Chilean Jews are Chileans residing in the Republic of Chile who are of either Jewish ancestry or observe the Jewish faith.
In the 2012 Chilean census, 16,294 Chilean residents listed their religion as Judaism, an increase of 8.8% since 2002. The actual Jewish community in Chile is estimated to be slightly larger. Chilean Jews are found across the country, although the majority live in the cities of Santiago and Valparaíso, and are predominantly found in higher-paying professions and all walks of public life. The Chilean Jewish population decreased in the political turmoil of the 1970s and 1980s, but their identity as Jews in Chile remains. Most Chilean Jews are Ashkenazim. Here is a list of some prominent Chilean Jews.
Actors
Shlomit Baytelman, actress
Alejandro Cohen, actor
Daniel Emilfork, actor
Anita Klesky, actress
Ariel Levy, actor
Nissim Sharim, actor
Paula Sharim, actress
Jael Unger, actress
Sportspeople
Rodrigo Goldberg (born 1971), football, forward (national team) Kai Horwitz (born 1998), Olympic alpine skier Nicolás Massú (born 1979), tennis player, highest world ranking # 9, 2x Olympic champion (singles & doubles) Sebastian Rozental (born 1976), football, forward (national team)
Scientists
Mordo Alvo, physician and member of the scientific academy Instituto de Chile
Claudio Bunster, scientist (Jewish mother) Fernando Cassorla, physician and member of the scientific academy Instituto de Chile Alejandro Lipschuetz, anthropologist and endocrinologist
Mathematicians
Robert Frucht
Leo Corry
Other notable Chileans of Jewish descent
Andrés Weintraub, Professor Department of Industrial Engineering University of Chile Chris Isaak Apablaza, zoologist Leonardo Farkas, businessman and philanthropist Mario Kreutzberger, better known as Don Francisco, TV host Marjorie Agosín, human rights activist, professor, and writer Shai Agosin, TV producer and presenter José Berdichewsky, Pinochet's Ambassador in Israel Eduardo Bitrán, former Minister of Public Works David Stitchkin Branover, Rector of the University of Concepción from 1956 - 1962. Roberto Brodsky, novelist and screenwriter Cristopher Carpentier, chef (converted to Judaism) Jacques Chonchol, Minister of Agriculture in the Allende government Leopoldo Donnebaum, businessman and philanthropist Ariel Dorfman, author and scholar Roberto Dueñas, modeling agent Christián Apablaza, Photographer, Graphic artist Julián Elfenbein, journalist, television host Efrain Friedman, director of Chilean Atomic Research Committee Benjamín Galemiri, playwright Rodrigo Guendelman, journalist Clarisa Hardy, psychologist; former (2006-2007) Minister of Planning Rodrigo Hinzpeter, politician Tomás Hirsch, politician, businessman Jeremías Israel, motoracing driver (Jewish father) Mauricio Israel, television host Claudio Jodorkovsky, rabbi Alejandro Jodorowsky, film director (Chilean-born) Alberto van Klaveren, (2006–2009) Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations José Klein, former owner of Minera Santa Barbara Marcelo Kormis, rabbi Vivi Kreutzberger, television host Marcos Libedinsky, former president of the Supreme Court of Justice Sergio Melnick, economist, Minister of ODEPLAN under Pinochet Lily Pérez, politician Daniel Platovsky, businessman, politician, and eldest son of Milan Platovsky (Jewish father) Milan Platovsky, Holocaust survivor and businessman who wrote a best-selling autobiography Andres Pollak, jazz musician Karen Poniachik, journalist; former Minister of Mining and Energy Sarika Rodrik, fashion designer Frank Sauerbaum, politician Daniel Schidlow, Dean, Drexel University College of Medicine, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A. (Chilean born) Leon Schidlowsky, music teacher and composer Miguel Schweitzer Speisky, Pinochet's Minister of Justice Miguel Schweitzer Walters, Pinochet's Minister of External Affairs and ambassador to the UK Jorge Schaulsohn, politician Gabriel Silber, deputy Jacob Stoulman Bortnik, businessman, kidnapped by DINA during the Operacion Condor plan in Argentina Víctor Tevah, fiddler Marcelo Tokman, Minister of Energy Julián Vainstein, rabbi Ana Vásquez-Bronfman (née Ana Lucia Bronfman Weinstein), (1931-2009) writer, social scientist José Weinstein, Minister of Culture under Ricardo Lagos Luis Weinstein, photographer Jaime Wisnaik, director of department of engineering at the Catholic University of Santiago Mario Alvo, businessmen Volodia Teitelboim Volosky, politician,lawyer and general secretary of the communist party of chile