There was great excitement in the Jewish community in Argentina ahead of the World Cup semifinals. The love story between Israel and the Jews of Argentina, numbering some 180,<> people, has been alive and vibrant for many years, and the dramatic game takes it to the next level – to the soccer stands.
"It's a real celebration," says Gabi Gorinstein, a Buenos Aires resident. "There are a lot of people who went to the stadium, which is close to the city. Everyone is happy and happy. It's something you don't see all the time – Israeli flags on a soccer field, and it's very beautiful and joyful, even more so than Independence Day. On Independence Day, we have a ceremony in the theater, and here it's a celebration in the streets, in places where it usually doesn't happen."
Alongside the thousands who are expected to watch the Israeli team, there are also quite a few who will watch the communities themselves. The president of the Argentine Jewish community AMIA, Dr. Amos Linecki, says that the excitement is at its peak. "There are people who are very connected in the community, but they can't get tickets either. Even those who are not football fans want to come to the game. The community is very excited. This is a historic day, and we are happy that the history of Israeli sports is taking place in Argentina."
Make Israeli travelers all over the continent come, the national team players, Photo: AP
"The country is in great demand, as you know, among Israelis after the army, and there are places where you can speak Hebrew freely, so they are very excited, and of course the community members love Israel very much and can now join the festivities. I hope that we will continue the festivities until Sunday," adds Dr. Linecki. And there is no doubt that Israelis are excited to the heavens. Gabi Glazman, head of delegation of the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Organization in Israel, talks to us moments before the semi-finals. "I thought winning the World Cup was top excitement, but it turns out it wasn't. Wow, I'm so excited, everyone here is excited. We didn't think we'd get to this point, and now everyone is ecstatic. Surprisingly, even non-Jewish Argentines joined in the excitement, football is contagious and connecting."
The previous game, she says, had 4,000 community members. "Now they've opened more areas of the 55,<>-seat stadium because of demand. In the WhatsApp groups of Israelis there is a lot of noise, full of Israelis who are traveling in South America and did not intend to come to Argentina at all came here from countries like Chile. There's a lot of quality."
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