Draft:Rabino Alfredo Goldschmidt
Alfredo Goldschmidt (Hebrew: אלפרדו גולדשמיט; born August 4, 1945) is the Chief Rabbi (Gran Rabino) of Colombia.
Early life
[edit]Rabbi Goldschmidt was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to German Jewish immigrants, Herman and Else Goldschmidt[1]. He studied in New York at Yeshiva Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch while attaining a degree in psychology at City College of New York[2]. He further studied to become a rabbi in the United States, at Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, of Baltimore, between 1962 and 1968. He returned to Argentina as the director of a religious school (Colegio Integral Rabino Iosef Caro) where he served for seven years.[3] [4]
Colombia
[edit]In 1973 the Jewish community of Bogotá was looking for a Rabbi[5]. In February 1974, he became rabbi of Centro Israelita de Bogotá. He has been serving as the Rabbi there for over 47 years. In 1991, Rabbi Goldschmidt was officially acknowledged as the Chief Rabbi by the Colombian government[6].
Rabbi Goldschmidt has also been an active rabbi at the local Jewish school in Bogota, Colegio Colombo Hebreo. Alfredo Goldschmidt has been very active with the Colombian youth and has been an integral part of the Zionist youth movement Kinneret.[7]
Since the outset of his tenure, Rabbi Goldschmidt has maintained important interfaith relationships, with religious leaders of all faiths from around Colombia. Rabbi Goldschmidt has also played an integral role in assisting numerous Colombian communities, who have rediscovered their long lost Jewish heritage,[8] return to Judaism and seek conversion. See also:Shavei Israel, Marrano, Converso.
Rabbi Goldschmidt is involved in various Kashrut efforts in Colombia. He also teaches numerous Torah classes, and engages in singing and music through the use of his iconic accordion.
Honors
[edit]In 2021, the World Council for Torah Education awarded Goldschmidt the Exemplary Educator of the Diaspora Award, a ceremony that was held virtually since Goldschmidt was unable to travel to Israel. He received his award on October 23, 2022, in Jerusalem, in the presence of Moshe Lion and Shlomo Amar, Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel and Rishon LeZion .[9]
References
[edit]- ^ "Entrevista con el gran rabino Alfredo Goldschmidt | Aurora". www.aurora-israel.co.il (in Spanish).
- ^ "Rabino Alfredo Goldschmidt on his rabbinic work | jewishideas.org". www.jewishideas.org.
- ^ "Entrevista con el gran rabino Alfredo Goldschmidt | Aurora". www.aurora-israel.co.il (in Spanish).
- ^ Tiempo, Casa Editorial El (24 October 2007). "Judíos llegaron para quedarse en la localidad de Chapinero". El Tiempo (in Spanish).
- ^ Tiempo, Casa Editorial El (24 October 2007). "Judíos llegaron para quedarse en la localidad de Chapinero". El Tiempo (in Spanish).
- ^ Tiempo, Casa Editorial El (24 October 2007). "Judíos llegaron para quedarse en la localidad de Chapinero". El Tiempo (in Spanish).
- ^ https://www.aurora-israel.co.il/entrevista-con-el-gran-rabino-alfredo-goldschmidt?fbclid=IwAR1lYeUf4MQhpSlh7YeVKEL6IoVd-_Qkn2QfZq_iSCSFavO53JjP6a7iKbw.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ Forero, Juan (24 November 2012). "Colombian evangelical Christians convert to Judaism, embracing hidden past". Washington Post.
- ^ Israel, Noticias Aurora; Rubinsky, Leonardo (19 August 2021). "Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt: Exemplary Educator of the Diaspora". Aurora Israel: Últimas noticias Israel, Vida judía, Innovación Tecnológica Israelí y Avances Médicos israelis. (in Spanish).