From the foreword by Ruth Behar:

"With only a handful of intellectuals, writers, and artists in the community who might have articulated a coherent vision of Jewish Cuban identity, it fell to the social circles and synagogues that took form in the aftermath of exile in Miami to create that vision. Here exactly is where Carrie's book makes a hugely important and unique contribution. With care and dedication, Carrie documents the historical process by which Jewish Cubans in Miami created the social institutions they needed in order to be able to maintain the complexity of their identity and reproduce the tightly knit community of the island. Rebuffed upon arrival by the Jewish-American community that just barely lent a helping hand, the Jewish Cubans marked their presence in Miami with characteristic Cuban audacity."