Colonia Clara

Coordinates: 31° 59' S 58° 58' W

Distrito de Bergara
- Villa Clara - La Capilla
- Villa Dominguez - Carmel
- Sonnenfeld - Baron Guinzburg

By far the largest group of Jewish colonies in Argentina is that known as Clara (named after the Baroness de Hirsch) in the Provincia de Entre Rios, which was established by the Jewish Colonization Association in 1894.

Some of the present settlers in Clara were brought there during the second exodus of the Jews from Russia, in 1891, and were selected from refugees that had arrived in Constantinople. But the more important body of colonists was organized in Russia in 1894; ten groups, of about forty families each, being formed.

These were taken direct from the ships in which they arrived to the farms on which they were to settle, where houses, cattle, seeds, implements, and the food necessary for them between seed-time and harvest had already been provided. The first three groups to arrive were settled in three villages of fifty houses each; the next three were established upon a system midway between the village system and that of isolated farms; while some of the families of the remaining groups were established upon isolated farms only.

The population of this colony has been increased by a considerable immigration, although many of the early settlers, discouraged by reverses and unable to endure the privations of pioneer life, have withdrawn. At first the houses in Entre Rios were built of clay, but they had to be reconstructed, and are now entirely of brick. It was found difficult to supply the necessary water, as wells had to be bored to a depth of 82 to 98 feet. At Moisesville and Colonia Mauricio water was found at a depth of 7 to 9 feet. These conditions made the installation of colonists very expensive.

Source: www.jewishencyclopedia.com

See also: Dr Yarcho, Baron Maurice de Hirsch, Agricultural Cooperative of Colonia Clara

Links:
video Argentina - De Bessarabia a Entre Rios (Pedro Banchick)
video Argentina - Jewish Colonies of Entre Rios - Documentary
video Argentina - Legado - Nunca me fui de mi pueblo
link Argentina - Museum of the jewish colonies of Entre Rios

Pictures / Documents:
Children on horsback starting for school
Flamethrower
Jewish Colonies of Entre Rios
Legacy - I never left my town
189? - Mapa de la Colonia Clara (Alliance Israelite Universelle)
1893 - Project of subdivision of Clara Colony (JCA)
Russian flat cart
1899 - Statistics of Clara Colony.