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Group heads to Cuba to give
Jewish community support
By Sally J. Ling. Special
Correspondent. Posted January 7 2005 in
the South
Florida Sun-Sentinel.
As a young girl in the 1950s, Natalie Pelavin
used to visit South Florida from Flint,
Mich., with her parents.
While they took a side trip to Cuba, she
remained behind, but she recalls her father's
words: "If you take Spanish in high
school, I'll take you to Cuba."
When high school arrived, Cuba had transitioned
to communism and her father's promise went
unfulfilled. But in May, Pelavin, who lives
west of Delray Beach, fulfilled her childhood
dream when she joined a group from the Levis
Jewish Community Center west of Boca Raton
and traveled to Cuba for humanitarian and
religious purposes.
"I wanted to see what the country
looked like, meet the people and was curious
what life was like being in a small Jewish
community. It was interesting to see how
the people had made a life for themselves.
Some Jews stayed in Cuba when they could
have left; that was very impressive,"
Pelavin said.
Another group will visit Cuba this year
to support Cuban Jews. The trip scheduled
for October was postponed because of the
hurricanes. Anyone interested, including
residents of central and northern Palm Beach
County, can go.
The trips, sponsored by the Cultural Arts
Department of the JCC, started five years
ago. This will be the fourth trip to Cuba.
"After 9-11 we didn't want to go very
far. It came to our attention that Cuba
had a rich culture and that there were still
1,500 Jews in the country -- 1,200 in Havana,"
said Susana Flaum, cultural arts director
for the JCC.
"When the revolution came, Castro
didn't close the synagogues or churches
but the people were discouraged, and if
they went to worship, they wouldn't get
jobs or be educated in the colleges. Many
of the buildings closed, and many Jews assimilated
into the community or moved to the U.S.
and to other countries," she said.
"When the pope went to Cuba, people
were revived and religion was accepted again."
The group will travel under the auspices
of Jewish Solidarity. Founded by a Miami
couple and licensed by the Department of
the Treasury, its mission is to provide
solidarity between the U.S. and Cuban Jewish
communities.
The organization has permission from the
Cuban government to plan humanitarian and
religious trips. Travelers stay at the Charter
Hotel in Havana, and along with their work
with the Jewish community, take sightseeing
trips. The cost of the six-day trip is $2,300
a person.
"People are curious to see Cuba because
it's close, safe, has a fascinating culture
and wonderful food and music. But our main
mission is to help the Jewish community,"
Flaum said. "We find out what they
need in the synagogue, whether it's religious
apparel, educational materials or medical
needs. We take some nonprescription items
with us in an extra suitcase and donate
them to the Patronato, a store the Jews
open to the Cuban people for free.
"We will meet with the Cuban community
and celebrate Shabbat services on Friday
night, with about 200 people from the Jewish
community."
Boca Raton residents Elisa Greenberg, a
Cuban-American, and her husband, Dr. Lester
Greenberg, who own dental practices in Boca
Raton and Tampa, plan to go on the trip.
They have been to Cuba on medical and humanitarian
missions several times and have gone on
one previous JCC-sponsored trip.
"We hope to get a clearer idea of
what Cuban life in general and Jews, in
particular, is like. They've requested things
that are important in celebrating [High
Holy Days],such as prayer books, and things
for the children. We hope to provide these,"
Elisa Greenberg said.
People can sign up for the next trip until
Feb. 28. Call Susana Flaum at 561-852-3254.
Copyright
© 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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