A Jewish Renaissance in Castro's Cuba

Judaism, Spring, 2000 by Dana Evan Kaplan

There are many explanations given for this return to religion. Tom Masland of Newsweek Magazine has suggested that the "Periodo Especial," the "Special Period," [19] with its losses and deprivations, created a "massive loss of faith in government." [20] For decades Castro urged people to believe in the Revolution, but today few people take Communism seriously. As a consequence of the existential void that has been created, Cubans are looking for something in which to believe. They are also looking for roots and trying to develop a sense of identity as revolutionary fervor wanes. Religion fills much of this void and both Catholic and Protestant denominations have seen a rapid increase in interest and memberships.

On a practical level, Christian churches are able to bring in humanitarian aid. Functioning as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), these churches are exempted from American restrictions on activities in Cuba. During the 1990s church organizations were some of the most effective aid organizations in Havana and the rest of the country. Synagogues worked with American Jewish groups to build comparable aid efforts for Cuban Jews and therefore built a similar dynamic. A second reason that is notusually mentioned but which I believe has some relevance is that there is so little to do in Communist Cuba. Money is scarce, and there are no multiplex cinemas, no Disney theme parks, and no Malls of America. Churches and synagogues provide a place to meet, mingle, and be entertained. They offer classes, services, and even festive dinners. In a count with so little, religious organizations provide a lot.

A Jewish Renaissance

Many of the Jewish communities in former Communist countries are undergoing revivals. The Cuban Jewish revival is a part of this pattern. Jorge Diener, former coordinator of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) programs in Cuba, states that the Cuban Jewish community was "almost dying...[now it is] alive and strong in its potential." [21] Over the past several years the Cuban Jewish community has undergone a complete transformation, a "change from a culture of survival to a culture of community." [22]

The renaissance of Jewish life in the 1990s is also remarkable in light of the atrophy the community experienced from the early 1960s until the end of the 1980s. Each of the four synagogues in Havana had a core of elderly people who were retired or toward the end of their careers, and so were not overly concerned about career advancement Many had strong memories of their immigrant parents or their own upbringing in traditional Jewish societies. In any case they built a strong support group in their congregations. But the synagogues were suffering from pervasive apathy and most Jews were not interested in Judaism. No one expected the situation to change, yet at the beginning of the 1990s that is exactly what happened. For the same reasons that nominal Christians began to explore Christianity, many Jews started coming to the synagogues, often for the first time. Most of them knew almost nothing about Judaism. Many had not even been told as children that they were of Jewish ancestry and had only discovered this on their own. [23] The revival has dramatically transformed Jewish life in the country. Youth groups are being re-established, and Sunday schools have been started or expanded. Jewish women's organizations, B'nai B'rith lodges, and senior citizens groups are now common.