Movimiento Judío por los Derechos Humanos

Movimiento Judío por los Derechos Humanos (MJDH), literally the Jewish Movement for Human Rights, was an Argentine human rights organization established in Buenos Aires on August 19, 1983, during the closing period of the National Reorganization Process, commonly known as the Dirty War. It was founded by Rabbi Marshall Meyer and journalist and writer Herman Schiller in response to the persecution, forced disappearances, detention, and intimidation carried out by the military government. The organization emerged from concerns within the Jewish community that relatives of disappeared people were not receiving adequate institutional support. Beginning in 1978, Marshall Meyer, who led the Comunidad Bet El synagogue, encountered congregants whose family members had been disappeared. The mainstream Jewish communal leadership, including organizations such as Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA), Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA), and Organización Sionista Argentina, was widely perceived by MJDH activists as reluctant to confront the dictatorship because of fears of repression and a desire to preserve a unified public voice. MJDH offered an alternative Jewish platform grounded in religious ethics, social justice, civil liberties, and opposition to state violence. The movement was one of nine major human rights organizations active during the Dirty War and one of three prominent groups with a religious orientation, alongside the Movimiento Ecuménico por los Derechos Humanos and Servicio de Paz y Justicia. Its membership included Argentine Jews, religious dissidents, activists, and people connected to the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano who rejected accommodation with the military regime. Many participants were not themselves relatives of the disappeared, but their public involvement exposed them to possible retaliation. MJDH began taking part in marches near the end of 1982, before its formal creation. Its first major public action was participation in an August 1983 demonstration against a proposed self-amnesty law for members of the military government. The successful mobilization encouraged the organization to arrange an independent rally at the Buenos Aires Obelisk in October 1983. The event used the slogan “Contra el Antisemitismo” and drew thousands of attendees. DAIA attempted to prevent the rally and characterized it as antisemitic, in part because speakers included Hebe de Bonafini and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel. The organizers presented the event instead as a rejection of antisemitism, authoritarianism, and the abuse of Jewish identity to justify political silence. Following Raúl Alfonsín’s election in October 1983, MJDH continued to organize public events and cooperate with the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and other Argentine human rights groups. It supported the restoration of constitutional democracy, accountability for dictatorship-era crimes, and the prosecution of military leaders. These broader efforts contributed to the political environment that produced the Trial of the Juntas. The group also defended immigrants from Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru who faced persecution by racist organizations in Argentina, extending its agenda beyond the specific concerns of the Jewish community. The organization remained associated with a critical position toward established Jewish communal institutions and toward any political approach that prioritized institutional unity over the defense of human rights. In 2005, DAIA offered MJDH an award recognizing its defense of freedoms during and after the dictatorship. MJDH rejected the honor. In a statement delivered by Pedro Resels, the movement criticized DAIA, AMIA, and the Organización Sionista Argentina for their conduct during the dictatorship and also criticized Israel’s sale of weapons to the repressive Argentine government. The available reference material does not establish the organization’s present-day operating status, leadership, or continuing program.

The Movimiento Judío por los Derechos Humanos developed in response to the human rights crisis created by Argentina’s military dictatorship. From 1976, the National Reorganization Process pursued a campaign of illegal detention, torture, forced disappearance, censorship, and political repression. Within the Jewish community, Rabbi Marshall Meyer of Comunidad Bet El began hearing from congregants whose relatives had disappeared. These families often found little assistance from established communal institutions, which were cautious about confronting the regime. The principal Jewish institutions, including DAIA, AMIA, and the Organización Sionista Argentina, emphasized communal unity and a single representative voice. MJDH activists regarded that position as inadequate and argued that Jewish ethical commitments required active opposition to state terror. Meyer therefore reached out to religious dissidents and others associated with the Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano who opposed the dictatorship. Journalist and writer Herman Schiller joined him in forming an independent organization. MJDH was formally founded on August 19, 1983, although its participants had already begun joining human rights marches late in 1982. MJDH became one of nine important human rights organizations active during the Dirty War. Its religious identity distinguished it from organizations such as the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Familiares de Desaparecidos y Detenidos por Razones Políticas, whose membership was more directly centered on relatives of victims. MJDH included people who were not personally related to the disappeared, but who accepted the risks of publicly opposing the military government. Its arguments combined Jewish religious and philosophical ideas with a universal defense of human dignity. The movement’s first major public action came in August 1983, when it joined a demonstration against a proposed military self-amnesty law. The action helped establish MJDH as a visible participant in the wider human rights movement. It subsequently planned an independent rally at the Buenos Aires Obelisk in October 1983. The demonstration focused on antisemitism and authoritarianism and drew thousands of participants. DAIA sought to stop the rally and criticized the inclusion of prominent human rights figures such as Hebe de Bonafini and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel. MJDH rejected the accusation that its event was antisemitic, presenting it as a public statement against antisemitism and against the use of communal authority to suppress criticism. After Raúl Alfonsín won the presidential election in October 1983, MJDH continued to support democratic institutions and legal accountability. It worked with the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and other human rights groups, calling for the investigation and punishment of crimes committed under the dictatorship. These demands formed part of the broader movement that helped make possible the Trial of the Juntas and the imprisonment of leading figures associated with the military regime. MJDH also opposed racism directed at immigrants from Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru, showing that its program addressed wider patterns of exclusion as well as the specific experience of Argentine Jews. The organization’s relationship with established Jewish communal leadership remained contentious. In 2005, DAIA gave MJDH an award for its defense of freedoms during and after the dictatorship. MJDH rejected the award. Pedro Resels, speaking for the movement, criticized DAIA, AMIA, and the Organización Sionista Argentina for their behavior during the military period. He also challenged an alleged argument that authoritarian governments could be preferable for Jews because they could control antisemitism, and criticized the Israeli government for supplying weapons to Argentina’s repressive authorities. The available sources do not provide a reliable account of the organization’s current structure, dissolution, continuing activities, or present leadership. It is therefore best documented as a historically significant Argentine human rights organization whose major public role occurred during the transition from military rule to democracy.

