10 things to do on a Jewish trip to Cuba

Cuba, a jewel of the Caribbean, attracts travelers from around the world for its unique charm and rich history. With white-sand beaches, colonial cities and a culture that fuses Spanish, African and Caribbean influences, Cuba offers an unparalleled tourist experience.

In addition to this, the Jewish heritage on the island is a very interesting element that is often unknown, but is undoubtedly a sign of the cultural integration that exists in Cuba. From Havana Jewish Tour, we want to tell you about activities that you cannot miss in your Jewish trip to Cuba.

1. Visit "El Patronato" (Beth Shalom Synagogue)

Founded in the 1950s, it is possibly the most important synagogue in the country today. It is the headquarters of the entire Jewish community of Cuba. 
Originally, it was an orthodox synagogue founded by part of the wealthier community of Ashkenazi Jews. After the rebirth of Jewish life in the country in the 1990s, it became a conservative congregation and is currently the synagogue that gathers the most Jews in the country. In addition to a beautiful temple, it features a community center that includes a library, a community pharmacy, a lounge, classrooms for a Jewish Sunday school, offices, etc.

2. Visit the Holocaust Memorial at the Sephardic Hebrew Center

Founded in 1959, the Sephardic Hebrew Center is a place to honor the Sephardic presence in Cuba. It also houses a Holocaust Memorial within its facilities. 
This memorial is a unique space of its kind in the country, to remember the Jewish victims of Nazi barbarism. It also contains the history of the St. Louis ship, which relates the history of Cuba with the migratory difficulties that the Jewish refugees presented in this stage.

3. Visit Adath Israel Synagogue

Adath Israel was founded in 1959 by Ashkenazi Jews coming mainly from Poland and Russia, with a very traditional religious tendency who settled in Old Havana. It is currently the only Orthodox synagogue in the country. Its facilities include a prayer hall with 600 seats, a mikveh, a hall for activities and a library with important books on the history of the Jewish presence on the island.

4. Visit the Jewish Cemetery of Guanabacoa

The Jewish cemetery of Guanabacoa, located in the province of Havana, is commonly referred to as the Ashkenazi cemetery, although very close to it is also the Sefaradi cemetery. It was erected in 1910 by members of the United Hebrew Congregation, which is considered the first Jewish community in the country. 
In it lie buried the remains of important Jewish personalities for the country and for this community such as Abraham Marcus Matterin, Jaime Sarusky and José Miller.

5. Celebrate a Shabbat or important holidays with the Cuban Jewish community

One of the most attractive activities for visitors on a Jewish trip to Cuba is to take part in religious services on Shabbat and other holidays. 
The synagogue with the most congregants is Beth Shalom, which has a conservative tendency. In this temple, religious services are mostly led by young men and women who, after doing their Bar Mitzvah, have decided to contribute to their community in this way. 
On Pesach there is usually a community seder with kosher food for this holiday. At Hanukkah, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Purim and other holidays, the community also remains open for visitors who wish to share this time with Cuban Jews.

6. Stay at the kosher boutique hotel Chateau Blanc

Chateau Blanc, which is the first kosher boutique hotel, to date, on the island. Founded in 2018 by Cuban-American Jews, it is located in Nuevo Vedado, a residential area with a diverse population of artists, celebrities, and professionals. It is certified member property of the exclusive Hamsa ® travel brand. 
Chateau Blanc is pleased to provide a variety of in-house dining and entertainment options.  Breakfast is served daily and snacks and beverages are available in the kitchenettes located on the second and third floors.  In the evenings or during happy hours, relax with a drink and some music at POSH, our rooftop bar and lounge with air conditioned interiors and a large open terrace for outside seating and smoking. To learn more about this unique Cuban place and its kosher menu, visit their website by clicking here.

7. See a performance of the Rikudim groups

The Rikudim program, Jewish folk dances, is one of the most popular community projects in Cuba. Since the 1990s, the first Rikudim group was founded in Havana to attract, at first, young people from Jewish families who were distanced from community life. This first group, Emunah, which brought together young Cuban Jews, continues to delight locals and visitors with its performances. In addition to this group, there is Darkeinu, a group of middle-aged people; Hai, the children's group and before the pandemic there was a group of older people called Jibukim. Likewise, in other communities in the rest of the country the practice of rikudim has been carried out.If you make a Jewish trip to Cuba you should not miss presentations of rikudim groups at the end of a Kabalat Shabbat or on holidays such as Purim, Hanukah, Yom Hatzmaut or other opportunities.

8. Visit the Jewish Sunday School "Albert Einstein"

Although all schools in Cuba are public schools, Cuban Jews are allowed a Jewish school that operates on Sundays to bring families in the community closer to Jewish life. This school has students from very young children to seniors. It is very interesting for many visitors to learn on a Sunday how Jewish education is promoted in Cuba. So if on your Jewish trip to Cuba you want to know about the education of the members of this community, without a doubt the Sunday School "Albert Einstein" is a place to visit. 

9. Visit Jewish communities in other cities in the country

Tiferet Israel Synagogue, in Camagüey

Although about 90% of the members of the Cuban Jewish community are located in Havana, there are also small communities in other cities of the country: Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Sancti Spiritus, Camagüey, Manzanillo, Santiago de Cuba and Guantánamo. Camagüey and Santiago de Cuba have synagogues: Tiferet Israel and Hatikvah respectively. Other communities, such as Santa Clara, even have a Jewish cemetery. It is good that on your Jewish trip to Cuba, while you can enjoy the tourist attractions of the other cities of the country, you can also learn about the local Jewish presence.

10. Make donations to the projects of the Cuban Jewish community

The Jewish community maintains all its activities through donations, so if you make a Jewish trip to Cuba, a good way to help the community is to donate whatever you wish. One of the main projects that this community has is a community pharmacy that delivers free medicines donated by visitors, to Jewish and non-Jewish people who come to the facilities requesting help with the medical prescription in case it is necessary. It also has a project called Kesher, which is in charge of caring for people with special needs, sick and elderly adults in the community. As part of this project, food, cleaning products and medicines are delivered to Cuban Jewish families. So you should know that your donations will always be benefiting a Cuban Jewish family.

Don't forget that from Havana Jewish Tour we can include in your stay in Cuba, each of these things to do that we recommend. A Jewish trip to Cuba will always be a pleasant experience for any visitor. To request a Jewish tour in Cuba, please contact us at this page.