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Saturday, April 06, 2013

Only 41 minutes from Miami sits Cuba, a Third World country

Only 41 minutes from Miami sits Cuba, a Third World country
Lu Ann Franklin Times Correspondent

MUNSTER | During the 1920s, Yiddish-speaking Jews traveled to Cuba from
Eastern Europe. Rather than a stopover on the way to the United States,
Cuba became home.

Before Fidel Castro's rise to power, the Jewish community in Havana
created a culture often closely associated with nightlife, gambling and
prostitution, said Michael Steinberg, executive director of the Jewish
Federation of Northwest Indiana.

"Meyer Lansky is revered more than (former Cuban leader) Batista," said
Steinberg, who visited the Jewish community in Havana and other small
communities from Feb. 12 to 18 with a delegation of 30 directors of
small Jewish Federations from across the United States.

Lansky was a member of the Jewish mob who oversaw gambling concessions
in Cuba and who is portrayed in the "The Godfather" books and movies as
Hyman Roth.

Fulgencio Batista was elected president of Cuba in 1940 and
constitutionally could serve only one term. He seized power again in 1952.

Although his regime was corrupt, Cuba flourished economically. However,
when Batista fled Cuba on Jan. 1, 1959, Fidel Castro came to power and
the economy of Cuba spiraled into poverty, which is what Steinberg said
he witnessed during his trip.

"We brought 3,000 pounds of aid with us. That was part of the mission to
Cuba," Steinberg said. "Cubans live on $20 a month. It's extremely
difficult for them to make ends meet."

Doctors don't always have prescription medications that are needed, he
said of some of the aid the Jewish Federation directors took with them.

"Cuba is a Third World country. It is an experiment that failed,"
Steinberg said.

Although Havana is only a 41-minute flight from Miami, for the
travelers, "it was going from one world to the next."

Vegetable markets are part of the local scene, he said, but many Cubans
can't afford to buy the produce and have ration books that allow only so
much food to be obtained.

Hygiene is another area where poverty hits hard, Steinberg said.

"A woman drove up to the hotel in a beautiful '54 Chevy taxi. I have
lots of chutzpah, so I asked her if I could take it around the block.
She said 'no' but I got in anyway," Steinberg said. "I gave her three
bars of soap to drive it around the block. It was gold to her."

Bars of soap, bottles of shampoo and Cuban cigars he bought also got
Steinberg photos of the people of Havana. Cuban cigars are plentiful,
but most Cubans can't afford them, he said.

Members of the Jewish community in Havana and nearby villages take care
of each other by providing senior programs, which include health care,
medicine, hot lunches and additional food items, he said.

"If someone is in need of something, they will try to provide it also
for those who are not Jewish," Steinberg said. "If they have it, they
will gladly share it."

Being a light to the world is part of Jewish faith, which is reflected
in the acts of kindness shown by the Jewish community in Havana, he said.

"Hillel (a famous ancient Jewish leader, scholar and sage associated
with the development of the Mishnah, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism)
said it best," Steinberg said. "Hillel stated, 'If I am not for myself,
who will be? And when I am for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?'"

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/munster/only-minutes-from-miami-sits-cuba-a-third-world-country/article_3474051b-2fdf-54eb-97f4-18c7ec8b0566.html

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