!שלום ¡Bienvenidos! Welcome!
JC3/CHESMA is the Premier Jewish Cultural and Community Center in San Miguel de Allende
A Brief History
The first known Jewish residents of our city were the Cohen family, originally from Damascus, Syria. They came in the early 1900’s as peddlers and soon opened the first hardware store in town in the Casa Cohen Building (“Noah’s Ark”) on Calle Reloj. Its façade is covered with a veritable menagerie of carved animals and stars of David. It has become a tourist attraction and now houses a boutique hotel as well as up-scale shops and restaurants.
After WW II ex-US soldiers came to San Miguel’s Instituto Allende and other local art schools on the GI bill. Some of the Jewish students among them gathered for holiday celebrations. A group of expatriates organized a community Seder that met for 30 years or more with up to 100 people attending.
Shalom San Miguel de Allende formed in December of 2005 when Miranda Nadel, founder and leader of the Jewish Community of SMA, A.C. retired. Under Miranda’s leadership, San Miguel enjoyed 20 years of weekly Torah study, holiday celebrations, trips to Jewish venues, and numerous social and cultural events. The group contributed to a variety of local and international charities.
Shalom San Miguel held weekly egalitarian/traditional Shabbat services. Other activities were added — classes in Jewish history, Hebrew language, Kabbalah, and Mussar; a Hebrew school for children, Bar and Bat Mitzvah preparation; holiday parties and social events.
Several years ago, a few Mexicans interested in conversion to Judaism came to our services. We initiated a Torah discussion group in Spanish, classes in basic Judaism and Hebrew, Jewish history and culture all in Spanish. Dan Lessner, the bilingual prayer leader of the Conservative minyan group KSSMA, devoted time and talent to the project. More Mexicans followed, from towns near and not so near — Villagrán, Guanajuato city, Querétaro and León. Over the course of time, many dozens of Mexicans were converted by a Beit Din of three Conservative rabbis from the US, with the support of KSSMA and CHESMA.
We had our first brit milah, ritual circumcision, in September of 2011.
TODAY • One Community with Many Paths
JC3/CHESMA’s mission is to provide for the many social, cultural and spiritual needs of the SMA Jewish community and our friends.
We have a lovely large prayer/social hall, an extensive Jewish library, a classroom, kitchen, Mikvah and the only consecrated Jewish cemetery in the Bajio.
Many of our events and are given in English and Spanish. Jewish religious/spiritual functions add Hebrew to the mix.
Mexican nationals make up approximately 35% of our membership. They are generally younger people with families, which bring an amazing energy and vitality to our somewhat “retired gringo” demographic. It is truly an exciting time at JC3/CHESMA!
Happily, the “JC3 blend” has developed into a diverse and welcoming community where everyone is welcome.