Elias Achar
President of the Central Committee of the Jewish communities in Mexico

Within the Jewish world in the Diaspora, being a Jew in Mexico is a privilege. Mexico allows us to live a Jewish life in freedom and without threats, something you do not find in most countries today. This favorable situation is due to the great work that the Comite Central (Central Committee) has carried out over the years with the cooperation of many players, such as the government, the political class, the media, various authorities, and other religious groups.  Another contributing factor is the Central Committee’s support of the country´s development.

The Mexican Jewish community has a unique model and structure in the world, given its complex task of providing religious assistance and services during the various stages of the life cycle of each of its members. Comite Central, the umbrella committee that represents all the Jewish communities in Mexico as well as the Jewish Sports Club (Centro Deportivo Israelita), provides the institutional voice and sense of unity for all of our communities.

Mexico allows us to live a Jewish life in freedom.

While the individual communities look inward to provide service and attention to each of their members, the Comite Central looks outward on behalf of the entire Jewish community. The various smaller communities offer their members different types of support and services in different areas, such as economics, health, religion, education, etc. The Comite Central is responsible for safeguarding the community’s security and does so through its Social Action Committee, (Acción Social) and its Community Security Committee (Comite de Seguridad Comunitaria). It is also responsible for combating antisemitism through its informational and communication division, the Israeli Tribune (Tribuna Israelita). And thanks to another branch of Comite Central, the Strategic Analysis Committee, the community plans its future for the generations to come with regard to problems and needs that may arise.

The accomplishments of our organizational structure speak for themselves; the model has proven to be efficient and functional. Among the most relevant achievements are very low assimilation rates, low levels of antisemitism, and the strong identity of young people with Israel and Judaism.