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Outside, it looks like an
elegant Spanish villa — a
white angular building sur-
rounded by palm trees, with
red tiled roof. The Jewish
Community Center of San
Juan was, in fact, once a
private residence, built by an
architect who was a disciple
of Frank Lloyd Wright.
This striking building is
headquarters for the Conser-
vative congregation of San
Juan, Shaare Zedeck; it's also
informally known as the
Jewish Community Center. It
is, indeed, a religious and
cultural center — especially
for Cuban Jews in Puerto
Rico. Over 80 percent of its
members are of Cuban
descent.
Meeting these Spanish-
speaking Jews is part of the
travel experience in San
Juan. Conveniently for the
Jewish traveler, it's easy to
meet them in the building
where so many activities are
going on daily. Adjoining the
sanctuary is a spacious,
modern community center
with large lobby, offices,
classrooms, library, social hall
and kitchen.
In the cheerful and busy of-
fice on the day I visited,
Selma Demel was at one of
the desks. She was working
on the program for a benefit
concert. Like other Cuban-
born Jews, she is far more at-
tached to Puerto Rico than to
Cuba, even though it's her
homeland. "I left Cuba 31
years ago, so this is my home,
and it means much more to
me than my homeland," she
says.
Her own history is typical of
the pattern of many of the
Cuban Jews here: Many of
their parents have been twice
displaced, first from Eastern
Europe and then from Cuba.
For instance, Selma
Demers mother emigrated
from Russia to the United
States, then decided to settle
in Cuba — and then left Cuba
after the Castro revolution.
Her husband, Morris Demel,
was born in Poland, came to
Cuba at age 12, and then left
Cuba for Puerto Rico.
"Puerto Rico has been very
good for us," says Ms. Demel.
It was here that she earned a
master's degree in psychology
at the University of Puerto
Rico. Her daughters and her
grandchildren were born in
Puerto Rico and consider
themselves Puerto Ricans.
Active in the Conservative
congregation, Ms. Demel is
chairperson of the Hebrew
School board and a member of
sisterhood and Hadassah.
"We're definitely a Spanish
community. But we're also
very Americanized, and
there's a very close relation-
ship between Puerto Rico and
the United States!' says Ms.
Demel„ who speaks fluent
English, although at home
the family speaks Spanish.
Being Cuban-boan, Jewish,
and living in Puertio Rico
might sound like a complex
identity; but Selma Demel
has no difficulty identifying
herself: "I am Jewish first of
all!'
So, too, is Devra Bender,
who is in the foyer while her
son Yonatan, three and a half,
gets a lively workout in the
pre-school gymnastics class.