Legacy Continues with Chabad in Resistencia, Argentina

Rabbi Nochum Freedman grew up in Bahía Blanca, Argentina — where his father traded comfort for calling and built a Jewish home in this smaller, harder-to-reach community deep in the Argentine interior, eight hours south of the capital.

Decades later — after his father’s untimely passing in 2016 at 57 years old — Rabbi Freedman found himself standing at the same crossroads.

Married and living in Brooklyn with his wife Rivka and six-month-old baby, he began researching where a young Chabad family could make the greatest difference in a Spanish-speaking community. One city kept coming up: Resistencia.

Located 13 hours north of Buenos Aires, the capital of the Chaco province, Resistencia is home to an estimated 2,000 Jews — a century-old community with deep roots. The nearest Chabad House is not in Argentina at all, but five hours north across the border in Paraguay. All other Jewish communities in the country are eight to ten hours away.

“When I looked at this city and what it needed,” Rabbi Freedman said, “I thought of my father — how he was sent not to the big city, but to a place that really needed a Jewish presence. I felt like this was a continuation of that.”

The Freedmans made their first visit over Chanukah in 2023. “We were surprised to find so many Jewish souls who were alive and searching,” he recalled. “Every day we met more people who invited us into their homes. The community was warm and welcoming.” They made the move to Resistencia in the summer of 2024.

Today, the Chabad House is a hub for Shabbat meals, holiday celebrations, bar and bat mitzvah preparation, children’s programs, and men’s and women’s events. Their reach extends beyond Resistencia itself: just across the river, connected by a single bridge, lies Corrientes, the capital of the neighboring province, home to another estimated 2,000 Jews. Rabbi Freedman serves both communities, running programs and holiday events on both sides of the river. This past Passover, Jews from Resistencia and Corrientes gathered together for a communal Seder — many of them connecting to Jewish life in a meaningful way for the first time in years.

Marta Kuc is a lifelong Resistencia resident whose grandparents fled Europe during the Second World War and settled in the Chaco province. The Freedmans’ arrival just over one year ago feels both personal and long overdue. “Their presence in our city has allowed many families to share celebrations and learning,” she said. “They are always ready to answer my questions and solve my doubts — they make me feel welcomed.”

“We have to find people one by one,” explained Rabbi Freedman. “But that’s also what makes it so meaningful — when you find someone, and you’re able to share something with them, you can really make an impact.”