jewish tours to cuba

Judaism in Havana: A Tour of Jewish Cuba

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• Trip Overview

This is a sample itinerary to inspire a personalized trip designed with your travel specialist

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Countries Visited

Places visited, suggested duration, customizable itinerary, havana – havana heritage.

Havana is a city that captures your attention and imagination. Music spills out of cafes. Vintage American cars glide down cobblestone streets. People stroll along the Malecón and enjoy the view of the historic fortresses guarding Havana’s bay. Fishers stand atop the thick wall separating the street from the sea and cast their fishing lines into the water. The sea breeze rolls along the edges of the city, fading as it travels deeper into the old city. You land at Jose Marti International Airport with your heartbeat quickening with excitement. Your private transfer meets you at baggage claim and leads you into the bustling cityscape. The suburbs of the city contain the daily life of Havana locals.

Murals decorate walls along the roadside, celebrating the Cuban spirit. The colors resemble the blue, white, and red of the Cuban flag. Once in vibrant, contemporary neighborhood of Vedado, you pass the University of Havana. The graceful steps lead to a plateau. Stoic columns outline a noble arcade and frame a statue of Alma Mater in the foreground. The university was established in the 18th century under the authorization of Pope Innocent XIII and King Philip V of Spain. The past and the present intertwine in the city, and in the Vedado neighborhood. High-rises tower above colonial era buildings. Classic cars roll down the boulevard of La Rampa. The ice cream parlor of Coppelia turns modern day Havana into a 1950s ice cream social.

What's Included:

Havana – Embracing the Community

The morning in Vedado has a quiet rhythm. People stroll to work. Restaurants and cafes lazily open their doors. Students make their way to class, climbing stairs of the university with measured steps. You find the aroma of coconut and pineapple at breakfast. The fresh fruit reminds you of Cuba’s tropical climate. After breakfast, your guide leads you to meet with the El Patronato Jewish Community Center. A classic American car sits parked outside of the casual building.

A large arch frames the small Star of David imprinted on the center of the façade. El Patronato is home to Cuba’s largest congregation. In 2013, it sponsored athletes for the Maccabiah Games, sending almost 50 athletes to Israel to compete in the Cuban Jewish community. Spend time with the president of the congregation, along with active members of the temple to learn about the daily lives of Cubans, Cuban Jews, and the activities of the center. The community center contains a large library, and a pharmacy authorized to distribute donated medications.

In the synagogue, your guide explains the idea of the Cuban minyan. After the revolution, nearly 90 percent of the Jewish population fled. With so few people left in the country, the Jewish community instituted a new rule, counting the Torah as a qualifying member of minyan to ensure a quorum for prayer. The richness of spirit and continuation of traditions, whether unique or associated with the heritage, are inspiring. Continue to the Centro Hebreo Sefaradi in the afternoon to visit with leaders of the Sephardic community.

Havana – The Wealth of Antiques

Today you travel to the captivating center of Old Havana, framed by forts and castles. The Spanish erected Castillo de los Tres Santos Reyes Magos del Morro between the 16th and 17th centuries. It withstood attaches by French, Dutch, and English privateers throughout the ages, including a 44-day siege in the mid-1700s. Cuba’s connection to Spain casts a stark reminder of the reasons why Jewish families from the old world traveled to the Caribbean; it was an attempt to escape the Inquisition.

The past surrounds you in Old Town with a mixture of renovated colonial architecture and crumbling facades. Your guide leads you on a marvelous introductory tour of the historic buildings showcasing Cuba’s former magnificence. The City Historian’s Office has spent countless hours focused on restoring Calle Mercaderes, the Merchant’s Street. 18th-century grandeur emanates from the museums, shops, and restaurants. A needlecraft cooperative set up their workshop inside one of the buildings providing a large open space.

A small house on Calle Obrapia contains sacred objects relating to Santeria and the secret African fraternity of Abakua . During your exploration of the old city, you come to Acosta Street to find the single kosher butcher in all of Cuba. Fidel Castro wrote a special letter to the owners of the shop, allowing them to continue providing the community of Havana with kosher meat. The only orthodox synagogue in the country ensures the butchery’s upkeep and is presided over by the rabbi, cantor, and treasurer of the temple, which happens to be the same person.

Havana – Cuba and the Arts

In the suburbs of Havana, you will find the former home of award-winning American writer, Ernest Hemingway. The Cuban government has preserved the house, known as Finca Vigia—Lookout Farm, since 1960. After breakfast, you make your way on a guided tour of the home of Hemingway for nearly 21 years. The library contains approximately 9,000 books spanning the entire home, including the bathroom. The typewriter on which Hemingway wrote award-winning novels such as The Old Man and the Sea , sits atop a stand-up desk. All the windows and doors are open to provide perfect sightlines for visitors throughout the entire home, but to preserve the integrity of the museum, no one is allowed inside.

Your guide points to a ceramic bowl on a couch-side table. He explains that Pablo Picasso designed the piece and gave it to his friend. You continue to the colorful neighborhood of Jaimanitas to stroll along the artistic wonderland of Fusterlandia. Ceramic mosaics shape the walls. The surreal design resembles the enterprises of Spanish architect Antonin Gaudi. Roofs, doorways, benches, and walls span blocks encompassing more than 80 neighborhoods. Intermittent sculptures decorate the street. Courtyards provide views of ceramic dragons. Inspiration is everywhere, and the arts overtake the island in various ways.

