TIME FOR A COURSE OF ACTION (ET LAASOT) 

1. INTRODUCTION 

We must recover our history trying to bring memories back. We must remember where we come from to fully understand where we are and where we are going to.

The socio-economic aspect takes us back to the origins of the Jewish migration that -with almost no resources- arrived in our country and fought and earned their living by working the land. 

Having recovered our rights with the return to democracy, we are allowed to express our thoughts and raise our voices, which from Judaism join the ones from the rest of the society in the fight for justice and memory. 

At the beginning of this new millennium, we propose a point of inflection in the place we must occupy as a community within the Argentine society in order to give an answer to our needs as well as to put forward a clear message as regards which the place of the Jewish community is, as an integral part of the society. 

We do assert Jews in Argentina are on our way to integration to the society. It is not a process of assimilation; it's a way to be included in the universal project of Argentina as a nation. 

We are on our way to make our dream of the big country true; we deserve so, as Argentine citizens. That same dream dreamt by our national heroes, the same one adopted by immigrants who little by little added their own peculiar traditions until they formed a multicoloured mosaic where all and each of them contributed with their own particular tone, not diluting, on the contrary enriching the whole. 

We believe that taking what we have learnt from our roots we can contribute -as we have, during the last century in Argentina- to enhance culture and thought integrating our daily memory practice. 

We are the people who do not forget. Our memory protected us for centuries; thanks to our memory we were able to keep our identity far beyond tragedies and geographical dispersion. 

We know that there will be no future in Argentina unless we keep the memory alive as part of everyday life practice as citizens. It is right from this memory that we intend to give an answer for the two most serious problems of the Jewish existence in the country. 

Our place in society and the Jewish contribution starting from our own peculiarities to join the national unity project. 
The common cause that presents structural solutions to the new Jewish poverty.
 
2. PROJECTS TO BE FULFILLED 

The actual projects we propose in order to give shape to this dream tend to generate economic, educational and social development trying to look for a punctual solution on micro-scale to be transferable to other arenas, regions and socio-economic environments. We intend to introduce plans of action that would enable us to move from a behaviour of social assistance to let those individuals with very low or no resources facing a situation of social risk benefit from the dignifying action of earning their own living by working. On the other hand it would be possible to go back to the same old roots that a hundred years ago were the turning point for the creation of institutions of mutual help. This way back to the foundational community project would re-create the social scheme of bonds in common cause in which millenary Jewish values would be put into action. 

The proposed undertakings can be classified as: Economic Undertakings and Service; Socio-cultural Undertakings.
 
2.1. ECONOMIC UNDERTAKINGS AND SERVICE 

The aim of such undertakings is to generate economic development and to provide conditions that would lead to a honourable, deserving way of living for families already settled in the area as well as for others coming from nearby zones that would reach Avigdor in search of a job. In this way, the project would allow us to pay attention to the present problems of rural migration. It is our intention to create and use state-of-the-art agro-industrial technology so that the residents of the area would be able to use a productive social enterprise model at the same time efficient and competitive with genuine capital investment whose benefits could be re-assigned promoting welfare for the dwellers of the area as well as for nearby zones. This could only be put into practice through: 

a. A Permanent Centre of Demonstration and Transference of Israeli Agro-industrial Technology: where different Israeli enterprises would be able to exhibit their products and transfer their applied technology becoming a permanent exhibition to be visited by producers from Argentina and neighbouring countries 

b. An agro-industrial storage depot in Avigdor, where different Israeli enterprises would settle down to develop their main activity in the region as well as in Mercosur relying on Israeli capitals and/or national participation. These companies will be able to set up counting on promotional provincial laws. 

c. A professional Training Centre that would provide information on different Agro-industrial disciplines through experts from several Israeli Institutions and/or professionals from different enterprises. 

d. A Receptive and Thematic Tourist Centre: based on the cultural values of the Jewish colonies and having the image of the Jewish gaucho as an example and model of integration of particular traditions to society as a whole. 

e. The building of an Urban Point for the development and lodging of the working community that would serve as a model for its commercialisation in Mercosur (those enterprises with service structure or road-building ones will be included). 

f. Health Centres would be set up in order to cover up the needs of the inhabitants of Avigdor and other nearby locations, serving as model for their propagation and commercialisation in Mercosur. 

g. Setting up a Solar Energy Company and the supply of such energy in the area. 

h. Recovering the railway branch line and its interurban mileage together with its commercial exploitation. 

2.2. SOCIO-CULTURAL UNDERTAKINGS

These undertakings are intended to cause social interest about rural culture and this would bring about not only a cultural impact but also a strong appraisal of the rural activity. On the other hand, they would create a framework of socio-cultural activities for those developing their economic activities in the area and nearby zones. 

These undertakings will develop: 

a. A Memory Centre about Jewish Colonization: It would be established as an interactive cultural spot for visitors in order to show origins and perspectives about the Jewish presence in the country. The aim of this centre is to re-establish the founding values of the history in Argentina as a land of prosperity and peace, immigrants dreamt of. 

b. A Synagogue that, having been restored following to the point its original design, will be the appropriate place for visitors and residents to find spiritual help and the contents to learn and study our millenary tradition. 

c. An Educational Institute for children and adults to provide formal and informal education to widespread and work on universal values. 

d. Tourist Undertakings: They will be aimed not only at the creation of jobs but also at the encouragement of rural rooting, the revaluation of cultural and environmental heritage, the improvement of the commercialisation of crops and the arousement of the synergy produced among production, training, education and tourism. 

3. ACHIEVED INVESTMENTS IN AVIGDOR 

Two hundred and eighty hectares (280) have been purchased at Avigdor. The land has been conveniently cleared of trees and shrubs and we are now building a Receptive Tourist Centre. Of US$ 500,000 spent on the place up to now, the money has been invested on: 

- Purchase of land 
- Clearing the land of trees and shrubs 
- Soil movement 
- Girders and beams 
- Rubblework 
- Fittings 

We have also hired professionals to get the land ready to work in the fields, to set the limits, choose the appropriate crops, fit the equipment and gather the first harvest.

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