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Contents

(Our thanks to Bruce Greenberg for the original organization of the contents of this site.)


Most frequently requested pages


Synagogues and congregations in Cuba

Who to contact, where the congregations are.

Assistance
Addresses and Contact Numbers of Organizations Assisting the Jewish population in Cuba.

Needs of items needed by Cubans
A list of the most commonly requested items.

Traveling to Cuba
Updated information from people who have been there recently, with an emphasis on legal travel with licensed groups for US citizens.

Frequently Asked Questions
Responses to questions we are asked, with details.

Recommended reading
History, religion, travel, photos, more.

Website for the Havana Jewish Community
The Patronato's ORT-sponsored site.

(Opens a separate browser window.)

Family Ties
Researching Jewish names found in Cuba.


Articles on this website, alphabetically organized
(Contents are roughly organized by key word or topic, and are not exact.
We will be getting this page better organized in the future.)

A

A

Atlanta goes to Cuba
Atlantans to help bring relief to Cuba's Jews.

Argentine Rabbi Ignites Fervor in Dormant Jewish Community
by Kenneth Bandler. One man's monumental contribution to the Jewish community's renaissance.

Awards and mutual links
Recognition of this site from different sources and some mutual links.

B

Brief History of Judaism in Cuba
by Anthony P. Maingot. Excerpt from a review of Robert M. Levine's Tropical Diaspora.

Bibliography: Latin American Jewish Studies
Judith Laikin Elkin's compilation of resources devoted to Latin American Jewry.

C

Cuban Jews Establish New Life in Miami by Betty Heisler-Samuels.
In the early 1960's, Cuba's Jews uproot their lives and successfully transplant in Miami. Read stories about several interesting individuals.

Cuban Jewish Community in Miami
Caroline Bettinger-López demonstrates how Miami's Cuban Jewish community recreates its former tightly-knit community of the island.

Cuban Jews Celebrate Center's Renovation and Community's Revival
The Patronato is renovated and rededicated through the efforts of the JDC. These acts reflect the strong tide of Jewish revival in Cuba.

Communities Reclaim Properties as Local Jewish Needs Multiply.
by Kenneth Bandler. Synagogues are returned to the Jewish communities.

Cuban Jews Survive in the Revolutionary Desert
Dan Freedman reviews the relationship between Cuba's communist government, and discusses the reopening of the Patronato.

Cuba's Jews: Rebuilding a Religion
by Michelle Bearden. "Every month, José Zaak boards a crowded bus for the eight-hour ride from Camaguey to Havana..."

Camaguey's New Synagogue
by David Abel. The first new synagogue in Cuba since the revolution.

Conditions of Recent Cuban Olim
Eitan Behar responds to an online article about the future of Cuban Jews.

Cuban Baal Kore is Welcomed by his Community
For the first time in two generations, the torah will be chanted in a Cuban voice.

Cuban Shul Joins Conservative Movement
Affiliation is, yet, another step towards the rejuvenation of Judaism on the island.

Counting Shadows: A Broader Look at Cuban Jewish History
by Robert M. Levine. The complexity of Cuban Jewish history.

Canadian Jewish Congress Continues Tradition of Chesed to Jewish Community in Cuba
Passover Haggadah inspires CJC to ensure that Jews in Cuba may partake in the annual Passover seder.

Camaguey
David Abel's article on the first new synagogue since the revolution.

The Cuban National Anthem
Words and music.

The Cuban Shield
The meaning of the Cuban Shield.

For Cuban Jews, endless deprivation
By Steve Fainaru. As deprivation continues, Judaism reawakens throughout Cuba's Jewish community.

Cuba's small Jewish community keeps the faith
CNN's 1998 overview of the struggle to keep Judaism alive in Cuba.

Who are the Crypto-Jews
by Daniel P. Faigin. "Any marranism in Fidel Castro's family would be through his mother...."

Despite grievances, Cuban olim feel lucky to be in the Jewish state
(Jewish Telegraph Agency) A return to their roots leads these Cubans to Israel.

Paper Reviews Hometown Author's Study of Miami's Cuban Jewish Community
Ron Beasley of the pinecrest Tribune describes how Caroline Bettinger-López's study culminated into her book, Cuban-Jewish Journeys

Exiled Twice--Authors Reveal Cuban Jew's Dual Sense of Alienation
Fabiola Santiago reviews Cuban-Jewish Journeys by Caroline Bettinger-López and The Last Minyan in Havana by Betty Heisler-Samuels.

