March 28, 2014: Santa Clara and Cienfuegos; Synagogues and Che

Friday, March 28, 2014

Santa Clara and Cienfuegos; Synagogues and Che

We began this day with a drive to the town of Santa Clara where one of the few synagogues in Cuba still functions.

We were greeted by the president of the community and shown into the multi-function room which serves as their sanctuary:

He spoke to us of the history of the Jews in Cuba and especially of their town and helped us understand the deep devotion to the heritage which keeps them going.  He also explained the relationships between the various Jewish communities on the island.  The roof of the building houses an interesting impression of Jerusalem, created by a non-Jewish neighbor for them:

 At lunch there was a very loquacious Spanish-speaking parrot:

The taxis in this town are horse-drawn:

After lunch we had a visit to a “senior center” in Santa Clara.  This was unsettling for me.  These healthy retired folks seem to have nothing much to do, and the activities we witnessed (and participated in a bit) were not the kind of thing which would keep most people I know engaged.  There was some singing, some dancing, a simple game with a stick and a piece of wood, and some very primitive crafts.  Our visit seemed to be a major event.  Unsettling.

On our way back to Cienfuegos we visited the Che Guevara Memorial and Mausoleum:

 Visiting the mausoleum part is comparable to visiting a very holy site: hats off, minimal talking in hushed voices, low lighting and a mood of reverence.  We stayed a few minutes and then visited the museum part which outlined Che’s life and contribution to the revolution.  It was well done—Cuba has devoted considerable resources to memorializing Che.  The building had the best air conditioning we’ve seen in Cuba.  Outside was this very large billboard:

Back in Cienfuegos we visited the home of a local woman who is the head of the truly tiny (five families) Cienfuegos Jewish community:

Her sons have been on the March of the Living, and one of them participated in the Maccabee Games this past year.  She holds Shabbat services in her home, and we stayed and worshiped with her there, following which we all went out to dinner.  Other members of the community joined us for dinner.