Building Bridges Between our Latino and Jewish Communities
Save the Date: July 19, 2026, at Temple Har Zion, 1pm
Sponsored by: Har Zion, the inational Institute of Human Development and Jewish Community, and Jewish Community and Friends for Democracy.
Join us for a panel presentation and discussion. Participants will share lived experiences as these relate to Latino and Jewish identities. We see this as the beginning of an important and continuing dialogue that enables us to better appreciate our joint humanity and how to minimize what might divide us.
Registration form to come.
The Panel Members
Carol Guzman Karlinsky
Office Manager, Anshe Emet Synagogue. Carol Guzman Karlinsky is the daughter of Guatemalan Jewish immigrants and was slected as one of JUF’s 36 under 36 in 2025. Her unique perspective and bilingual skills have inspired her commitment to inclusion, and to making Jewish spaces more accessible, particularly for Spanish speakers.
Her work in Jewish nonprofits has allowed her to create meaningful experiences and foster connection within the community through event coordination, collaboration, and relationship-building.
Victor Mirelman
Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Har Zion. A native of Argentina, Rabbi Mirelman served as rabbi fat Har Zion or over two decades, beginning in 1990. Rabbi Mirelman is a leading expert in the history of the Jews in Latin America and published a definitive history of the Jews of Argentina (Jewish Buenos Aires, 1890-1930, Wayne State U. Press).
Rabbi Mirelman holds a Rabbinic degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary, a PhD from Columbia University, and an MS in mathematics from the U. of Buenos Aires.
He has been involved in Interfaith Dialogue for many decades, with leaders from diverse faiths, including with Latino Catholics in the Chicago area.
Netza Roldan
CEO and Founder of the Binational Institute of Human Development, an organization dedicated to supporting immigrant families through legal services, small business development, education, advocacy, and culturally responsive community programs.
Netza is also the president of Impormex USA Marketing Group, where he specializes in helping institutions, businesses, and organizations understand and serve the Latino and immigrant markets. In addition, Netza is the founder of the American Tango Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the art, history, and cultural value of Argentine tango.
His work reflects a lifelong commitment to dignity, identity, education, culture, and opportunity for immigrant and Latino communities.
Octavio Urbina
Octavio Urbina, of A-Dam Consulting & Care, LLC, is a clinical and forensic psychologist whose work focuses on psychological trauma, human behavior, resilience, and identity across the lifespan. He has experience working with adults, children, immigrant families, and survivors of adverse experiences, including domestic violence, abuse, neglect, and human trafficking.
Raised in Chicago’s Mexican community and later drawn toward Jewish study, history, and identity, he developed a deep interest in the cultural, historical, and spiritual intersections between Latino and Jewish experiences, particularly surrounding questions of memory, migration, resilience, and belonging.