Cuba mission draws local B’nai B’rith members

B’nai B’rith International has been supporting Jews around the world since 1843. In 1995, the organization began sending humanitarian aid to the Cuban Jewish community. Several Kansas Citians want to become a part of that group which is helping Cuban Jews, so they plan to take part in the B’nai B’rith Cuban Jewish Relief Project Mission in December.

Mark Wasserstrom, the president of B’nai B’rith Lodge 184, the largest of the three lodges in Kansas City, plans to participate in the mission scheduled Dec. 6 to 13. He is recruiting others to join the group along with Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn, who is a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and is the rabbi of Temple Israel of Greater Kansas City. Wasserstrom said B’nai B’rith just completed a mission to Cuba in June and has another one planned in November as well. Officials hope 25 to 40 people participate in the December mission.

Participants, who must be members of B’nai B’rith, will spend seven days and six nights in Havana, Santiago and Guantanamo in Cuba and one night in Miami. The itinerary includes sharing erev Shabbat and a Shabbat meal with the Jewish community of Santiago; meetings with the leaders and members of the Cuban Jewish community; and a trip to the Holocaust Memorial in Havana.

Wasserstrom is interested in the project because he thinks establishing an ongoing relationship with the Jewish community in Havana is a worthwhile project.

“Since the official count of the number of Jews in Cuba is 1,200, there is such a small Jewish community that I think the Jewish community of Kansas City could actually manage to have a significant impact on the community in Cuba,” Wasserstrom said.
“The other part of the project that is exciting is that there are enormous historic pressures to open Cuba back up. So when Cuba opens and the U.S. blockade ends and the remaining restrictions on travel end, I think that we will see a significant increase in dealings with Cuba,” he continued.

The U.S. government restricts travel to Cuba for American citizens. Restrictions have been modified over the past few years and Cuban-Americans can now travel freely to the country. Students and religious missionaries are also allowed to travel to Cuba if they meet certain restrictions. It is legal for U.S. citizens to take this trip because B’nai B’rith has official religious missionary credentials through the U.S. Treasury department.

The B’nai B’rith website reports that the Jewish community in Cuba, although small, is thriving.

“When the Soviets left in 1990, the Cuban government declared that communism and religion could coexist. The Jewish community is now enjoying a revival. The disarray of the Soviet era has given way to a true sense of cohesiveness today. They are Jews that the rest of the world can look to with pride,” notes the website.

“Although there is no anti-Semitism in Cuba, daily life is very hard for all Cubans. The average person earns between $15 and $35 per month. Food is rationed. Not many quality items are available in pesos, and must be purchased with U.S. dollars (something not everyone has access to.) A doctor earning $35 per month may hope to supplement his income as a cab driver or a waiter, who can earn $10 a day in tips,” it continues.

Because of the economic hardships Cubans face, Wasserstrom said those who plan to participate — all participants must be B’nai B’rith members — are expected to take at least 15 pounds of supplies to be given as a gift to the Jewish community in Cuba. Upon registration, B’nai B’rith will provide a list of “needs” to participants, which often include medicine and cultural/religious items such as Judaica and books.

In addition to the humanitarian supplies and Judaica B’nai B’rith has been supplying the Cuban Jewish community, it has also sent mammography machines to the hospital and medical texts to the University via the Jewish community.

Rabbi Cukierkorn said Cuba has been described to him “as the Jurassic Park of socialism.”

“Things are changing very little, but it’s fascinating to go see what a socialist nation really looks like,” he said.

Through his book “Accesible Judaism: A Concise Guide” (in Spanish as “HaMadrij: La Guía”), Rabbi Cukierkorn has been in contact with several Cuban Jews.

“When I wrote my book many, many years ago (2004), the first thing I did was to send 12 copies of the book — one for each synagogue — to the B’nai B’rith Cuban Jewish Relief Project,” Rabbi Cukierkorn said.

He said that because there is such a desire for Jewish information, the book is of great value there.

“I’ve received emails from people thanking me for the book,” Rabbi Cukierkorn said.

The Reform rabbi has also seen a picture of the library where there are several copies of his book on a shelf at the Patronato, which functions as Cuba’s Jewish community center and is a part of the largest synagogue in the country.

“There is a picture of an open book and you can see that the pages are used, that people are reading it. What could give a writer more joy,” Rabbi Cukierkorn said.

Rabbi Cukierkorn will take 100 copies of his book to Cuba, compliments of Lodge 184. The members of Temple Israel are giving Rabbi Cukierkorn the time off to take this trip. He is doing so just as any other participant, not as the group’s rabbi.
Wasserstrom is happy that Lodge 184 is able to sponsor Rabbi Cukierkorn on this trip.

“He has a reputation far beyond Kansas City, so it just seemed to make a great deal of sense to get somebody who is sensitive to issues throughout South America,” Wasserstrom said. “Hopefully B’nai B’rith will realize what an important asset Rabbi Cukierkorn is so that he can contribute not only to the richness of Jewish life in Kansas City but that he can share his knowledge and experience with B’nai B’rith and help guide whatever efforts B’nai B’rith can pursue.”

While it’s been said that Jews don’t face anti-Semitism in Cuba, Wasserstrom is worried that Jews are beginning to face more anti-Semitism in other parts of South America.

“Iran has been giving a great deal of foreign aid to South American countries and distributing Arab propaganda along with it. That’s why in December 2011 B’nai B’rith had its first international policy conference in South America in Montevideo, Uraguay,” Wasserstrom explained.

While the B’nai B’rith International organization may be struggling a bit retaining its members — for example membership has slipped tremendously here in Kansas City’s three chapters — Wasserstrom said one of B’nai B’rith’s strengths has always been monitoring world events as they impact the global Jewish community.

“So when we have a situation such as a new strain of anti-Semitism evolving in South American, B’nai B’rith is one of the few Jewish organizations that can effectively address the situation. To have an opportunity to go on a mission to Cuba and to participate at any level in a new program that is of some significance is exciting,” Wasserstrom said.

The registration deadline for this trip is Nov. 1. To learn more about the trip, visit the website at http://www.bnaibrith.org/cubanjewishrelief.cfm or contact Rabbi Cukierkorn through his website, www.rabbicukierkorn.com. or call him at 913- 940-1011.