International Jewish Cemetery Project - Argentina
Formerly Colonias Palmar and Yatay in NE Entre Rios province, 57 km from the beach in Colon, 14 km from "Palm Forest National Park" (Parque Nacional El Palmar) on National Route 14 (El Camino Real) from Buenos Aires to Brazil, 372 km from Buenos Aires, 51 km from Concordia, 45 km from General Campos, 35 km from San Salvador, 35 km from Pueblo Cazis, 40 km from Hambis, and 25 km from Pedernal. Trucks on the dangerous road called "La ruta de la muerte" replaced the railroad that linked the towns. The two colonies of Palmar and Yatay mentally merged because of their close geographic proximity. The 11,368-hectare colony was named for the native Yatay palm tree. Fifty Jewish families, mostly Ashkenazi Jews from Russia, founded the colony in 1912. In 1939, 108 Jewish families lived in Ubajay, 45 of them farmers. In 2000, only three Jewish families remained out of the general population of 2,000. City Hall is located at 147 Caraguata Street, 0345-490-5090. Open 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. [December 2003]
- Cementerio Israelita de Ubajay: On the gravel Road to San Salvador to the fork, then on the left road for 1.5 km, Jaime Hejt has the keys (0345) 490-5031. Set in a large open field at the top of a hill with a row of palm trees on either side is a decorative metal fence with a Mogen David set in a wire and post fence. At the entry of the cemetery is a double cast iron gate with a Mogen David. A little building with a door, window, and Mogen David is just beyond the gate. Founded in 1917 at the death of a three month-old girl, three rows of women's grave are on the left and six rows of men on the left, totally about one hundred graves with Hebrew inscriptions, some illegible. Graves were repaired in the 1980s in the still active (occasionally) cemetery. [December 2003]