• 2005

  Rejection of DAIA award

  [1]Movimiento Judío por los Derechos Humanosen.wikipedia.org

  MJDH rejected DAIA’s recognition and reiterated its criticism of communal institutions’ conduct during the dictatorship.

• 1983

  Formal founding of MJDH

  [1]Movimiento Judío por los Derechos Humanosen.wikipedia.org

  Marshall Meyer and Herman Schiller formally established the Movimiento Judío por los Derechos Humanos on August 19.

• 1983

  Campaign against military self-amnesty

  [1]Movimiento Judío por los Derechos Humanosen.wikipedia.org

  MJDH joined a successful march opposing an amnesty proposal designed to protect members of the military regime from prosecution.

• 1983

  Obelisk rally

  [1]Movimiento Judío por los Derechos Humanosen.wikipedia.org

  The organization held a large independent rally in Buenos Aires under the slogan “Contra el Antisemitismo.”

• 1983

  Post-election democratic advocacy

  [1]Movimiento Judío por los Derechos Humanosen.wikipedia.org

  After Alfonsín’s election, MJDH continued collaborating with human rights organizations and demanding accountability for dictatorship-era crimes.

• 1982

  Pre-foundation participation in human rights marches

  [1]Movimiento Judío por los Derechos Humanosen.wikipedia.org

  MJDH participants began joining public demonstrations near the end of 1982, before the organization was formally constituted.

• 1978

  Marshall Meyer encounters families affected by disappearances

  [1]Movimiento Judío por los Derechos Humanosen.wikipedia.org

  At Comunidad Bet El, Rabbi Marshall Meyer began assisting or hearing from congregants whose relatives had been disappeared, helping expose the gap between victims’ needs and the response of established Jewish institutions.

A Jewish, religiously informed human rights movement that challenged military repression and communal silence in Argentina, linking Jewish ethical responsibility with democracy, social justice, and opposition to antisemitism, racism, disappearances, and impunity.

• 2005

  Rejection of DAIA recognition and criticism of communal institutions

  MJDH rejected an award from DAIA and publicly criticized DAIA, AMIA, and the Organización Sionista Argentina over their conduct during the dictatorship. The movement also criticized Israel’s provision of weapons to Argentina’s repressive government.

  Source

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• 1983March against the proposed military self-amnesty

  Argentina

  MJDH joined a public demonstration against an attempt by the military government to enact an amnesty protecting officials from prosecution for repression.

  Outcome. The march was described as successful and helped establish the movement’s public profile.

  Source
• 1983Contra el Antisemitismo rally

  Argentina

  MJDH organized an independent rally at the Buenos Aires Obelisk opposing antisemitism and authoritarian silence. The event included human rights speakers and attracted thousands despite opposition from DAIA.

  Outcome. The rally proceeded and became one of MJDH’s most visible public actions.

  Source
• 1983Democratic accountability advocacy

  Argentina

  Following the return to elected government, MJDH worked with the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo and other organizations to demand democracy and punishment for dictatorship-era crimes.

  Outcome. The campaign contributed to the wider human rights mobilization surrounding the Trial of the Juntas.

  Source

• 2005

  Decline DAIA awardOther

  Background

  DAIA offered MJDH recognition for its defense of freedoms during and after the dictatorship.

  Action taken

  MJDH rejected the award and issued a critical statement through Pedro Resels.

  Aftermath

  The rejection publicly reaffirmed MJDH’s longstanding disagreement with established Jewish communal institutions.

  Source

• 1983

  Create an independent Jewish human rights movementStrategy

  Background

  Families connected to Comunidad Bet El reported disappearances while major Jewish institutions were perceived as unwilling to confront the military government.

  Action taken

  Marshall Meyer, Herman Schiller, and allied activists formed MJDH as an independent platform linking Jewish ethics with opposition to state repression.

  Aftermath

  The organization became one of Argentina’s principal human rights groups during the dictatorship’s final phase and democratic transition.

  • DAIA — DAIA sought to stop or discredit the October 1983 rally, including by portraying it as antisemitic.

  Source

1. 1Movimiento Judío por los Derechos Humanosen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Marshall T. Meyer Papers, Duke University Human Rights Archivearchives.lib.duke.edu