The Survival of Comunidada Judia del Ecuador An Ethnography

Date of Award

2004

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Vesperi, Maria

Keywords

Ecuador, Jews (Judias), Community

Area of Concentration

Anthropology

Abstract

This thesis uses ethnological field research that I collected through interviews and observation while studying the Jewish Community of Quito, Ecuador over a three-month period in the year 2003. The goal of this thesis is to explore notions of community survival, focusing specifically on the concepts of endogamy and exogamy. In order to explore these concepts, I will look to the kinship theories put forth by Claude Levi-Strauss, specifically his alliance theory. I will also be using several case studies relating to kinship and marriage, as well as several key works that discuss the issues relating to intermarriage among Jews, not only in today's world, but throughout history. In the first chapter I introduce the Jewish Community of Quito, detailing my arrival and initial contact with the community. In the second chapter I outline the methods I used in doing my research, specifically the manner in which I held my interviews and was able to gain acceptance into the community. The third chapter describes the setting of the community, focusing on the newly built Center and the city of Quito. The fourth chapter incorporates the theory of Claude Levi-Strauss, along with several scholars who have focused on Judaism throughout their work. Chapter five discusses the history of the Jewish community in Quito, using the personal histories of several informants, along with information collected from several academic sources. The sixth chapter focuses on the identity of members of the community. The seventh chapter examines the educational and religious programs offered by the community. The eighth chapter discusses several factors which have led to the population decline within the community, specifically among young adults. The last chapter, the conclusion, focuses on the community's chance for survival, but also looks at the strong sense of Judaism it has instilled in community members throughout its existence.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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