First-Time Author Bettinger-López Explores Cuban-Jewish Life in Miami
by Rabecca Cross. Research of Miami's Cuban Jewish community for recent book leads to entering Columbia Law School.

D

Cuba's other exiles: Cuban Jews started over in Dallas

E

The Aftermath of the Elian Gonzales Affair: A Jewish Perspective by Dana Evan Kaplan.
Although 90% of the Jewish community fled Cuba during the early years of the revolution, the remaining community never faced repression as a result of their Judaism.

F

Family Ties
A Jewish family begins to investigate its Cuban roots. Return to this frequently-updated site to learn the latest on the process of reconnecting.

H

Hundreds of Hispanics return to Jewish roots
A Miami Herald article by Daniel Shoer-Roth

Hava Nagila
Listen to everyone's favorite song!

Hebreos
Letter from Havana - discusses Jewish history in Cuba with the Coppelia ice cream parlour as its point of departure.

Hotel Cuba
by Robert M. Levine. The making of an oral Jewish history of pre-revolution Cuba.

Havana Nagila, the Film
by Michael Fox. "...the video tells the story of the Jews who stayed in Cuba."

Havana Nagila: The Jews in Cuba
A video documentary by Laura Paull and Evan Garelle "that traces the history and presence of the Jewish Community in Cuba."

Hatikva
The National Anthem of Israel

I

What has India to do with Cuba?
Dr. Yehuda Kadar Shaheb offers an historical explanation.

J

JDC-Trained Cuban Baal Kore is Welcomed By His Community
Joint Distribution Committee lends support to "Jewish renewal on a community level."

The Jews of Camaguey
John Josephs describes his quest how what started as a vacation became a religious journey.

Jews of the Caribbean
Enrique Fernandez presents similarities and differences between the Cuban Jewish and gentile Cuban communities.

Jewish Gateway to the Americas
This comprehensive article from the Cox News Service and Nando.net provides a historical background of the movement of Jews from Europe through the Caribbean and into the States.

Jewish Solidarity
Eddie Levy's energetic organization works through controversy to provide assistance.

Judaism in Cuba 1959-1999: A Personal Account
by Moisés Asís. "There was an incident that changed my life...in Lenin Park, south Havana..."

Jewish Youth Lead the Way
by Kenneth Bandler. The reawakening of Jewish life in Cuba unfolds in this enlightening article.

Jewish Youth Lead the Way
Kenneth Bandler describes the revival of the Jewish community.

World Jewry
Many links to other Jewish communities throughout the world.

Excerpt from a Virtual Jerusalem article
From the World Jewish Congress.  A brief history of the Jews in Cuba.

L

La Comunidad Hebrea de Cuba
A book by Margalit Bejarano recounting the collective memories of Cuban Jews from the beginning of the 20th Century until 1959.

Letter from "Yolanda"
"I have mixed feelings about all this because they are helping Castro.
As a Cuban I can tell you that I'm against this sort of trip...."

My Friend Luis by Arturo López Levy
Homage is paid to a pillar of the Havana Jewish Community.

M

The Last Minyan in Havana
by Betty Heisler-Samuels. A story about a Polish Jewish immigrant family in Cuba during the 40's and 50's. Based on the author's family in pre-revolution Cuba. Click here for more information.

Miamian's Book Recalls Life of Jews in Cuba
by Hindi Diamond. A Miami Herald review of Betty Heisler-Samuels' novel, The Last Minyan in Havana

Millennieum in Cuba
June Safran reports on her recent visit with the Jewish communities in Cuba.

Movies:

Three Movies Produced by Bonnie Burt
The Believers; Abraham and Eugenia; Trip to Jewish Cuba.

Film Reviews by Ruth Behar
A perceptive analysis of The Believers; Abraham and Eugenia; and Havana Nagila.

Review by Michael Fox
Fox analyzes Havana Nagila from another perspective.

A Review of Abraham and Eugenia: Stories from Jewish Cuba
Paul Kaplan reviews the Bonnie Burt Film

A Review of The Believers: Stories from Jewish Havana"
Larry Kanter reviews the Bonnie Burt Film

Movies on the Revival of the Jewish Community in Cuba
Filmmakers are moved by Cuba's Jewish community.

N

No Todos Nos Fuimos (Not all of us left.)
Miriam Greenberg finds that the young generation wants to explore its community's history.

O

ORT returns to Cuba after 40 years
World ORT Union concludes agreement to return to Cuba.

