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Spanish San Juan: Sunshine, Synagogues RUTH ROVNER Special to The Jewish News T he building at 903 Ponce de Leon Avenue looks at first glance like an elegant Spanish-style villa. Surrounded by trees, it's a white structure with red tile roof, open terraces and colorful ceramic tile. When visitors get close to the entrance, they also see the delicate Stars of David that are part of the design of the facade, the menorah adorning one window and a slab of Jerusalem stone at the entrance. Shaare Zedeck synagogue was, - indeed, once an elegant private residence which was designed in 1913 by a renown- ed Czech architect, Antonin Necodoma, a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright. This building was one of his most classic and impressive designs. Now it's home to the Con- servative congregation in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It's one of two active congregations on this lush tropical island with the largest Jewish communi- ty in the Caribbean. Over 1,000 Jewish residents live in Puerto Rico, most of them iri the capital city of San Juan. Both of San Juan's synagogues are sightseeing attractions for Jewish travelers. Each one shows how Jews, who are a tiny minority of the total island population of 3 million, have, nonetheless, established a vital Jewish presence. "About 75 percent of our congregants are of Cuban background," says Jerry Firs- ty, as he leads the way into Shaare Zedeck. He's an active member of the congregation, which is known as the Jewish Community Center of Puerto Rico. The "Cuban Jews" on I the island, he explains, are not actually of Cuban descent. In- stead, their families left Eastern Europe in the 1920s and 1930s and emigrated to Cuba because they couldn't gain entry into the U.S. Then, when Castro came to power, they emigrated — and many headed for Puerto Rico, which was nearby and had a similar climate and culture. Mr. Firsty is among the 25 percent of the 225 family con- gregation who are called "Continentals" because they Both of San Juan's synagogues are sightseeing attractions for Jewish travelers. come from the Continental United States. The congregation members are from Cuba, Argentina, elsewhere in South America, Israel and the U.S. "When we came, there were mostly American Jews and almost no Cubans," says Mr. Firsty, a native of Lincoln- dale, N.Y. He first came to the island in 1955 with the U.S. Army, then returned to settle permanently in 1959 with his wife Ruth. "It was a real adventure to come and live here," says Mr. Firsty, a businessman who lives in a house one-half block from the ocean and has been active in the congregation since he first arrived. He leads the way into the sanctuary, which has gleam- ing marble floors, graceful ar- ches, and vividly colored tapestries depicting the 12 tribes of Israel. The congregation bought the building in 1952 and con- Continued on Page 58