Alberto Gerchunoff (1883 - 1949) was an Argentine writer born in Russia. His family emigrated in 1889 to the agricultural colony of Rajil, founded by philanthropist Baron Maurice de Hirsch as a haven for Jews fleeing the pogroms of Europe. Later, he lived in Buenos Aires. Described by Jorge Luis Borges as "an indisputable writer," he was an associate university professor and editor of numerous magazines and newspapers. He wrote many important novels and books on Latin American Jewish life, including The Jewish Gauchos of the Pampas (ISBN 0826317677).