Argentinian Jews honor first female submarine officer, still missing at sea
The first female submarine officer in Argentina, who remains missing in the Atlantic Ocean, was honored by the country’s Jewish community on International Women’s Day.
Eliana Maria Krawczyk, 35, who is Jewish, is one of 44 crew members of the submarine ARA San Juan, which remains missing in the Atlantic four months after it fell off the radar with a one week supply of oxygen on board.
The Argentinean Jewish political umbrella organization DAIA paid tribute to Krawczyk in an event for International Women’s Day on Friday.
Some 500 guests attended the event at the Alvear Hotel in Buenos Aires to hear the stories of struggle and success by Argentine women in politics and business.
“Any woman’s value is far more valuable than the best stone jewelry. Eliana Krawczyk is our stone jewelry from the sea,” Rabbi Alejandro Avruj told the crowd, as a friend of Krawczyk accepted the tribute from DAIA president Ariel Cohen Sabban.
Krawczyk was born in the northeastern province of Misiones. After responding to an advertisement online in 2004, she joined the navy, later becoming Argentina’s first female submarine officer. In 2012, she graduated from dive and submarine school as the first female submarine officer not only in Argentina, but in South America.
As a lieutenant, Krawczyk was the third in command of the lost submarine. The Argentine Navy lost contact with the ARA San Juan submarine on November 15, shortly after the captain of the vessel reported a failure in the electric system.
The search began November 16, ARA San Juan following the last contact. The submarine was on a mission to combat illegal fishing near Patagonia, in the southern part of the country. Governments from around the world, including from NATO, sent ships, airplanes and submarines to provide logistical support and information-exchange during the search for the missing submarine.
One week after the navy reported it lost, Jewish institutions held a prayer service for the return of the missing submarine and its crew. (JTA)