Significant Jewish immigration to Uruguay began in the late 19th century, with the arrival of Jews from Brazil and Argentina.

[6] At the beginning of the 20th century, Uruguay became an attractive destination for Jews due to the secularism and prosperity following the reforms carried out during the Batlle era.

[12] Most of them were poor and working-class, so upon their arrival they lived in tenements located in neighborhoods such as Ciudad Vieja, Palermo and Barrio Sur.

[13] In 1915, 30 Jewish families from Belarus and Bessarabia settled in the rural area of the Paysandú Department and established an agricultural settlement, Colonia 19 de Abril.

[15] In the early years of the century, as the Jewish community in Uruguay grew, different institutions were founded to bring it together and help the newcomers settle and adapt.

[16] After World War I, the number of Ashkenazim in Uruguay increased significantly, with the arrival of Jews from Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia escaping antisemitism.

[21] During the Terra dictatorship (1933–38), immigration restrictions were imposed with the passing of laws establishing several reasons for refusing entry into the country.

[22] However, despite the fact that some refugee ships were refused entry to Montevideo "for failure to meet requirements", the arrival of Jews to Uruguay continued during the 1930s.

The German Jews were mostly middle class, including bank employees, skilled workers, cattle breeders, researchers, lawyers and physians.

[29] Uruguay, which had supported the creation of a Jewish homeland during the 1920 San Remo conference, was one of the first nations to recognize Israel, and the first Latin American country to do so.