Jewish heritage tours are extremely popular with American Jews who’ve got the travel bug and want to explore Jewish culture and history around the world. Most people think in terms of a visit to Israel, or to the European cities that produced the Jewish enlightenment and the wonderful golden ages of high culture, scholarship and prosperity.
Probably the last destination you’d think of for a kosher tour is the Caribbean island of Cuba. In fact, Cuba has a Jewish history going back over 500 years. Today, there is a small but resilient community of just over 1,500 Jews who love to share their unique Cuban Jewish heritage with guests from abroad. Read on to learn more about this unusual and truly amazing travel destination!
A Glimpse of Cuba’s Surprising Jewish Heritage
Cuba’s Jewish history began with a man called Luis de Torres who was an interpreter on Columbus’s first voyage to the New World. De Torres was a Jewish converso born with the name Yosef ben HaLevi HaIvri. De Torres and his crewmate were the first Europeans to set foot on the island that would become modern Cuba.
In the following centuries, Cuba became home to Jewish merchants and (reportedly) to a small number of Jewish pirates! When Cuba achieved independence in 1898, Jews arrived from the US, and were later followed by waves of Jewish immigrants from the Ottoman Empire and Eastern Europe. Following World War One, the Cuban Jewish community was 24,000 strong.
A Unique People to People Learning Trip
Cuba is a really fascinating country that generally defies every stereotype and preconception. One thing that does hold true is that Cuba is every bit as beautiful as it is portrayed. Visitors are taken aback by the astonishing natural beauty of this verdant Caribbean island, and by the old world colonial charm of places like Trinidad (not to be confused with the island of Trinidad) and Old Havana. Cuba is an island of contrasts, with golden beaches, huge rolling plains of sugarcane and tobacco plantations, and tall mountains.
When you visit the island of Cuba (actually part of an archipelago of 4,195 islands and cays) your travel company will help to create a structured itinerary that includes organized meetings with all kinds of fascinating people, as well as group learning activities and cultural exchanges.
Most Cubans speak Cuban Spanish, and you’ll probably also hear Haitian Creole – and perhaps even the ritual language of Lucumi. An increasing number of locals also speak English. Professional tour guides speak fluent English and can help you to easily overcome any language barriers.
The Cubans are some of the warmest, friendliest and most welcoming people we have ever met – anywhere on the planet. When they realize that foreign guests are genuinely interested in their country and their culture, they will bend over backwards to make them feel welcome. Cuba is also one of the safest countries in the region and crime rates are low.
The Cuban Jewish community are equally friendly and love to meet fellow Jews from the US and other countries. We can arrange meetings with Jewish community leaders, as well as Shabbat dinners and social activities with the community. One highlight is an expert presentation on “The Jews of Cuba”.
A great way of getting to know the local community is through trips to sites like the recently restored Jewish cemetery in Guanabacoa in Eastern Havana. Guanabacoa is Cuba’s oldest Jewish cemetery and contains the graves of generations of Havana’s Ashkenazi residents. The polished white and gray marble of the tombs is a reminder of the wealth and elegance of Havana’s heyday. It can be fascinating to explore the cemetery and try to imagine the lives of the people who are buried there.
A great way of getting to know the local community is through trips to sites like the recently restored Jewish cemetery in Guanabacoa in Eastern Havana. Guanabacoa is Cuba’s oldest Jewish cemetery and contains the graves of generations of Havana’s Ashkenazi residents. The polished white and gray marble of the tombs is a reminder of the wealth and elegance of Havana’s heyday. It can be fascinating to explore the cemetery and try to imagine the lives of the people who are buried there. The impressive Beth Shalom synagogue, built in a dramatic fusion of European, Romanesque and Moorish architecture, is a living house of worship and a wonderful place to meet Cuban Jews. The Beth Shalom also has an important Jewish Library and is a bastion of Judaic heritage in Cuba.
Cuba also has a poignant Holocaust memorial in the Centro Sephardi in Havana. A particularly interesting feature is the range of contemporary video clips showing Jewish refugees arriving in Cuba after they fled the Nazis. The film collection includes moving personal testimonies, including many from Holocaust survivors. The sunny 21st century Caribbean island is far removed from the horrors of the Shoah and the memorial performs a valuable role in educating Cuban youth about those terrible years.
Luxury Kosher Dining in Cuba
Anybody who’s checked out the Cuban food scene in Florida and the US will already have an idea of some of the culinary delights that are in store when you arrive in the real home of Cuban cooking. The mouthwatering national cuisine is a tasty blend of Spanish, Taino (indigenous Cuban) and African traditions, with some surprising Chinese, Italian and US influences too. Havana’s top hotels and restaurants cater to tourists from around the world and take pride in their preparation of classics like ropa vieja and picadillo a la habanera (beef dishes), Cuban tamales and the world famous Cuban sandwich. Cuban cuisine also features delicious combinations of rice and beans, and some amazing desserts like flan de leche.
I assure you that you will dine on the best kosher food while you are in Cuba. At Gil Travel , we work with our contacts in the local hospitality industry and the Jewish community to ensure that food storage and preparation meets strict kashrut standards. The Havana Jewish community has its own favorite kosher butcher who supplies top quality kosher meats. When you join the local community for Shabbat dinner, you’ll be amazed by Cuban home cooking!
Explore Cuban Art and Culture
Cuban culture is a fusion of many different traditions, including Spanish, West African and assorted European and American influences. The island was once home to the writer Ernest Hemmingway, whose Finca Vigía house is now a museum in Havana’s San Francisco de Paula district. Visitors on organized kosher tours to Cuba can get a rare glimpse of the country’s modern cultural treasures, including its art, music and literature.
One of Cuba’s most talented artistic groups is the famous Habana Compás Dance Company. Gil Travel can arrange for your group to watch a full company rehearsal. The company fuses traditional flamenco and other Spanish dances with an energetic percussion section and Afro-Cuban rhythms. It’s a uniquely Cuban artform that will delight dance and music lovers.
Located in an old warehouse on the pier of Havana Harbor, the Mercado San Jose is the ideal destination for authentic Cuban souvenir shopping.
Another highly unusual and striking form of art are the colorful murals and sculptures on display at the Muraleando Community Art Project. Cuban artist Manuel Diaz Baldrich set out to transform an entire neighborhood into an art gallery. He enlisted the help of local children and they gradually turned a shabby industrial neighborhood into a blaze of color and creativity.
You can continue your exploration of Cuban culture at the National Museum of Fine Arts. It’s actually a museum divided between two buildings. The splendid Palacio de Bellas Artes is home to the national collection of Cuban art, while the equally majestic Palacio del Centro Asturiano is home to collections of foreign and ancient art. If you’re an art lover, you’ll be in your element. It’s easy to spend hours browsing the museums, especially if you have a professional art historian as a guide.
Plan Your Kosher Tour of Cuba
Cuba has a tropical climate with two distinct seasons. The best time to visit is during the dry season between November and April. The weather is often superb with sunny days and refreshing breezes. The wet season can be more challenging with humidity and heat, although the locals seem to cope with it fine. Even the hottest months usually still get a breeze.
Havana is a little over 200 miles from Florida, and direct flights from Miami take just an hour and 15 minutes. When you plan your kosher tour of Cuba, Gil Travel will take care of any administration and paperwork and will ensure that you stay in Havana’s top hotels. We’ll also arrange as many people to people learning experiences and group activities as you like.
Meeting local people, and members of the Jewish community, and gaining an insight into Jewish heritage is an amazing experience. If you want to immerse yourself in the magic of Cuban culture, and meet some of the warmest and friendliest people on earth, join us on our next trip to Cuba!