NEs ',SA\ TO
Defies Understanding
Our little group of 22 came to Cuba
out of a curiosity for a land we knew
little about and, frankly, we left with
more questions than answers. The
place defies understanding.
The island is beautiful, the Spanish
architecture can be jaw-dropping, the
people are extremely friendly, it's safe,
colorful, there seems to be constant
music and dancing and, of course,
plenty of rum, cigars and strong coffee.
But it's also stuck in time, some-
where in the 1950s, with thousands of
bright, classic cars that Detroit Dream
Cruisers can't even imagine. And the
historical issues of the past 50 years
— the Revolution, the Cuban missile
crisis, the Bay of Pigs, Castro, the em-
bargo — only add to the mystery and
perplexity of the experience. To a Jew,
it's especially confusing. The sight of a
Jew with a yarmulke standing beside
a billboard of Che Guevara is not easy
for the brain to process.
Yes, there's no indication of anti-
Semitism, but this is also a country
with no relations with Israel and a
statue of Yasser Arafat. Yet there's a
memorial to Julius and Ethel Rosen-
berg, the Jewish couple who were
convicted in 1953 (and executed) of
espionage against the U.S. government
for the Soviets. So go figure, because I
can't.
But one thing is evident: Our people
are facing an incredible struggle in
Cuba to keep their Jewishness alive,
and it is clear they can't do it alone.
Our trip was conceived as a heroic
deed by one local person, Julie Wiener,
who wanted to make a difference in
the spirit of tikkun olam. She accom-
plished her mission. We provided a
trickle of aid, but more importantly,
we were reminded of the power of
hope, a lesson we all could use in these
challenging times.
And now, Alan Gross is home and
was able to enjoy Chanukah with his
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Noticeable Spirit
Yet there is also, remarkably, an awe-
inspiring spirit among today's Jewish
Cuban community. Where we visitors
see despair and gloom, they point to
the positive and actually find encour-
agement that the population is up to
1,300 from what once was 800. They
boast that they now have regular min-
yans, a functioning mikvah and three
active synagogues.
Just recently, they tell us, a wealthy
American sent a team of teens to the
Maccabi games. This is an especially
hopeful time and, they insist, there is
zero anti-Semitism among the Cuban
people, a claim that seemed true in our
one-week unscientific test.
The Orthodox synagogue is run by
Yaacov Berezniak, a serious 40-ish
man who says he remains in Cuba only
because he promised his late father he
would stay and help the community.
The synagogue was built in 1957, just
two years before the Revolution and
the mass exodus of Cuban Jews to
America and elsewhere.
Yaacov's synagogue is very small and
clearly in need of resources. The few
siddurs are literally falling apart (the
one I picked up was completely bro-
ken in two). The shul survives solely
through gifts from foreigners.
Yaacov claims there are 400 people
who attend the shul, with some walk-
ing miles each week on Shabbat. The
congregation is comprised of 75 per-
cent senior citizens. Outside the shul,
a handful of old Jewish men ask for
money in both Spanish and Yiddish
("Hola, shaina maidle," repeats one
regular to the women in our group.)
But despite the hardships, Yaacov,
like Adela, sounds a hopeful message.
"I believe in miracles," he readily says
about the future. He pridefully points
out that the synagogue just had its
own sukkah, and he beams when new
busloads of foreign Jews pull up just as
we were leaving. Yaacov may be a man
of deep faith, but he's obviously also
betting on the generosity of strangers.
Yaacov's optimism, like Adela's, is
an incredible reminder to our group
that Jews throughout history have
faced seemingly insurmountable odds
and have relied upon faith and hope
to sustain them. Our group may have
been the ones bringing vital supplies
and cash gifts, but the Cubans were
the ones lifting our spirits.
One woman, an elderly doctor who
now runs the sparse pharmacy shelves,
tells us that her kids moved to the U.S.
many years ago and her father made
aliyah to Israel in the 1960s, but she
stays, she says, to help the remaining
Jews live better lives.
"It is my life mission," she says tear-
fully, trying to reassure us that she's
OK and to tell our community that
her people are desperate for help. Her
tears weren't the only ones in that tiny,
half-empty pharmacy.
Sketch, Model, Metal, Diamonds,
bus driver for the burgeoning tourism
industry, who can receive tips). Most
Jewish families are split with members
dispersed around the world, especially
Miami, South America and Israel.
The Jewish cemetery looks like the
epitome of neglect, littered with badly
broken, tilted headstones in faded
Spanish and Hebrew lettering, yet so
many of the names sound strangely fa-
miliar. It's a sad and undignified sight.
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To help Cuban Jews, go to
comunidadjudiadecuba.org and click on
the English translation section. To aid Jews
worldwide, visit the American Joint Distribution
Committee at www.jdc.org . For travel in Cuba,
check this site from a Jewish-owned, Flint-based
travel company:
www.othercubanjourneys.com .
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RED THREAD I January 2015 29