When I was accepted onto the trip, I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to explore where my great-grandfather lived, see how The Associated’s overseas partner, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), maintains its strong relationship with the 600-person Jewish community of Cuba, helping them with social support and Jewish programming, and try to understand this community’s history and current reality.

During the Shabbat Kiddush is where I witnessed the resilience of this community. A blackout fell upon the entire nation. This did not phase the congregation, as we learned the entire country had faced three other nationwide blackouts in the previous months, one which impacted the cell phone towers. No one panicked, as it was just part of their lives. This one setback could have caused frustration within our group, but seeing the resilience of the Cuban Jews made us realize that we also needed to adapt.

This second reason moved me to my core, as my great-grandfather is one of these Cuban Jews. Even though I was not able to find his grave, I was still in his presence, and it gave me great comfort to know he is being looked after by these wonderful caretakers. 

The second highlight of the trip was going to the location of the store my great-grandfather owned. On our fourth day, with the country still in darkness, we had some time to walk around Havana. My aunt had sent me pictures of letters my great-grandfather had written to my grandfather in the 1950s on stationery that included his business name and address.

Our local guide, Mabel, volunteered to help me find the location and was able to tell me that he had owned a fabric and embroidery store. When we got there, I took a picture in front of the storefront – it felt surreal.

Mabel spoke to the storefront owner, who told her that they rented the space from the building owner, who lived behind the store. Mabel was able to speak with the owner, a woman named Sandra, who invited us inside her house and welcomed us like family. She spoke about how she traded houses in 2010 and has since owned the house.

Being in Cuba and seeing the roots of my family as well as the strength of the Jewish people was incredibly moving and humbling. The Jewish community there told us to tell their stories when we got back so that they won’t be forgotten, and I am happy I have this platform to do so.

I am so grateful for organizations like The Associated and JDC who have been working in Cuba for decades. I feel lucky to have witnessed firsthand the profound impact of their work in supporting Jews in Cuba.

JDC Entwine is the young adult department of JDC (the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee), a Jewish humanitarian organization working in over 70 countries to support both Jewish and non-Jewish communities. Entwine provides young adults with transformative global travel experiences, innovative educational programs, and tailored leadership development opportunities that empower them to explore, find meaning, and take action.