Editor's Letter

Cuban Jewry's Plight

S

ocialism didn't make its case to the 40 Jewish
tourist dollars hinder any sort of economic boon. Ending or
Detroiters visiting Cuba, the paradoxical, enigmatic
easing the U.S. embargo would at least help.
island nation that's home to 1,500 Jews, a tenth of the
In a clarion call for lifting the politically forged embargo,
number before Fidel Castro rose to power in 1959.
Yedwab declared: "It is clear that you can't liberalize a people
Jewish Cuba features one kosher butcher, one Orthodox
without having contact with them. If we believe that our
synagogue, a few other synagogues and Hamentashen filled
economic system is the more competitive one, why are we so
with guava instead of prunes. No rabbi afraid of competing?"
lives on the island. Just 400 Jews live
Good question.
outside Havana.
It's hard to defend the embargo when America has full rela-
"We were all aghast and dismayed at tions with Red China, no friend during Vietnam. The chance
how run-down everything was — how of success may be slim, but Jews still should lobby the new U.S.
inefficient the economy was, how
president to reconsider relations with Cuba. "This was the very
unmotivated the working force said
direct plea from our Jewish brothers and sisters there Yedwab
Rabbi Paul Yedwab of Temple Israel.
said. "Whenever asked what we could do to help, they spoke of
That West Bloomfield synagogue spon- how much better and fuller their Jewish lives would be if the
sored the Jan. 13-21 mission.
embargo were lifted"
I was heartened to hear that a high-
Mission-goers did discover a jewel amid Cuba's opaque
light was the Kabbalat Shabbat service
landscape: no anti-Semitism. Cuba's Jewish community faces
where two Cuban cantorial soloists
internal bickering, funding issues and insufficient infrastruc-
beautifully accompanied the cantor
ture, but no anti-Jewish haranguing.
from Argentina, the b'nai mitzvah
–
Humbling Fortitude
students led part of the singing and
the smaller kids marched in at the
Cuban Jews can easily make aliyah.
end to be blessed by their parents
Yedwab tells the story of David Tesher,
and join in 'Mon Olam:'
head of the 25-member Santa Clara
U.S. Jewish groups that organize
Jewish community in Villa Clara prov-
humanitarian or religious trips to
ince, which has a Jewish cemetery with
Cuba are a godsend for Cuban Jews,
a Holocaust memorial and menorah.
who lack enrichment options. Such
Tesher's children all now live in Israel.
trips allow American travelers to
When Yedwab asked why he stayed in
bypass U.S. restrictions on tour-
Cuba, Tesher replied: "This is what I am
ism to Cuba. To secure U.S. State
meant to do — to build up the Jewish
Department sanction, trips require
community here. This is my mission
an itinerary of humanitarian and
and I love doing it:'
religious activities that may include
How moving is that?
David Tesher and Rabbi Yedwab at the
donations like clothing, medications Holocaust memorial in Cuba
Jews fled Cuba in droves once Castro
and ritual items. The Detroit group
took control and nationalized private
brought the $4,000 it raised as well
business and property. The 10 percent
as pharmaceutical samples it collected locally for the pharma-
who remained were mostly secular. The Cuban minyan devel-
cies set up by the Cuban Jewish community to aid Cuba's poor.
oped from so few Jews gathering to pray. It counts each Torah
as a qualifying member to make prayer possible. If God needs
No Picture Postcard
to be counted to make 10, who would object?
Yebwab presented a study in contrasts, one underscoring the
The Jewish presence steadily faded until 1992, after the
lack of socialist enterprise but also the scope of Cuban Jewish
Soviet Union, Cuba's political mentor, broke apart. Cuba then
resolve. Most buildings were the worst in utilitarian Soviet-era
made the free practice of religion constitutional, which enabled
architecture and falling apart. Even more attractive buildings
the Jewish community to rebuild.
in Old Havana and on the boardwalk, the Malecon, were erod-
"Rabbis from Chile, Argentina, Panama and Mexico came to
ing. Fresh coats of paint were a rarity.
teach the remaining Cuban Jews how to pray and lead services;
What the group saw was not meant for the Travel Channel.
and Jewish organizations in Canada began sending kosher
"In a Spanish country, with acres upon acres of arable land:' food for Passover;' the New York Times reported on Feb. 7, 2007.
Yedwab said in Kabbalat Shabbat remarks on Jan. 25, "they
Cuba is a forbidden land, but journeying there indeed is a
cannot even grow their own rice, but have to import it from
mitzvah: Jews there yearn for new connections. Mission-goers
China. And for a country surrounded by the sea, there was very like the Rabbi Yedwab-led contingent find personal fulfillment
little good fish to be had:'
as well, born from a new appreciation for the American bless-
Moreover, Cubans are well educated but find professional
ings of democracy, freedom and prosperity. ❑
positions in short supply. The Detroit group's tour guide was
an engineer by trade, but could not make a living at his profes-
0 : Should America lift its embargo on travel
sion. "So he switched over to one where he could at least earn
I— •
N
to Cuba?
some foreign currency:'Yedwab said. "It is a shandeh [shame],
really"
Z z Do U.S. Jews take religious opportunity
It's also not surprising. I don't know enough about the poli-
'3 0 for granted?
tics of U.S. limits on travel to Cuba, but I do know the lack of
CI-

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January 31 2008

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