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Ilan López

Jewish community of Guatemalan helps thousands to strengthen their Judaism

Coronando a Hashem is a project organized by the Jewish Community of Guatemala

In mid-March, as the world began to adapt to the coronavirus, the Jewish Community of Guatemala began to organize what would become a regional movement that would bring together speakers, Rabanim and Rabaniot from more than 10 countries, and thousands of people from the entire Hispanic world under the same principle: strengthen their Jewish identity during the crisis.

“Coronando a Hashem”, that literally translates to Crowning Hashem, is a unique program in the region that organizes an average of 18 weekly talks with speakers from countries such as Mexico, Israel, Panama, and, of course, Guatemala. Since its inception on March 17, thousands of people have participated in the talks and activities, becoming a source of inspiration during these difficult times. The topics of the talks have ranged from Hebrew classes for children and Torah classes to coaching, yoga, and meditation sessions.

“It fills us with joy to receive comments from the large communities in our region, who are surprised by the immense work that our small community is doing.

Said the Rabbi of the Jewish Community of Guatemala David Russek, who together with his wife, organized this program.

A mitzva always brings more mitzvot. Inspired by the annual Shabbat Project, we were able to create a Netflix of Torah. A series of rich and varied classes directly to your house.

Said the Rabanit Adina Russek.

The Jewish Community of Guatemala has positioned itself as a leader in the ​​support of Israel. Guatemala was a fundamental actor in the creation of the State of Israel supporting and lobbying for the partition plan. In addition, it was the second country to recognize the newborn state, minutes after the United States did so. More recently, it was the second country to reopen its embassy in Jerusalem.

With “Coronando a Hashem” this community shows us that it is not only the capital of the pro-Israel world but also a driving force of Orthodox Judaism in Latin America.

About the Author
The author is the Executive Director of the Jewish Community in Guatemala. Originally from Venezuela, Ilan moved to Israel when he was 20 years old. He served in the IDF unit COGAT as the director of the Digital Diplomacy department. After his service, he worked at StandWithUs he started the Latin American department of the organization. In 2019 he moved to Guatemala to work with the local Jewish community.
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