The number of Jews in Cuba has increased exponentially since Constitutional revisions in 1992 guaranteed freedom of religion. My goal is to continue and improve documentation and cultural understanding of the rapidly changing Jewish communities that were considered taboo a decade ago.

The Revolution in 1959 nationalized businesses and confiscated property and assets. No one who participated in a religious community, including 15,000 Jews, was allowed to participate in the Communist Party. By most estimates, approximately 80% of the Jewish population fled, leaving only about 3,000 Jews that either did not want to or were not able to leave. The dynamics of the Jewish community which remained in Cuba changed dramatically. Many wealthy Jews and those in leadership positions were the first to leave. While the government did not want to specifically target Jews, they and others participating in religion were seen as enemies of the Revolution. The community dwindled and on most Shabbats they did not even have enough people to hold a service as Jewish law states that there must be ten men present (a minyan). Over time, the community became elderly and there was no new membership.

The years between 1980 and 1992, represent the most drastic change in the country’s ideology since the 1959 Revolution. The island went from dependency on the Soviet Union to an economic crisis which evoked austerity measures known as “the Special Period.” In order to solidify their nation once again and build a stronger support base for the Cuban Communist Party, the government agreed to make the shift from being an atheist country to one that is now secular and guarantees the freedom of religion as stated in the 1992 revised Constitution.

In 2003, I completed a magna cum laude honor’s thesis “Cuba: La Voz del Patronato; Judaism in Havana, Cuba,” at the University of Colorado, Boulder. This research was completed in an effort to understand the current situation of Jews in Cuba. I focused on one synagogue, Patronato, which is located just outside of Havana, in Vedado. Patronato is the largest synagogue in Cuba, and receives a great deal of support from foreign Jews. During several visits to Cuba from 2001 - 2003, I was able to learn a great deal from those at Patronato. Additionally, I visited two other synagogues Centro Sefardi in Vedado, and Communidad Hebrea Hatikva in Santiago de Cuba. The images begin to illustrate the lives of Jews in Cuba, and their surrounding communities.

At Patronato, individuals expressed that their involvement with the synagogue is mainly to learn about their Jewish heritage, participate in a social atmosphere and act in leadership roles. The restrictions of the Revolution caused many families to “forget” about their Jewish heritage. After the Constitutional revisions, people began to investigate their family history and learned they were Jewish. It was not until 1996, though, that most people felt comfortable enough to seek out community at the synagogue. When they did, the elderly (who had been attending throughout the restricted time) were eager to pass on traditions to new generations. While there is resurgence in the Jewish community, many non-Jewish Cubans do not even know what a synagogue is or that there are any Jews in Cuba. In the United States, it is not widely known that there are Jews in Cuba. Further, many in the United States hold a negative view about life in Cuba due to media portrayal and Cuban exile opinion.

At the present time, there are approximately 1,500 Jews on the island. Their lives change at a rapid pace and I feel this is an important time to solidify in historical memory. The history of Jews in Cuba was already forgotten for almost forty years, and I would like to document its return. In a future phase of documentation I would like expand my focus to include communities throughout Cuba in addition to those I have already visited. This project is a primarily focused on issues of about community growth, maintenance and cultural understanding.

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