The Cuban Jewish Renaissance

Although just 90 miles from the United States, Cuba's Jewish community had been physically cut off from the rest of the Jewish world since 1959. For more than three decades, birds nested in the rafters of the country's few open but untended synagogues, while limited Jewish activity took place only in the capital, Havana. Even the city's largest synagogue, known as "the Patronato," could barley rustle up a "Cuban minyan" of eight men and one torah.

But today, with ongoing JDC support, Jewish life thrives throughout Cuba -- from Havana to Camaguey -- and the 1,500 strong Jewish community is now well on the road to reconnecting fully with its roots. Through the efforts of its on-site community building team, JDC is enabling Cuban Jewry to develop a self-sustaining communal life while fanning its hopes for a vibrant Jewish future.

More than a decade after the Cuban people were granted new religious freedoms, synagogues are packed on Shabbat. JDC-sponsored visiting rabbis preside over lifecycle events and train community members to take the lead in religious activities. In addition to community-wide celebrations, JDC encourages individuals to take their own initiative, assisting the growing number of families making Passover seder in their own homes.

At the same time, Judaism has become a part of the everyday lives of the country's Jews. Hebrew school and Israeli folk dancing, as well as camps for all ages, offer diverse and enriching opportunities for ongoing participation in community life. JDC also includes Cuba in its efforts to create a strong regional Jewish community by ensuring its representation at the Latin American General Assembly.

As the community president says of the revival of Jewish life, it takes believing in miracles to understand how Cuban Jewry has been transformed. Today, JDC's local community development team is helping to move the community to the next level, creating a corps of leaders that, with its own momentum, will help Cuban Jews race ahead towards the future.