The Jews of Cuba

The Jews of Cuba

Flying to Cuba this winter? Consider bringing along some necessary items
that improve the living conditions of the small Jewish population there.
by Brenda Rishea

You may fly south for the winter and bring things to distribute to
Cubans you meet, but did you know that there is a Jewish community in
Cuba? It is one popular vacation destination that still maintains a tiny
Jewish population. The majority came from Mediterranean countries,
Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. The first Jewish immigrants arrived
on that island centuries ago, originally fleeing persecution during the
Spanish Inquisition.

At its peak, there were about 15,000 Jews and five synagogues in Havana
alone.

The Sephardic Jews who arrived before World War 1 from Syria, Lebanon,
Turkey, and Palestine were escaping the declining Ottoman Empire.

As religious conflicts in Turkish-held territories intensified, the Jews
began to modernize by adopting western customs, language and values.
This prepared them for future emigration overseas, with the intent on
settling in the free Americas. Some left for the United States first,
but didn't adapt well and turned to Cuba, influenced by economic
opportunities and the ease of learning Spanish for speakers of Ladino
(Judeo-Spanish).

By 1924, families ran away from the misery caused by political changes
in the Balkan states. The collapse of sugar prices, concurring with the
Great Depression, resulted in many Jewish Cubans suffering hunger and
homelessness. With donations of sewing machines from American Jewish
communities, they recovered economically by working as peddlers,
shoemakers or tailors. The Sephardic Jews were mostly self-employed in
commerce and industry, but the Ashkenazi Jews were factory workers who
were forced to become independent due to a new labour law introduced in
1933.

Other Jewish families, this time from Eastern Europe, arrived before
World War 2 as Cuba was the first country in the Americas to take in the
refugees. At its peak, there were about 15,000 Jews and five synagogues
in Havana alone. Yiddish newspapers were published and anti-Semitism was
minimal.

A small group of Jewish businessmen from the United States set up shop
at that time. Collaboration between Sephardim and Ashkenazim was
inadequate due to language and cultural differences. Almost 90 percent
left after Fidel Castro came to power in 1959. Today, only about 1,500
Cubans claim Jewish descent or affiliation.

Everything there is in short supply. If you are planning a vacation to
this tropical land and want to help the Jewish community in need, the
web site, The Jews of Cuba, lists necessary items that can greatly
improve the living conditions of our fellow Jews. You can make a difference!

Brenda Rishea is a writer and editor based in Burlington, Ontario.

Originally published in Hamilton Jewish News, October 2009.

Christianity.ca - The Jews of Cuba (22 October 2009)
http://www.christianity.ca/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=6980