Editor's Introduction: The Jewish Diaspora of Latin America

As a burgeoning and dynamic field, Latin American Jewish Studies represents nearly more than twenty-five years of formal research development and professional activity, marked by the establishment of such international professional associations as AMILAT (1974), the Israeli research association on Latin American Judaism, and LAJSA (1982), the international Latin American Jewish Studies Association. While there have been earlier research activities in this field, the last quarter of this century has witnessed the steady growth of this dynamic area as a professional field of study. Ergo, it is an honor to introduce Latin American Jewish Studies to a wider audience of English speakers by presenting this special issue of SHOFAR, dedicated to the "Latin American Jewish Diaspora."