Religion

Religion

While Argentina does have freedom of religion, the majority of the population is Roman Catholic, although not all practicing.  Major churches adorn the city of Buenos Aires, and any student who didn’t visit la Catedral to see the tomb of San Martín, the Latin American liberator, would be a fool.  Furthermore the Basilica del Pilar at the Recoleta Cemetery is an astonishing Jesuit church that is a must-see.

Aside from the Roman Catholic majority, Buenos Aires is well known for its Jewish population, the second largest outside of New York in the Americas.  In the neighborhood called Once, students can find beautiful old temples and many kosher establishments.  The local Hillel for students has in the past held Shabbat events specifically for NYU students.  Interestingly, the Abasto Shopping mall has the only kosher McDonalds in the world outside of Israel.

While not incredibly apparent at first, Buenos Aires also hosts the largest Muslim population in Latin America.  The King Fahd Islamic Center is the largest mosque in Latin America, founded with help from the former Argentine president Carlos Menem, who himself is of Syrian descent.