Tango Anyone? - Interview with Baila S. of Argentina

World Culture

March 25, 2012

Tango anyone? - Interview with Baila S. of Argentina

Baila is a tall woman. She exudes confidence as she walks in with her head high and with a warm smile on her face. Her smile conveys warmth and friendship. She is by nature happy and optimistic, always exhibiting joy. Her style is reminiscent of her European upbringing, elegant and quiet. She is solid in her faith and in her traditions, but at times she is a free spirit. She is intelligent and very down to earth, a friend who I have been able to call on at any time. Schooled in psychology and social work, she philosophizes about life, being a Jew, being a mother. She dispenses advice with a calming attitude. She is not pretentious, communicates freely and generously. She is blatantly honest, but never cruel, and very practical. She more than willingly agreed to be interviewed even though she has a very busy life. On the day of our interview, our first one as I needed to meet with her a few times, she was scheduled to visit a sick person. She has a heavy foreign accent. She is bilingual, with a strong command of four languages. She offered me her own beautifully baked goods and tea. She is the mother of six children and during our interview, her two younger sons, 11 and 15, walked in. They entered with warm smiles and greeted me respectively, indicative of their good, solid upbringing.

sBaila was born in 1951 in Buenos Aires to Polish immigrants. Both her father’s and mother’s family were merchants in Poland and were quite wealthy, however, after WWII and surviving the Nazi death camps, they came to Argentina with no capital. They had many Jewish friends and life evolved around their friends, their religion, their son and daughter. They did not speak a very good Spanish yet they started a textile business and were quite well off.

As Argentina is predominantly Roman Catholic, the public school Baila attended was restricted to girls and was excellent. In the afternoons she attended a private Jewish school.

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She proudly asserts that she was an outstanding student who loved to read and excelled in history. At 28 she came to America and married Abie Snelling and is the proud mother of five boys and one girl. Baila knew she wanted to further her education but it wasn’t until being a mother that she began her professional career. Juggling both motherhood and school, she worked extremely hard. She studied philosophy and social work and is now working at Ohel Children’s Home, a home for troubled children. What is noteworthy about Baila is her indefatigable devotion to the children that she works with. She works overtime many a night fighting for her “children’s rights”. Always on the side of slighted, she is not afraid to expose any wrongdoings. “My