Chilean Jews are

Chileans Chileans ( es, Chilenos) are people identified with the country of Chile, whose connection may be residential, legal, historical, ethnic, or cultural. For most Chileans, several or all of these connections exist and are collectively the source ...

residing in the

Republic of Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

who are of either

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

ancestry or observe the

Jewish faith Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the M ...

. In the 2012 Chilean

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

, 16,294 Chilean residents listed their religion as Judaism, an increase of 8.8% since 2002. The actual Jewish community in Chile is estimated to be slightly larger. Chilean Jews are found across the country, although the majority live in the cities of

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...

and

Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...

, and are predominantly found in higher-paying professions and all walks of public life. The Chilean Jewish population decreased in the political turmoil of the 1970s and 1980s, but their identity as Jews in Chile remains. Most Chilean Jews are

Ashkenazim Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...

. Here is a list of some prominent

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

an Jews.

Actors

Shlomit Baytelman Shlomit Baytelman Albala (Hebrew: שלומית בייטלמן; Yiddish: שלאָמיט בייַטעלמאַן; born Afula, November 30, 1949) is a Israeli-born actress, director, and writer who became a naturalized Chilean citizen. She gained r ...

, actresshttp://www.ajcarchives.org/AJC_DATA/Files/Vol_85__1985.pdf page 48: "Chile's best-known actors are Jewish, including Shlomit Baytelman, Alejandro Cohen, Anita Klesky, Jael Unger" *

Alejandro Cohen Alejandro is the Spanish form of the name Alexander. Alejandro has multiple variations in different languages, including Aleksander (Czech, Polish), Alexandre ( French), Alexandros (Greek), Alsander (Irish), Alessandro (Italian), Aleksandr (Rus ...

, actor *

Daniel Emilfork Daniel Emilfork (7 April 1924 – 17 October 2006) was a Chilean stage and film actor who made his career in France. Biography Emilfork was born in San Felipe, Chile after his Jewish socialist parents from Kiev fled a pogrom in Odessa. A ...

, actor *

Anita Klesky Anita or ANITA may refer to: Arts * ''Anita'' (1967 film), an Indian film * ''Anita'' (2009 film), an Argentine film * ''Anita'' (2021 film), a Hong Kong film *'' Anita: Swedish Nymphet'', a 1973 erotic film People *Anita (given name), people w ...

, actress * Ariel Levy, actor * Nissim Sharim, actor *

Paula Sharim Paula or PAULA may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Paula, in video game '' EarthBound'' * Paula, in ''The Larry Sanders Show'' * Paula Campbell (''EastEnders''), in 2003 Film and television * ''Paula'' (1915 film), a s ...

, actress *

Jael Unger Jael or Yael ( he, יָעֵל ''Yāʿēl'') is the name of the heroine who delivered Israel from the army of King Jabin of Canaan in the Book of Judges of the Hebrew Bible. After Barak demurred at the behest of the prophetess Deborah, God turned ...

, actress

Sportspeople

Rodrigo Goldberg Rodrigo Alejandro Goldberg Mierzejewski (born August 9, 1971) is a Chilean former international football player. As a player, he gained national notoriety in Israel for his talented play with Maccabi Tel Aviv and good use of the Hebrew language. ...

(born 1971), football, forward (national team) *

Kai Horwitz Kai Horwitz (born 9 April 1998) is a Chilean Olympic alpine skier. Early and personal life Horwitz was born in Santiago, Chile, and is Jewish. His sister Nadja Horwitz represented Chile in sailing at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeir ...

(born 1998), Olympic alpine skier *

Nicolás Massú Nicolás Alejandro Massú Fried (; born 10 October 1979), nicknamed ''El Vampiro'' (Spanish, 'the vampire'), is a Chilean former professional tennis player. A former world No. 9 in singles, he won the singles and doubles gold medals at the 2004 ...

(born 1979), tennis player, highest world ranking # 9, 2x Olympic champion (singles & doubles) * Sebastian Rozental (born 1976), football, forward (national team)

Scientists

* Mordo Alvo, physician and member of the scientific academy ''Instituto de Chile''Instituto de Chile
* Claudio Bunster, scientist (Jewish mother) * Fernando Cassorla, physician and member of the scientific academy ''Instituto de Chile'' *

Alejandro Lipschuetz Alejandro is the Spanish form of the name Alexander. Alejandro has multiple variations in different languages, including Aleksander (Czech, Polish), Alexandre (French), Alexandros (Greek language, Greek), Alsander (Irish language, Irish), Ales ...

