flag-raisingceremony.Whilethe
law requiringthis ceremony(DecreeNo. 2229of 1947)could be interpretedto mean
that the incorporationinto the ceremonyof the Israeliflag, anthem,and pledge is
prohibited,the Ministryhas not chosen to interpretthe law in this way. In some
instances,this tacit permissionhas been coupled with encouragementand respect
for the biculturalnatureof the ceremony.21
The Students
Throughits biculturalcharacter,the school is attemptingto inculcatein the
studentsthe elementsof both a Colombianand a Jewishculture.As such, the most
significantquestionsbecome:To what extenthas the school been effectivein inculcating this dual culture?And if it has not been successful,has this lack of success
resultedin a tendencyon the partof the studentstoward1)assimilationinto Colombian society,2) withdrawalinto the Jewishgroupand isolationfromthat society,or
3) neutralitytowardthe Colombiansociety and the Jewishgroup?
Basedon questionnairesadministeredto all the students(N=45) in the lastthree
yearsof high school, theirattitudestowardvarioustopics such as social interaction
with non-Jews,religion, and their opinions about Colombia and Israel were examined.*
The religious profile of the students was drawn from three questions-how
frequentlythey attendsynagogueand their opinionsabout keepinga kosherhome
and observingthe Sabbath. Fifty-five percent attend synagogueat least once a
week and 75 percentgo at least once a month. This relativelyhigh percentage
can be attributedto the effortsof the school'ssubdirector.Sincehe is a leaderin the
synagogue,he has used his dual position to involvea largenumberof the olderstudentsin conductingthe services.For the youngerchildrenhe has deviseda systemof
rewards,given by the school, for those who attend with a set degreeof frequency.
Theseeffortshavealso broughtabouta higherrateof attendance(48 percentweekly)
on the partof the fathers(see p. 243).
Responseson the other two questionsindicateno differencebetweenstudents
* The following data are taken almost exclusively from this source.
21 These comments of
encouragement appear in the various Acta de Visita reports filed by the educational inspectors of the Ministry of Education.

252

JEWISH SOCIAL STUDIES

and fathersin the actualfrequencyof keepingkosherand complyingwith the Sabbath laws. However, the students showed a distinct idealism about these rituals
in both cases. Whereas12 percentof the fathersclaimedto keep kosher,24 percent
of the studentsexpresseda preferencefor it. Second, although 52 percentof the
fatherscomplyor at leasttakenote of the day, 85 percentof the studentsdesiredthat
at least some ceremonytake place.Whilethese figuresdo not necessarilyimplythat
a revivalof ritualsis underway,certainlya degreeof idealismhas beeninstilledin the
students.With the exceptionof a few more religioushomes, the school is the only
place wherethe childrenlearnabout the history,practice,and significanceof their
rituals.
A substantialpercentageof the students(66 percent)indicatedthat they had at
least one "close" friendwho was not Jewish.In this case, "close" was definedas
someone with whom the respondentregularlysocializedand with whom he or she
felt intimate.This high percentageis not surprisingsince the school is the primary
point of sustainedcontact betweenthe Jewishand non-Jewishchildrenand school
officialshave promotedthe developmentof these friendships.The Jewishchildren
generallybelong only to Jewishclubs, the Jewishfamiliestend to live in the same
neighborhood,and the childrengenerallymaintaina relatively"closed"patternof
activities.As such, there is still little reason to predictthat the high percentageof
childrenwith non-Jewishfriendswill lead to intermarriage.Studiesin the United
Statesindicatethat Jewishchildrentend to lose manyof theirnon-Jewishfriendsas
theygrowolder.Also, eventhoughno longitudinaldataareavailable,it is knownthat
intermarriagehas never been more than one or two percent in the Barranquilla
community.
Possiblythe two most importantquestionsasked the studentsconcernedwhat
they thought of, and about, Israel and Colombia. The responsesprovidedsome
valuableinsightsinto the questionsof biculturalismand biculturalidentitieson the
part of the students.The answersto the Israelquestionwere coded into four categories.

Onlytwo percentof the studentssaidthattheyfelt Israelwastheirhomelandand

that they intendedto move there in the near future. The second category,which
included33 percentof the responses,was labeled"an identificationwith Jewishness
and Israel."Basicallywhat is impliedhere is that Israelis thoughtof as a kind of
"secondcountry."That is, the respondentsees Israelas verysignificantto his life as
a Jew,feels thathe is partof thatcountryand that Israelshouldhavethe samemeaning for all Jews.Thisattitude,however,does not includea declaredintentionto move
to Israel.
A typical example of what has been categorizedas a"positive-descriptive"
attitudeis, "Israelis an admirablecountrythat fights only for itself and is a very
hardworkingand honorablecountry."What distinguishesthis categoryfrom the
previousone is the strengthof identificationwith Israel; the respondentdoes not
directlyfeel a part of the accomplishmentsof Israel.Also, Israelis not necessarily
answeris one thatimpliedno
an organizingfactorin his life. A "neutral-descriptive"

