Marshall Meyer

Who was Marshall Meyer?

Rabbi Marshall T. Meyer was an American Conservative rabbi who became a recognized international human rights activist while living and working in Argentina from 1958 to 1984, during the period of the "Dirty War" in the 1970s. He was elected by president Raúl Alfonsín to be one of the members of the National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons. After the restoration of democracy in 1983, Meyer was awarded the nation's highest honor, the Order of the Liberator General San Martín, by the new president.

In Argentina Meyer also led a congregation and founded Seminario Rabínico Latinoamericano, a Conservative Judaism rabbinical school in Buenos Aires that has trained generations of Spanish-speaking rabbis.

Rabbi Meyer returned the United States in 1984 and that year became rabbi of Congregation Bnai Jeshurun in New York City. He was called to revive the congregation of the oldest Ashkenazi synagogue in the city.

He was one of those honored by president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner when honored those who fought for the restoration of democracy.