Between communities: finding Jewish belonging after migration

One of my greatest fears about leaving Argentina was what I would do if something happened to a family member. A week after arriving in Melbourne, my grandmother died. With no familiar place to mourn, I attended her funeral online, but watching through a screen only made the distance feel greater.  

That Friday, although I did not know anyone there, I went to a synagogue in St Kilda for a Shabbat service to honour my grandmother’s memory. It brought me some relief. 

Three years later, I still think back to that evening. It made me wonder what happens to Jewish identity and communal life when Latin American Jews migrate to Australia. 

For many Jews, growing up within a community is rarely a conscious choice. Guided by their parents, they attend Jewish schools and community clubs, join youth movements or go to synagogue, forming relationships over time. After migration, remaining involved means building trust and finding a place in a community shaped by another country. 

Jesica Grinblat joined Macabi in Argentina at the age of five and later became a youth leader. Community had surrounded her as she grew up; after moving to Australia in 2020, she had to find it again. The turning point came while she was working as a bartender at a bat mitzvah in Melbourne. Grinblat recognised the prayers and songs and began singing along as she served drinks. The familiar music moved her to tears. 

Grinblat saw the event as an opportunity to reconnect with Jewish life. She approached some of the bat mitzvah girl’s relatives, told them she was Jewish and asked to be put in touch with someone in the community. They called over the girl’s grandmother, who took Grinblat’s number and invited her to Shabbat.