I found this monograph to be intriguing as soon as I started reading. Author Raanan Rein does a great job right off the bat of establishing where his work stands in comparison to other literature in the field. Rein’s aim to explore the social history and cultural integration of Jews in Argentina through the lens of fútbol does the necessary work of explaining the significant role Jewish people played in Argentine culture (particularly in the neighborhoods of Villa Crespo and Once, known as “Jewish Neighborhoods” in Buenos Aires) and simultaneously producing a valuable (and as Rein argues in his intro, unfortunately uncommon) narrative of Jews as active participants in the cultivation of Argentine culture rather than only as victims of the anti-Semitism in these communities. By establishing his argument within this idea that the socio-cultural background of Argentine Jews is complex, active, and can be well-represented through their integration to culture through fútbol, Rein’s intro sets the reader up to understand the complex ideas to be presented as the book continues.
Chapters one and two provide a foundational knowledge that is vital to the reader’s understanding of Rein’s argument. Even as a student with some background knowledge in Latin American history (especially in relation to Europe and immigration from Europe), chapter one’s explanation of the history of the demographic features of Argentina and the Buenos Aires neighborhoods to be featured in this monograph helped me remember how such a sizeable Jewish population ended up in Argentina in the first place. This focus on the activity of Jewish populations reinforces Rein’s assertion that Jews in Argentina were very active participants in the story of their past. Chapter two then goes on to provide a cultural background on Argentina, explaining the role of the Tango, citing influential creatives of the 20th century originating from Villa Crespo and Once, and creating a rich picture of what it meant to live in one of these Jewish neighborhoods in Argentina. This vibrant image of Argentina in the 20th century set the stage for Rein to begin discussing the cultural role of soccer in Argentina in the end of chapter two. Though it is only touched on briefly, the explanation of the early history of the clubs that would be the focus of Rein’s argument seems to be a great introduction to what I expect to read in the upcoming chapters.
The lengthy exposition of this book was daunting to me before I began reading (chapter one and two really serve as a presentation of vital background knowledge), but was quite engaging, and I really enjoyed it! I find Rein’s argument to be insightful and important, and I’m excited to read the rest of this book!
