Expo Diversidad (Diversity Expo) brought together 100 community members from across Chile and Argentina, providing a forum to discuss diversity and how it can strengthen Jewish communities.

Expo Diversidad is a brand new program conceived by NGF Network members Guido Dercauttan from Argentina and Nico Riethmüller from Chile, a remarkable pair who met during their Fellowship in 2018. They found common ground in their shared experiences as Latin American Jews – and the fact that Nico attended Rabbinical School with Guido’s wife – and were determined to create a unique experience for community members like them.

Connected by their experiences and inspired by the Fellowship, Nico and Guido developed a forum where Jews from their home counties could meet, learn together, create lasting connections, and network for the future. They used the NGF’s Collaboration Grant to make their dream a reality.

The inaugural Expo Diversidad was hosted in partnership between Chile’s El Diario Judío and Argentina’s La Bait with 100 participants attending from across from Chile and Argentina. They heard from an extraordinary panel of experts – including author and LGBTQIA+ activist Rabbi Abby Stein, Rabbi and author Damián Karo, and many other influential leaders and professionals – that addressed different areas of justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Participants also engaged in deep and meaningful conversations on how to strengthen local communities through these values and had the opportunity to network with other members of international communities across a wide range of religious practices and involvement.

“We wanted young Jewish leaders in Argentina and Chile to engage seriously with the values of diversity, inclusion, and community development,” Guido said. Nico added, “We formed strong new relationships between Argentinian and Chilean Jewish leaders.”  They both agreed that building Expo Diversidad through the Collaboration Grant was an “incredible experience.”