My Journey Through Cuba


By Sarah Vorsanger
Sarah Vorsanger

When I heard that The Associated’s Young Adult Division was planning a trip to Cuba in partnership with JDC Entwine, I was immediately interested. I have family ties to Cuba that no one has been able to explore due to the travel restrictions. I knew this trip would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about my great-grandfather, who lived in Havana for over 30 years.

My great-grandfather Manfred moved from Germany to Cuba in the 1930s and built his life there after escaping the atrocities of World War II. He loved Cuba and even changed his name to Manfredo.

While he would visit his twin sons (one of them being my grandfather) in New York before Castro came to power, he never thought about leaving Cuba. He built a life there and was very successful. Unfortunately, after the Revolution, he was not able to visit his sons and lived in Havana until he passed away in 1964.

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..

Sarah Vorsanger with group on YAD's mission trip to Cuba

Once in Havana, I learned so much about the Jewish community. They invited us to their synagogue and treated us like family. We were fortunate enough to celebrate both Purim and Shabbat with them and even attend Sunday school with the children.

On Friday evening, we took part in the children’s Purim costume parade, saw an Israeli dance performance from the teens and young adults and heard the beautiful singing of the congregation during services. It was moving to see how the community continues to practice Judaism after religion had been outlawed from 1959 – 1992.

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.

Sarah Vorsange at United Hebrew Congregation cemetery in Guanabacoa

One highlight of the trip was going to the cemetery where my great-grandfather was buried. On the second day of the trip, we went to the United Hebrew Congregation cemetery in Guanabacoa, just outside of Havana. We met with the caretakers of the cemetery and heard about some of the prominent Cuban-Jews buried here.

At the Holocaust memorial within the cemetery, our JDC Entwine trip leader led us in the Mourners Kaddish. Saying this prayer, we learned, had two profound meanings: we said it for the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust as well as for the Cuban Jews buried there whose families are no longer in Cuba and have no one to visit them.

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.

Sarah Vorsanger great-grandfather letterhead

She had always wanted to know what the building had been before she moved in and was in complete awe that I had found my way to her. I was so moved by how happy she was to learn about my great-grandfather’s store.

As we were getting ready to say our goodbyes, the lights came back on for the entire country. We heard so much cheering in the streets. Meanwhile, we all looked at one another and started to cry. We agreed that my great-grandfather Manfredo must have known I was there.

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.


Subscribe to our newsletter

The Associated is a home for everyone in the Baltimore Jewish community. We offer several email lists to help people find a community, engage with their peers and support Jewish journeys around the world.

Join Our Mailing List

Add Impact to Your Inbox

Sign up for our newsletter


Subscribe to our newsletter

The Associated is a home for everyone in the Baltimore Jewish community. We offer several email lists to help people find a community, engage with their peers and support Jewish journeys around the world.

Join Our Mailing List