La Paz - Page 7
A WONDERFUL SHABBAT IN LA PAZ
I looked at our schedule before we left and realized that we would be in La Paz for Shabbat so I decided to find out if there was a Synagogue where we could go to services, and happily there was. I emailed the Circulo Israelita de Bolivia and got all the details. In the meantime I found out that one of the members of my own Synagogue comes from Bolivia. He got me in touch with his friend, Miky, in La Paz, and we given the Royal treatment.
Miky invited us to his beautiful home for a spectacular Shabbat dinner. He and his wife Sandra and their daughter Ila were so kind and sensitive to our dietary requirements and made special vegetarian dishes for me. We later found out that Miky is the owner of a top restaurant in the Zona Sud neighborhood (a more affluent area) of the city. They made us feel so much at home.
After dinner we then went to services. There were about 25 people there most of whom spoke English. All the melodies sung were familiar to us. The Synagogue building is not easy to find and is located behind a tall wall. The security is quite strong.
There are approximately 220 - 300 Jews in La Paz according to a count that was done a while ago. The first Jews arrived in La Paz in the late 1930s, mainly from Germany and Austria. The sanctuary is small and can accommodate perhaps 100 people. The congregation prides itself in being the one closest to the Almighty since it is the Synagogue highest in the world. The building itself has (I believe) four stories and at one time served as a Jewish Community Center. I was not able to get any pictures since it was already dark when we got there. After services we returned to Miky’s home for dessert and conversation.
