Buenos Aires (BA) is a city of beauty and intrigue. But did you know that it also has the largest Spanish-speaking Jewish community in the world (160,000)? I recently visited this thriving Jewish community, the capital of Argentina. So I know from experience that they serve up the most succulent kosher steak. Also impressive is that the only Yiddish newspaper in the Southern Hemisphere is published here. And how could we forget, that here, walking the largest boulevard in the world, one can see some of the best-looking shul-goers.

When you look a bit further, it's clear that this is one of the most resilient Jewish communities in modern history. To walk the narrow streets of Once (pronounced On-Say) is to tread over years of history in which Ashkenazi and Sephardim co-mingled as one. Two of the first Jews who came to BA arrived in 1492 after they decided to live openly as Jews and flee the Inquisition.

If you meander around Communidad bet El, you will see people whose descendants were the first Jewish cowboys of Argentina. After leaving Russia and its anti-Semitism at the beginning of the twentieth century, these gauchos bought massive amounts of land in the Argentinean countryside and roamed around on horseback. How's that for Jewish adventurism?

I also learned that the Jews of Buenos Aires are a sophisticated bunch, fashionable, well-educated and up-to-date on contemporary American pop culture. Their clubs are packed to the brim each night, blaring American hip hop, bass pounding techno and of course, tango. For young Jews in BA, an early night means returning to the house at 2 a.m. These guys are true night owls.

Other differences exist as well: Whereas we have the Jew-fro, Willie Mays and pizza delivery, they have the fashion mullet, Diego Maradona (futbol superhero) and empanadas, a staple of any late night Argentine cuisine. It is a hot flaky triangle pocket filled with anything from pineapples and cheese to potatoes and chicken. They normally come in orders of six with other popular ingredients such as ginger, beef, onions and tomatoes. They also differ from pizza delivery in that the deliveryman arrives on a motor-scooter (and probably with a leather jacket and slicked-back hair). Since the traffic in BA rivals that of LA or New York, the best way for Argentine youth to travel the city is to weave through the cars on a moped (motorized bike or scooter). Besides allowing for a faster commune, they also look really cool.

Another thing I realized is that Zionism is a staple of Jewish life in BA. Whether they are sending athletes to the Maccabia games or leading a delegation on the March of the Living, Israel runs through their veins, regardless of the anti-Semitism they have endured.  

A lot of people left BA in 1999 after Argentina's economy collapsed. Today, these Jews are rebuilding their lives with the help of Jewish organizations from around the world. In fact, some of these individuals are still in BA, and if you turn the corner past Once's famous Syrian synagogue, Yesod Hadat, you'll see some of soup kitchens that were built for those that lost a lot of their money. Thankfully, the economy is much better now and people are beginning to get back on their feet.

If it happens to be a Saturday, the Boca Juniors, one of BA's most famous soccer (excuse me, futbol) teams might be playing another team, say, AC Milan. But while you might expect to see most Argentines glued to the tube, like us Americans when it comes to football, you'll see close to 800 people walking out of Communidad Bet El synagogue. It's true, the Jews of Buenos Aires have remained connected through it all. Where are they going? Home of course. Boca Junior just tied the game 1-1, and there is an overtime game to watch and empanadas to eat.

And, by the way, if you ever end up in BA, try the empanadas with ginger, cheese and pineapple. You won't be disappointed, I promise.

Daniel Fink recently consulted Maimonides before buying what he believed was a stolen bike. He also freezes sour candy and is looking for other Turkophiles. Currently, he is looking for a bike which was obtained in a kosher manner.