Letter
from "Yolanda"
(An
introductory note: In developing this website I've received e-mail
from individuals around the country. This letter from "Yolanda"
sums up many of the concerns I've heard. It is presented here
unedited except for the paragraph separations. Out
of respect for confidentiality, the correspondent's real name
is not used. RS)
I had the opportunity
to browse the Web page of the Cuban Jews, and noticed that someone
is putting together a trip to Cuba in December. 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 and that maybe because
the Jewish Federation has no "Russian Jews" to think about now,
the "forgotten Cuban Jews" have become their latest trendy Mizvak.
If my memory does
not fail me, we the Cuban Jews that came in the early 60's were
primarily ignored by the rest of the American Jews. Our plight
and needs were many but the Federation for the most part ignored
us. One of the groups that lend us a hand was the Chabad house,
that's why some of the Cuban Jews ended up going to New York.
The Chabad House by
the way has tripled their number in Miami with the help of the
Cuban Jews. The Jews that stayed in Cuba after 1970 were for the
most part Communists and were happy with Castro's regime.
I find the new discovery
in Cuba sort of offensive. My mother says that she knew of a few
families that were not able to leave the island because they were
not Cuban citizens & were not able to get here, she herself had
that problem, and it was only with the help of the Hasidic group
in New York that she was able to come in 1969, six years after
I came.
You can see that I
have a lot of mixed feelings. I also have to wonder how come Fidel
has been so good to the Jewish Community even allowing Kosher
meat if it wasn't because of the money he is getting from us on
the side. At any rate, I'm sorry I got into this issue but my
Cuban part is also very strong, and I can't be one without the
other.
Regards,
"Yolanda"