Balancing Pain with Hope: Argentina’s Jewish Community 30 Years after the AMIA Bombing

30 years have passed since the AMIA bombing, which occurred on July 18, 1994, at 9:53 AM, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

It was a devastating terrorist attack on the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) building. According to various accounts from that day, the explosion left a profound impact on survivors, witnesses, and the community at large.

An event on Wednesday, the eve of the bombing’s 30th anniversary, was executed to honor to the victims and the preservation of their memory. This tragedy has shaped Argentina’s Jewish history and significantly influenced its politics. Various Argentine governments and judicial systems have mishandled or politicized the investigation, failing to bring the perpetrators to justice, despite an Argentine court ruling in April that Iran and Hezbollah were behind the attack.

This week has seen numerous events commemorating the solemn anniversary. On the eve of the anniversary in Buenos Aires, U.S. antisemitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt, alongside over 30 international counterparts, launched the “Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism” — a strategic plan for governments and civil organizations. U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Chair Ben Cardin led a Senate delegation to the commemoration, where President Javier Milei pledged to correct years of inaction and obstruction in the investigation.

Earlier this month, Argentina designated Hamas as a terrorist organization and froze its financial assets. Unlike his predecessors, President Milei has forged strong ties with Israel.

The official ceremony began at 9:53 a.m. local time, marking the exact moment the car bomb exploded 30 years ago. President Joseph Biden sent a letter about the anniversary, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized in a news release, “We are committed to holding the perpetrators of these vicious attacks to account.”

An international summit on terrorism, organized by the World Jewish Congress and the Latin American Jewish Congress, also took place in Buenos Aires. The focus was on Iran’s involvement in the AMIA bombing and its support for Hamas leading up to the October 7 attack in Israel. Despite decades of cover-ups, the community never gave up on justice.

Amos Linetzky, president of AMIA, drew parallels between the AMIA attack and the mass murder on October 7th during his remarks at the official ceremony. Linetzky said the origin of both attacks are the same: Iran, stating Iran consistently supports terrorism, and that the common factor between AMIA and October 7th is hatred against Jews and hypocritical reactions of the world.

The attack has also had widespread effects on the Jewish Diaspora. Rabbi Claudia Kreiman of Temple Beth Zion in Brookline, Massachusetts, remembered her mother, Julia Susana Wolynski Kreiman, one of the 85 victims, in an essay for the Times of Israel. “Her death was a turning point for me. I left Argentina, moved to Israel, and eventually to the United States. I became a rabbi, educator, and activist for peace, dialogue, and social justice.”

The AMIA bombing remains one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Argentina’s history, and the memories of that day continue to resonate deeply within the community, reminding them of the tragic loss and the importance of justice.