The Invention of the Jewish Gaucho

The Invention of the Jewish Gaucho: Villa Clara and the Construction of Argentine Identity is a 2009 historical book by Judith Freidenberg, published by the University of Texas Press in December 2009. Freidenberg's book illustrates that by the mid-twentieth century, Eastern European Jews constituted one of the largest minority groups in Argentina. She notes that approximately two generations prior, a substantial wave of immigration resulted in the establishment of agricultural colonies within the Entre Ríos province.^[1][2] The author also explains that due to the rural areas of Argentina being sparsely populated, the government promoted immigration as a means to develop and settle these regions. Encouraged by the government, and in response to extremely violent anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe, Baron Maurice de Hirsch financed the Jewish Colonization Association, which facilitated the arrival of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe to Entre Ríos during this period.^[3]

The book investigates the intricacies of the hybrid culture known as the Jewish gauchos, which represents a convergence of native cowboy identities and longstanding Jewish identities.^[1][4][5] The author highlights that the arrival of these Jewish immigrants coincided with a period characterized by a pronounced sense of liberated nationalism among the Argentine populace.^[1] She explores the village of Villa Clara over the span of a century, during which it served as an agricultural colony in the Entre Ríos province of Argentina. Freidenberg participated in the village's centennial celebration, both as a contributor to the events and as an observer.^[6] She explains that by the 1990s, most of the Jewish population of Villa Clara had left.^[6][7] The analysis presented in the book draws upon diverse sources, including archival materials, historical artifacts, and heritage performances.^[1][8]