P (includes photo pages)

Photos from Cuba
Recent photographs taken in Cuba.

A Photo Tour of Cuba
One of the first collections of photos of Cuba on the net, saved here for reference.

More Pictures from Paul Margolis
A kaleidoscope of Jewish Cuba photos.

Even More pictures from Paul Margolis
Guantanamo and other places

Still More Pictures from Paul Margolis
Santiago de Cuba

Photos by Mindy Shapiro
View of Jewish Cuba, page 1.

Photos by Mindy Shapiro
View of Jewish Cuba, page 2.

Pictures by June and Bob Safran
Scenes from a rejuvenated Jewish community.

Pre-Revolution Photos
Photos from Robert Levine's Tropical Diaspora

Photos by a Jewish visitor
Jewish communal sites in Cuba

Photos by Jacqueline Davidow
Pictorial Essay on Jewish Life in Cuba

R

Return to Havana
Cantor Michael M. Mandel returns to Cuba 37 years after his family's departure.

S

Synagogue in Santiago de Cuba
by Leslie Pearl. Small Jewish congregation in Cuba's mountainous eastern area "reverberates" with the Jewish faith.

She Lay Dead in the Crushed Guinea Grass
Story by Larry Daley, a Cuban-Jewish writer. A personal story with historical perspective
.

T

Tropical Diaspora
Robert Levine's comprehensive study on Jewish history in Cuba.

Tropical Remnants: The Architectural Legacy of Cuba's Jews by Paul Margolis.
A brief description of the Cuban Jewish communities.

Trading with the Enemy: A Yankee Travels Through Castro''s Cuba by Tom Miller.
The author describes his encounters with Cuba's Jewish community.

U

Un Recuerdo de Abraham
by Bonnie Burt. Good-bye to a friend and a Jewish leader of the observant Havana Jewish community.

Articles on external websites
(These links will open a new browser window.)

Photo by Jordan Gantz
The Madison-Camaguey Jewish Connection Project


Greenfield Hebrew Academy Jews in Cuba Project

Eitan/Jorge
Cuban Jew embraces Judaism, coordinates Jewish youth group and, then, makes aliyah to Israel with his family.

Joint Distribution Committee Projects in Cuba
Search the JDC site for articles on their work in Cuba (15 articles at last count).

Department of Treasury licensing requirements for legal travel to Cuba.
This is a link to Treasury's informational and required documents, in PDF files, including "Comprehensive Guidelines for License Applications to Engage in Travel-related Transactions Involving Cuba."

Cuban Jews Make Aliyah
Search the Jewish Agency for Israel's (JAFI) site for articles on Cuban immigration (87 articles at last count).

400 Cuban Jews Secretly Move to Israel
Sample article from JAFI.

Literary and Other Works of Ruth Behar
A comprehensive list of books and poetry written by Dr. Behar, including research on Sephardic Jews.

Synagogues of Cuba
Sue Gersten's photographs and addresses of synagogues in Havana.

Jews of the World From Harry Leichter's "All Things Jewish" Includes a separate "Jews of Cuba" site.

Jewish Life in Cuba
Dan Heller's site that presents Jewish life in Cuba as it exists today.

Cuba Megalinks
A wealth of Cuban resources (in Spanish).

Shalom Online
A plethora of information about Jewish Communities in Latin America (in Spanish).

soc.culture.cuba
A newsgroup with many participants who have an extensive knowledge of Cuba.

Articles in Spanish

Adaptación de los Judíos Cubanos en Israel
Eitan Behar describes the common path of Cuban Olim and opines on different paths.

Travesías Judeo-Cubanas. En busca de identidad, hogar e historia en Miami
Caroline Bettinger-López, por Ron Beasley

Travesías Judeo-Cubanas.
Caroline Bettinger-López, por Rabecca Cross

Exiliados dos veces. Autores revelan
doble sentido de alienación de los judíos cubanos

Betty Heisler-Samuels

Judios Cubanos Celebran la Renovacion del Centro Comunitario
y el Renacimiento de la Comunidad

Adaptación de los Judios Cubanos en Israel
Eitan Behar

Los Sefaradíes, Pioneros de la Inmigración Judía a Cuba
Margalit Bejerano, WZO

Mi Amigo Luis
Arturo López Levy

Historia de los Judíos en Cuba / "Subir" a Israel
Alberto Báez Esquenazi

Comunidad Hebrea Hatikva
Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

Prensa Latina Especial: Religion en Cuba, 1996
Prensa Latina, S.A.