, anthropologist and endocrinologist

Mathematicians

Robert Frucht Robert Wertheimer Frucht (later known as Roberto Frucht) (9 August 1906 – 26 June 1997) was a German-Chilean mathematician; his research specialty was graph theory and the symmetries of graphs. Education and career In 1908, Frucht's family mo ...

Leo Corry Leo Corry (ליאו קורי, born 1956 in Santiago de Chile) is an Israeli historian of mathematics. Biography Corry migrated with his Jewish family to Venezuela when he was two years old. He attended primary and secondary school at Colegio Mor ...

Other notable Chileans of Jewish descent

Andrés Weintraub Andres or Andrés may refer to: *Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois, US *Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France *Andres (name) *Hurricane Andres * "Andres" (song), a 1994 song by L7 See also ...

, Professor Department of Industrial Engineering University of Chile *

Chris Isaak Apablaza Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common. People with the given name *Chris Abani (born 1966), Nige ...

, zoologist *

Leonardo Farkas Leonardo Julio Farkas Klein (born March 20, 1967) is a Chilean businessman. Early years Farkas's parents were Jews of Hungarian descent who emigrated from Transylvania to South America in 1939. Farkas studied business administration at the ...

, businessman and philanthropist * Marjorie Agosín, human rights activist, professor, and writer * Shai Agosin, TV producer and presenter * José Berdichewsky,

Pinochet Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (, , , ; 25 November 1915 – 10 December 2006) was a Chilean general who ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990, first as the leader of the Military Junta of Chile from 1973 to 1981, being declared President of ...

's Ambassador in IsraelThe Jewish Experience under Military Dictators in Chile and Argentina during 1970s and 1980s
* Eduardo Bitrán, former Minister of Public Works * David Stitchkin Branover,

Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

of the

University of Concepción A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

from 1956 - 1962. *

Roberto Brodsky Roberto Brodsky Baudet (born 1957, Santiago, Chile) is a Chilean novelist and screenwriter. He has written four novels, several film and theater scripts, and over 250 articles published in national newspapers and magazines. Baudet was awarded the 2 ...

, novelist and screenwriter * Cristopher Carpentier, chef (converted to Judaism) *

Jacques Chonchol Jacques Chonchol (born March 26, 1926) is a politician and professor known for his work in the Chilean land reform movement of the 1960s and early 1970s. Conchol served from 1970 to 1972 as Minister of Agriculture in the government of President ...

, Minister of Agriculture in the Allende governmentThe Virtual Jewish History Tour - Chile
/ref> * Leopoldo Donnebaum, businessman and philanthropist *

Ariel Dorfman Vladimiro Ariel Dorfman (born May 6, 1942) is an Argentine-Chilean-American novelist, playwright, essayist, academic, and human rights activist. A citizen of the United States since 2004, he has been a professor of literature and Latin American ...

, author and scholar *

Roberto Dueñas Roberto Dueñas Hernandez (born 1 November 1975) is a retired Spanish professional basketball player. At a height of 7 ft 3 inches tall, he played at the center position. Professional career Dueñas was drafted with the last overall pi ...

, modeling agent * Christián Apablaza, Photographer, Graphic artist * Julián Elfenbein, journalist, television hostJulián Elfenbein.
Article in Spanish * Efrain Friedman, director of Chilean Atomic Research Committee * Benjamín Galemiri, playwright * Rodrigo Guendelman, journalist * Clarisa Hardy, psychologist; former (2006-2007) Minister of PlanningMost Jewish gov’t outside Israel – in Chile - Israel Jewish Scene, Ynetnews
/ref> *

Rodrigo Hinzpeter Rodrigo Javier Hinzpeter Kirberg (born 27 October 1965) is a Chilean lawyer and politician. He was one of the founders of National Renewal, a center-right political party. He was appointed Interior Minister on 11 March 2010 by President of Chil ...

, politician *

Tomás Hirsch Tomás René Hirsch Goldschmidt (born 19 July 1956) is a leftist Chilean politician and businessman. He was the Together We Can Do More pact candidate for the 2005 Chilean presidential election, winning 5.4% of the vote. Biography Hirsch wa ...