253

JewishEducationin Barranquilla

strongfeelingfor Israelin eithera positiveor a negativedirection.In theselast two

categoriesthe percentageswere 60 percentand 5 percentrespectively.
The studentswere asked a similarquestiondealingwith Colombia.About 29
percent said they consider Colombia to be their homeland and they specifically
contained
statedtheywereColombians.Thesecondcategory,"positive-descriptive,"
61 percentof the responses.In this categoryare answerssuch as, "Colombiais a
country that is constantlyprogressingand is one of the best countriesin Latin
America."A "neutral-descriptive"
response(10 percent)attributedneitherpositive
to the countryand includedanswerssuchas, "Colombia
nor negativecharacteristics
is a countrylike any othercountry."Finally,no one respondedwith whatmightbe
called a "negative-descriptive"
answer, which would have included a series of
negativeadjectivesto describeColombiaand an expresseddislikefor that country.
While the answersto these two questions,when taken individually,are significant, the responsesgiven by each studentwerepairedto provideadditionalinsight
into theirthinking(TableII).
TableII
PairedStudents'Responseson the Colombiaand IsraelQuestions
Israel

Patria

PositiveNeutraldescriptive descriptive

Identification

Colombia
Patria

Positivedescriptive
Neutral-

descriptive
Negative-

2%
-

16%

12%

6%

16%

42%

2%

8%

2%

descriptive
N = 43

The most strikingthing about these figuresis the high percentageof students
who had high levels of identificationwith both Israeland Colombia.For example,
readingacrossthepatriacategoryfor Colombia,16 percentcombinedit with identificationfor Israeland another12percentcombinedit witha positivedescription.Or,
readingacross the positive-descriptivefor Colombia, 16 percentrespondedat the
identificationlevel and 42 percent at the positive-descriptivelevel for Israel. In
general,the above data indicatethat a substantialportionof the studentshave been
able to integratea positiveidentificationfor both countries.
The students'responsesto listing the three contemporarypersonsthey most
admiredsupportthis findingof dual identification.About 64 percentof the students
listedat leastone Colombianandat leastone Israelior Jewamongtheirthreechoices.
Most often the Colombianchoice was ex-PresidentCarlosLlerosRestrepoand the
Israelichoicewas MosheDayan. In all the remainingcases,the studentslistedeither

254

JEWISH SOCIAL STUDIES

one or two Jews combinedwith the name of an American(particularlyone of the

Kennedyfamily),or a movie star or sportsfigureof internationalrenown.
Boththe fathersandthe studentswereaskedwhatit meantto themto be Jewish.
While the question evoked a variety of responses, certain broad tendenciesare
distinguishable.The majorityof the fathers tended to reply in one of two ways.
First,approximately15 percentsaid that beingJewishwas the centralfocus of their
lives. Second,50 to 60 percentsaid beingJewishwas importantin termsof a "group
belonging."The emphasishere was on a sense of peoplehoodand group identification.The balanceof the fathersgave answersthat revolvedaroundthe day-to-day
practicalaspectsof the religionsuch as "followingthe rules,"or "attendingsynagogue regularly."
Whentheseresponsesare comparedto those of the students,at least one major
differenceis immediatelyapparent.The majorityof the studentstend to definetheir
Jewishnessin termsof a religionor in termsof tradition.For example,as one student
said, "BeingJewishmeansfollowinga set of religiouspreceptsthataredifferentfrom
thosefollowedby otherreligions.Butit also meansthatwe shouldprotectthesedifferences."Finally,whiletherewas a wide varietyof responsesthat dealtwith birthand
tradition,it is importantto note thatnot one studentsaidbeingJewishmeantnothing
to him.
Summary

As withJewishcommunitiesin othercountries,the Jewishcommunityin Barranquillahas beenfacedwithat leastone crucialproblem-that of chartinga coursebetweenthe extremesof a completeisolationof the groupfromthe largersocietyand a
completeassimilationinto that society. With few exceptions,almost all the individualJewsandcertainlythe communityas a wholehavechosento be participantsin the
largerColombiansocietyand economyand to live in harmonywiththeirColombian
and Catholic neighbors.Yet they also want to protect at least some of the more
importantaspectsof theirJewishcultureand to maintaina grouplife and identity.
To fulfillits goals the communityhas turnedto and come to greatlydependupon its
own systemof formaleducation.
Basedon the datafromthe students'questionnaires,it is apparentthattheeducationalprogramof the Barranquilla
schoolhasmetwitha degreeof success.Theschool
has been run as a biculturalinstitutionin terms of its administration,curriculum,
teachingstaff,and atmosphere.The students,reflectingthe influenceof thissituation,
have shown a strong tendencyto reflectbiculturalattitudes.On the one hand, the
studentsseemto have maintainedan identitywith the community.Theyare idealistic about religion,attendsynagoguefrequently,and haveexpresseda strongidentity
with Israel.On the other hand, they also identifywith Colombia.They have little
reluctanceabout having non-Jewishfriends and many of them identify strongly
with prominentColombians.As such, the Barranquillacommunityhas established
the goal of biculturalismand, in part throughtheir own systemof privateschools,
has had substantialsuccess in reachingthis goal.