Jews and Latinos have much more in common than you’d think, Chicago community leaders from both ethnic groups said Thursday.
Family, community and hard work are priorities of both groups, said Yinam Cohen, consul general of Israel to the Midwest.
He led a gathering of representatives of both communities Thursday to celebrate the overlapping holidays of Hispanic Heritage Month and Rosh Hashanah — the Jewish New Year.
“This is something that unites Israeli Jews and Latinos,” he said.
In a small room at Ogilvie Station, where the Israeli Consulate is located, Cohen led a group of Hispanic community leaders in performing Jewish traditions for Rosh Hashanah, which begins the evening of Oct. 2. Hispanic Heritage Month, which began Sept. 15, continues through Oct. 15.
They broke challah bread, baked into a round shape to represent the circle of life; dipped apple slices in honey; drank Israeli and Mexican wine; and blew a shofar, a ram’s horn trumpet, which serves as a wake-up call for individuals to examine their lives and make positive changes.
Cohen acknowledged the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the burgeoning conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“It’s no secret that the past year has been very challenging for Israelis because of the Oct. 7 massacre and the war that followed in a region,” he said. “But it was also very challenging for American Jews, because of the unprecedented rise of Jew hatred, of antisemitism here in America, unfortunately, including here in Chicago.”
The gathering comes on the heels of two events held by the Consulate in Chicago’s Hispanic neighborhoods: A 5K run in Little Village to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, and a competition for young Latino entrepreneurs held in concert with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Cohen said.
Francisco “Paco” Amador, pastor of New Life Community Church in Little Village, said the Hispanic and Jewish populations in the U.S. both have tight-knit community enclaves that are great places for immigrants to begin their journey.
“I really love this partnership, this walking together because we are here to stay,” Amador said.
Jenny Guzman, a Chicago businesswoman, has a background in both communities, having been raised by her Mexican immigrant father and Jewish grandparents.
“Our cultures have deep, deep roots,” she said. “I assure you that our roots more connect us than divide us. And now, more than ever, we have an opportunity to see each other, hear each other, teach each other, celebrate one another. Because I know we are more alike than we are different.”