Members of the Chilean Embassy in Israel, and representatives of KKL-JNF, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the Chilean Institute of Culture of Israel and the O'higginian Institute of Israel, and military attaches from several Latin American countries, arrived at the KKL-JNF O’Higgins memorial site at Eshtaol on Thursday, September 6, 2018, to celebrate the birthday of General Bernardo O’Higgins, the South American revolutionary leader.
Setting the tone was Israeli musician
Ariel Toro, himself a Chile native, who opened the ceremony with the singing of the Chilean National Anthem, followed by that of Israel. He also performed several other Chilean songs during the course of the program.
Chilean Military Attache Colonel
Rodrigo Pino, who serves as a Military Intelligence Officer and a Professor at the Chilean Army War College, presented the keynote address. He gave a broad summary of the life and achievements of General Bernardo O'Higgins, whom he referred to as the founder of modern Chile.
Colonel Pino said: “It took several thousand Chilean exiles and Argentine troops under the command of O’Higgins to finally defeat the Spanish Royalist rulers of Chile in 1817 and achieve independence for Chile. After his victory O’Higgins was elected “supreme director” and during the next six years as the leader of the newly independent nation, he established a government that provided the essential framework needed for national survival. Under adverse circumstances, he succeeded in mounting a major military expedition against Peru, to continue the fight against the royalists.”
Pino went on to say that he sees many similarities between Israel and Chile in that both are small countries that successfully fought for independence under what were considered impossible conditions.
KKL-JNF Vice-Chairman and Finance Committee Chairman
Hernán Felman spoke on behalf of KKL-JNF. Felman, who grew up in Argentina before making aliya to Israel, said that KKL-JNF is proud to host the birthday of Bernardo O’Higgins, the liberator and founder of Chile, at the
site that was created in his honor in the Chile Forest at Eshtaol, for the 26th consecutive year.
“This forest around us and the monument and recreation center in his name was made possible by the generous support of KKL-JNF supporters in Chile. The Chilean Jewish community knows that although O’Higgins was Catholic, he had a very strong and warm connection with Judaism. I heard that he even understood Yiddish and practiced the Jewish custom of placing a pebble on gravestones.”
Touvia Goldstein, the President of the Chilean Institute of Culture of Israel and the O'higginian Institute of Israel, explained O’Higgins’ connection with Judaism. “Bernardo O’Higgins’ father was a career army officer who sent his young son to live with a foster family in the south of Chile. The head of the family that cared for O’Higgins throughout his early years was Juan Albano, who was a Jew. While Albano did not deprive the young Bernardo of his Catholic religion, the young lad was also presented with a Jewish way of life. Later, as a young man studying in England for a couple of years, O’Higgins again boarded at the home of another Jewish family who were watchmakers in Richmond, London. Jewish practice and Jewish custom were thus certainly not alien to the founder of the Independent Republic of Chile.”
Goldstein said that the Chile-Israel O’Higgins Cultural Institute was launched to promote Israel-Chile relations while preserving the memory of the founder of Chile.
Israel-Chile relations was the theme of the address by retired senior Israeli Foreign Ministry Official
David Cohen, who served as the long-time head of the South American Department and as Israeli Ambassador to Chile between 2005- 2009. He spoke of the historically good relations between Israel and Latin America in general, and Chile in particular. “We should not forget that the 1947 UN vote on the establishment of the State of Israel passed thanks to the nineteen votes from South America. Thirteen countries voted in favor of the establishment of the State of Israel and six abstained. All those votes tilted the balance towards victory for Israel.”
Last up at the podium was Chile’s new ambassador to Israel
Rodrigo Fernández, who had taken office just two months earlier. He said that he was thrilled to take part in the event so early in his tenure in Israel. “I am very pleased to be here in the Jerusalem Hills. The ceremony at this site in the KKL-JNF Chile Forest is an appropriate and respectful way of paying tribute to Bernardo O’Higgins, the great liberator of Chile and South America. This is also a wonderful opportunity for me to learn more about KKL-JNF and the Chile-Israel O’Higgins Cultural Institute in Israel.”
The ceremony came to a close after Chilean Military Attaché Colonel Pino placed a wreath on the O’Higgins memorial monument and presented Hernán Felman and KKL-JNF Latin American department Director
Ariel Goldgewicht with a plaque from the Chilean army for KKL-JNF.