Written by Atara Beck
Tuesday, 08 September 2009
THORNHILL – In the spirit of Hakhel*, which falls this year, Canadian
Friends of Cuban Jewry (CJCJ) travelled to remote corners of that island
searching for isolated brethren.
CFCJ goes beyond delivering Passover goods to Jews in Cuba, which is
also done by a few other organizations. Throughout the year CFCJ
representatives, on a rotational basis look into people's needs, both
material and spiritual.
What was unusual this year was a journey taken by a few idealistic
volunteers in their early 20s, who had mastered the Spanish language
while doing outreach for two years in Venezuela, to 20 cities and towns
across the island, most of which have between 1 and 24 Jewish residents.
"This year is the year of Hakhel…a mitzvah for once in seven years,"
CFCJ director Rabbi Shimon Aisenbach explained. "The [Lubavitch]rebbe
took this idea and said it should be a year of finding people more than
is done on a regular basis. So when we chose this year to start this
program of assembling Jews from remote corners and to bring out their
Jewish identity as a basis for future connection with them, it was in
the spirit of Hakhel.
"The success went beyond my imagination," he added. "We started with a
list of 14 cities and found out about halachic [according to Torah law]
Jews in other parts of the country. Every meeting was another story.
"The town of Palma Soriano at the corner of the island had one lone Jew.
He had been there for decades and he literally felt like Moshiach (the
Messiah) had arrived. He had some old haggadahs [story of Passover] and
other seforim [holy books]. He was so overwhelmed. They put mezuzos
[small container with prayer] on his door, gave him tefillin
(phylacteries), some money. He wouldn't let them go."
Now he goes periodically to Santiago, which has nine Jews.
This past summer also saw the 15th annual summer camp for Jewish
children from Havana and the suburbs, where about 40 youngsters and
their families visit exciting attractions that are generally closed to
the public. According to Rabbi Aisenbach, the past 15 months or so have
seen some changes.
"Some public places are opening up to locals – not all, but there's a
certain leniency," he said.
The camp's educational component teaches about Judaism in a "very
structured fashion, while giving them a good time.
"Throughout the year, there is humanitarian aid [from CFCJ]. There are a
lot of home visits, not just programming. We look into their needs. If
we know there are young children, we'll bring something for them. That
is very important to us, not just to give a flash of a good time, but to
get into the nitty-gritty of their lives. Not just dropping off
packages, but sitting with them, sometimes for hours. Volunteers rotate
and often stay for several weeks at a time. The home visits are very
time consuming."
Over the years CFCJ has taken young people to experience Jewish life
abroad and many have married Jewish as a result. Quite a few returned to
Cuba to share their knowledge back home.
"But the camp is the highlight," Rabbi Aisenbach enthused. "You see kids
having fun while learning to daven [pray]."
* Hakhel is a septennial ingathering of Jews to promote Torah study and
observance, instituted by the late Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, the
Lubavitcher Rebbe, based on the biblical commandment for Jews to
assemble, once every seven years, at the Holy Temple on the second night
of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles).
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 September 2009 )
Jewish Tribune - Searching for isolated brethren in Cuba (9 September 2009)
http://www.jewishtribune.ca/TribuneV2/index.php/200909082045/Searching-for-isolated-brethren-in-Cuba.html
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