History of the Jews in Uruguay

Uruguayan Jews
Judíos de Uruguay
יהדות אורוגוואי‎

Synagogue of the Sephardic Community
Total population
16,600–22,000
Regions with significant populations
Predominantly in Montevideo Punta del Este Paysandú
Languages
Uruguayan Spanish, Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino
Religion
Judaism

Part of a series on the
History of Uruguay
Early History Indigenous peoples in Uruguay Banda Oriental Spanish-Portuguese War Treaty of Madrid British invasions
Fight for Independence José Gervasio Artigas Federal League Portuguese conquest Cisplatina Thirty-Three Orientals Cisplatine War Treaty of Montevideo Constitution of 1830
Independent State Civil War Uruguayan War Paraguayan War Revolution of the Lances Battle of Masoller
20th Century Batllism 1933 coup d'etat Neo-Batllism
Military Regime Tupamaros 1973 coup d'etat Civic-military dictatorship (1973-1985) Uruguayan constitutional referendum, 1980
Modern Uruguay Mercosur Elections in Uruguay Politics of Uruguay Uruguayan constitutional referendum, 1996 Cannabis in Uruguay
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The history of the Jews in Uruguay goes back to colonial times. In the 1700s, Jews escaping from the Inquisition arrived in the Banda Oriental, territory of present-day Uruguay. However, the most important influx of Jews to Uruguay occurred during the end of the 19th century and to a greater extent during the first half of the 20th century, especially during World War I and II.

With an estimated 16,600–22,000 Jews, according to the American Jewish Year Book 2019, Uruguay is home to the fifth-largest Jewish community in Latin America, and the second-largest as a proportion of the total population after Argentina.^[1] The country's community is mainly composed of Ashkenazim.^[2] It also includes Holocaust survivors and descendants.^[3][4]