, politician, businessman * Jeremías Israel, motoracing driver (Jewish father) * Mauricio Israel, television host * Claudio Jodorkovsky, rabbiMonthly Report
*

Alejandro Jodorowsky Alejandro Jodorowsky Prullansky (; born 17 February 1929) is a Chilean-French avant-garde filmmaker. Best known for his 1970s films '' El Topo'' and '' The Holy Mountain'', Jodorowsky has been "venerated by cult cinema enthusiasts" for his wor ...

, film director (Chilean-born) *

Alberto van Klaveren Albert Leo (Alberto) van Klaveren Stork (born 27 October 1948) is a Dutch-born Chilean political scientist, lawyer and diplomat. He served as Assistant Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Chile between 2006 and 2009. Van Klaveren also represented Chil ...

, (2006–2009) Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations * José Klein, former owner of Minera Santa BarbaraLa Ultima Gran Operacion De La Dina:
/ref> * Marcelo Kormis, rabbiMonthly Report
*

Mario Kreutzberger Mario Luis Kreutzberger Blumenfeld (; born 28 December 1940), better known by his stage name as Don Francisco (), is a Chilean television host, and a popular personality on the Univision network reaching Spanish-speaking viewers in the United ...

, better known as Don Francisco, TV host * Vivi Kreutzberger, television host * Marcos Libedinsky, former president of the Supreme Court of Justice *

Sergio Melnick Sergio Raúl Melnick Israel (27 July 1951 – 11 April 2024) was a Chilean politician, economist, businessman, and writer. He was the minister of planning under president Augusto Pinochet from 1987 to 1989, and a councilmember for Las Condes f ...

, economist, Minister of ODEPLAN under

Lily Pérez Lily Jovanka Pérez San Martín (born 10 May 1963) is a Chilean publicist and politician. She served a councilor for La Florida from 1992 to 1996, a national deputy for District 26 from 1998 to 2006, a deputy for District 36 from 2008 to 2010, ...

, politician * Daniel Platovsky, businessman, politician, and eldest son of Milan Platovsky (Jewish father)Milan Platovsky.
/ref> * Milan Platovsky, Holocaust survivor and businessman who wrote a best-selling autobiography * Andres Pollak, jazz musician * Karen Poniachik, journalist; former Minister of Mining and Energy * Sarika Rodrik, fashion designer * Frank Sauerbaum, politician * Daniel Schidlow, Dean, Drexel University College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. (Chilean born) * Leon Schidlowsky, music teacher and composer * Miguel Schweitzer Speisky,

's Minister of JusticeMiguel Schweitzer.
/ref> * Miguel Schweitzer Walters,

's Minister of External Affairs and ambassador to the UK * Jorge Schaulsohn, politician * Gabriel Silber, deputy * Jacob Stoulman Bortnik, businessman, kidnapped by DINA during the Operacion Condor plan in Argentina * Víctor Tevah, fiddler * Marcelo Tokman, Minister of Energy * Julián Vainstein, rabbi *

Ana Vásquez-Bronfman Ana Vásquez-Bronfman (18 December 1931 – 18 November 2009) was a Chilean Jewish sociologist and writer. Exiled from the country during the military dictatorship in 1973, she relocated to Paris, where she worked as a professor and researcher a ...

(née Ana Lucia Bronfman Weinstein), (1931-2009) writer, social scientist * José Weinstein, Minister of Culture under

Ricardo Lagos Ricardo Froilán Lagos Escobar (; born 2 March 1938) is a Chilean lawyer, economist and social-democratic politician who served as president of Chile from 2000 to 2006. During the 1980s he was a well-known opponent of the Chilean military di ...

* Luis Weinstein, photographerLuis #Weinstein, connotado fotógrafo que retrató a los sobrevivientes del libro "Memoria Viva"
/ref> * Jaime Wisnaik, director of department of engineering at the Catholic University of Santiago * Mario Alvo, businessmen * Volodia Teitelboim Volosky, politician,lawyer and general secretary of the communist party of chile

References

External links

Jews celebrate 100 years in Chile (El Mercurio)
{{Lists of Jews by country, noredlinks=yes

Jews,Chile