Belgrano

We dropped the kids off this morning and headed up to Belgrano to visit Communidad Bet El, the synagogue that Marshall Meyer revived and made a center of a social action within Buenos Aires. He trained many a young rabbi, including the rabbis now heading up Congregatio Bnai Jeshurun in New York, one of the most lively conservative synagogues in the city.

The setting is rather different than Bnai Jeshurun -- quiet, lovely, streets of Belgrano, an upper class suburb of Buenos Aires (well, it isn't officially a suburb, as it is still within the city). We couldn't get into the shul, as it was absolutely barricaded with two guards standing at different entrances. But they were happy to welcome us to Shabbat service (as long we came with passports).

This is the area we were urged to live in and it is quite nice -- single-family homes (row houses with pretensions), wide streets, cleaner. There are lots of private schools and lots of signs in English -- this is clearly the heart of the expat community. (A few signs could use a little work -- e.g. "Beauty Free" is probably not what you want out of your beauty salon).

Off to meet the kids for lunch...