Simcha Camp in Cuba Rejuvenates Elderly

"The Jewish community is life itself, my whole life," says Sofia, a 77-year-old widow living in Havana who is a regular at the Kesher social care program. The oldest student at the community's Sunday School, she never misses a lesson on Hebrew language or Jewish tradition, and makes the walk to the Adath Israel Synagogue each day, in the morning and again in the afternoon, for community prayers.

The highlight of her year though, is the Jewish senior club's "Simcha Camp," and Sofia prays to be healthy enough to participate for many years to come. In June 2003, she was one of 120 golden age members to gather in the beautiful Cienfuegos province, approximately 200 miles from Havana, for a relaxing Jewish experience near the beach and the chance to make friends with others from Jewish communities around the island.

The recent camp also presented Sofia with frequent opportunities to share her love of singing. After Shabbat, she led the group in a round of "Hineh mah tov u’mah na’im " during a moving havdalah ceremony under a star-filled sky, and performed a touching song she had written to her own father during a camp outing on Cuba's Father’s Day.

A strong, spiritual person who survived difficult times, including the loss of her two sons several years ago, Sofia sets a positive example for her peers and for the youth of the Jewish community. "Here I find all the people that I love and the moment that I enjoy the most: Shabbat," Sofia announced at the end of the camp. "This experience gives 10 years back to my life."