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Well-scrubbed children, everyone in
their "Sunday best." It's orderly, devout,
caring.
In the poorest neighborhood in an
impossibly poor country, our presence
(the first Jews many had ever seen!) is
extolled as a miracle. Life will never be
the same, they all say. The Jews have
come to Luyano Presbyterian Church.
Afterwards, much hugging, gratitude —
even crying.
After the service, on plastic lawn
chairs in the vestry, we are each given a
small cardboard box with black beans
and rice, shredded cabbage, two "fit-
ters" and a piece of fried root — no
meat products. Very good, actually.
But it's heartbreaking. We
are guests of this congregation
and the Patronato; both gave
us precious food. We gave the
knowledge that out here, peo-
ple know about Cuba's Jews
and recognize them, that all is
not lost. Rabbi Bitran gives a
carefully prepared, ecumenical
prayer. Five services.

"that's what they said last month and
then 400 left, and they still say 1,400."

All Adapt

Based at the Patronato Synagogue,
Jewish community president Dr. Jose
Miller, a retired plastic surgeon, oversees
the Hebrew education for all three syna-
gogues. Everyone adapts.
Who are these Jews? Well — every-
one. At dinner are people of all ages and
skin colors. They're professionals and
workers; young and old. At our table, a
black woman and her beautiful daughter
say they are not Jewish yet but their hus-
band/father is. Soon they will all go to

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APPLEGATE SQUARE

Not only did we see the resur-
Rabbi Leonardo Bitran with Jose Miller, president
gence of faith — mostly
Jewish, that's why we had come of the Havana Jewish community and Adela
Dworin, vice president of the community
on a JCC trip called "Jewish
Cuba" — but we witnessed
Israel, she says. A slim hope, but some-
humanity reasserting itself, an
thing to hold on to. Everyone adapts.
indomitable force that even Fidel Castro's
At the Sephardic shul on Saturday
Marxist experiment can't repress.
morning, our group wanted to give
"I'm very moved," one traveler said,
something but knew we wouldn't be
"and this is a lot closer to religion than I
back after Shabbat. What to do? "Well,"
have been in a long time."
comes Dr. Miller's very Cuban/talmudi
Our trip began Dec. 13, 1999.
answer: "It is Shabbat, and we can't take
Thirty people for a flight to Miami and
anything; and technically you can't give
then to Havana. Age range: 25-83. In
anything. But a mitzvah can be done,
common: Cuba!
even on Shabbat," he says, looking
We came to see the last communist
directly at "anunlabeled wooden box, "
country in the Western Hemisphere at
it could be ... left." Everyone adapts.
work: Until recently, this was one of the
From our people, a salad of reactions
few "unmixed" experiments. Fidel has
"The boy, Elian [Gonzalez, a Cuban
loosened up now and allows ownership
refugee in Miami], must go back imme
of private, in-home restaurants (called
diately!" (A poster shows a group of sad
paladares) and small appliance and auto
6-year-old children gathered around an
repairs. He's got the rest.
empty desk "Return Elian to his desk!"
A question was posed to Dr.
the poster implores. Madison Avenue,
Horacio Perez Lopez, a cardio-thoracic
eat your heart out!)
surgeon: "With no taxes, free medical
"Six eggs a month? Two pounds of
care and fee education through col-
rice? That's the government ration? Wh
lege, where does the government get
could live on that?!"
the money?" His answer: The govern-
"Dr. Perez earns 750 pesos a month?
ment is every hotel, every Rapido (the
$30! How can he survive?"
Cuban McDonald's), every Tropicola,
Tickets to the Spanish Ballet: U.S.,
everything.
$10; for Cubans, five pesos or 25 cents.
There's no need to get the money.
With tourists paying a 4,000 percent
They already have the money.
premium, suddenly, 750 pesos seems to
-
.
1,400
And Cuba's Jews? Surviving:
go farther.
1,600 left out of almost 17,000 since
There are no statues or pictures of
Castro took power. "But," someone says,

