Jewish immigration to Latin America began with seven sailors arriving in Christopher Columbus' crew. The Jewish population of Latin America is today (2018) less than 300,000 — more than half of whom live in Argentina, with large communities also present in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela. To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Jewish from the indicated country of origin or must have references showing they are Jewish from the indicated country of origin and are notable. The following is a list of some prominent Latin American Jews, arranged by country of origin: Argentina Ernesto Acher, Taringa musician-humorist, former member of the group Les Luthiers Marcos Aguinis, journalist/writer José Alperovich, governor of the Tucumán Province Héctor Babenco, film director (Argentinian-born) Daniel Barenboim, conductor and pianist Tania Bíder revolutionary fighter Marcelo Birmajer, writer Laszlo Biro, inventor of the ballpoint pen Jácobo Bolbochán, chess player Julio Bolbochán, chess player Mauricio Borensztein (better known as Tato Bores), comedian Daniel Burman (1973–) filmmaker Israel Adrián Caetano, film director Andres Cantor, sports commentator Sergio Chejfec, writer Mario Davidovsky, composer Alicia Dujovne Ortiz, writer Giora Feidman, klezmer musician Movsas Feigins, chess player Daniel Filmus, ex-Argentine Education Minister Paulino Frydman, chess player Juan Gelman, poet Alberto Gerchunoff, writer Max Glücksmann, pioneer of Argentine music and film industries Osvaldo Golijov, classical composer Guillermo Israilevich, soccer player of Israeli National Team (Jewish father) Martín Jaite, former tennis player Guido Kaczka, actor, show host Mauricio Kagel, classical composer Daniel Katz, mayor of Mar del Plata León Klimovsky, film director Miguel Lifschitz, mayor of Rosario (Jewish father) César Milstein, immunologist, Nobel prize Marcos Mundstock, musician-humorist of the group Les Luthiers Miguel Najdorf, chess player Gastón Needleman, chess player Carlos Núñez Cortés, musician-humorist of the group Les Luthiers Alicia Partnoy, writer Raquel Partnoy, painter José Pékerman, soccer manager Jiří Pelikán, chess player Melina Petriella, actress Alejandra Pizarnik, poet Isaías Pleci, chess player Julio Popper, engineer and colonizer of Tierra del Fuego, from Romania Ariel Rot, musician Cecilia Roth, actress Lalo Schifrin, composer Aaron Schwartzman, chess player Diego Schwartzman, tennis player Samuel Schweber, chess player Ana María Shua, writer Ariel Sorín, chess player Juan Pablo Sorín, soccer player Coti Sorokin, songwriter/musician/composer Ana Maria Stekelman, Tango choreographer Oscar Strasnoy, classical composer Jorge Telerman, ex-mayor of Buenos Aires Jacobo Timmerman, journalist Bernardo Verbitsky, novelist Eva Verbitsky Hunt, archaeologist Horacio Verbitsky, journalist Bernardo Wexler, chess player