Santa Clara – Celebrations of the Past and Present

The colors of Fusterlandia remain prevalent in your thoughts today. The bright stories the artist told lifts spirits around Havana and the world. After breakfast, you venture to the Guanabacoa Museum, dedicated to tracking the development of the Guanabacoa neighborhood through the 18th and 19th centuries. Your guide draws parallels to Jewish heritage when you see the exhibits on the Afro-Cuban culture, highlighting the history of slavery and the emergence of the Santeria religion. The mythology and ritual of the various religions intrigue you. After your exploration of the museum, you make your way to the United Hebrew Congregation Cemetery.

The grounds were established in the early 1900s. The layout holds to Jewish tradition with a space outside the gates for visitors to wash their hands upon leaving. The aligned gravestones face directly east. You find various languages inscribing the stones, from Spanish to Yiddish, Russian to English. Many of the birthplaces on the older stones mention cities in Eastern and Central Europe. The grounds are unique due to their location and history. Continue to the small fishing village of Cojimar, where Hemingway set the storyline for The Old Man and the Sea .

Santa Clara – Discovering Trinidad

Trinidad has an ineffable spirit unlike any other city in Cuba. Afro-Cuban culture remains strong, deeply rooted in the history of the sugarcane plantations located near the city. Colonial buildings glimmer with pastel colors. Horses trot down the cobblestone streets, passing through the shadows cast by former churches. After breakfast, you make your way to the UNESCO heritage site to experience the culture of Trinidad. Red-tiled rooftops slant toward the narrow roads. The Spanish settled the city in the 1514 and built an elaborate sugarcane industry in the valleys opposite the rolling Escambray Mountains.

Enter into the Casa del Alfarero, a pottery workshop sharing the tradition of pottery in the city, which dates back to the 19th century. Partake in a class to learn the secrets of the city and the art form. The knowledge of pottery work has been passed down through the generations. You get your hands involved with wet clay, shaping and guiding the form until it reaches a design you prefer. Locals have modeled the clay to tell stories of their past and the history of the city. After your work gets placed in the kiln to dry, you follow in the footsteps of the locals and visitors to discover the heritage of Trinidad. Begin with a visit to the Museo de Historia Municipal, which exhibits spectacular objects from wealthy families located inside a grandiose edifice in the Plaza Mayor.

Santa Clara – Life in Santa Clara

A rebellious spirit fills the streets of Santa Clara, inspired by the local university and the large student population. The Che Guevara monument fosters the local ideology of questioning authority. Spend a part of your day visiting the local Jewish Community. In 2007, the 25-member-strong community had gathered enough funds to buy a home and convert it into a synagogue. A Holocaust memorial erected in 2003 lies adjacent to the Jewish cemetery. The museum contains a stone from the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. Stones from the Warsaw Ghetto pave the path leading to the entryway.

Locals like to connect the uprising of the Warsaw Ghetto to the spirit of the Jewish people in Cuba, especially in Santa Clara, where the people are always willing to fight for their beliefs. A menorah with six branches symbolizes the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust. Your guide leads you through the city to the Che Guevara Memorial. A large bronze statue of the revolutionary guards the entrance to the square. A mausoleum contains 38 carved niches dedicated to the guerillas that fought for Bolivian independence. You can hear horses carrying visitors down the main road around the edges of the elegant monument.

Cienfuegos – A Lasting Image of Beauty

In the morning, you remember the words of a song you once learned at the synagogue. “Wherever you go, there’s always someone Jewish.” You can’t help but repeat the lyrics in your head before breakfast. You have not only set foot in Cuba, but followed in the footsteps of Jewish communities that have fled persecution for hundreds of years, from Spain to Russia, and even Germany. Your private transfer greets you at the hotel after breakfast and escorts you to the charming city of Cienfuegos. Red-tiles outline cupolas adorn pearled buildings erected by 19th-century French settlers. The bay sparkles four different shapes of blue. You board your flight and watch Cuba fade away beneath you, enjoying the spectacular final panorama of a country cradling a unique Jewish heritage.

Trip Highlights

• Visit with the various local Jewish communities across Cuba, from Sephardic to Ashkenazy, in Havana and Santa Clara
• Partake in a pottery workshop that immerses you in the cultural artwork of the spirited Afro-Cuban colonial town of Trinidad
• Discover the history and multi-cultural grounds of the Havana Jewish Cemetery
• Experience the extraordinary past and present of Havana’s artistic community with a tour of Hemingway’s former home and the remarkable neighborhood known as Fusterlandia
• Visit the Holocaust Museum in Santa Clara, which contains a walking path paved by stones from the Warsaw Ghetto
• Traverse the shop of the only kosher butcher in all of Cuba, located in Old Havana
• Enjoy a guided tour of Old Havana where the footprints of Spanish Jews escaping the Inquisition are as poignant as the synagogues that remain in the city

Detailed Description

No matter where in the world you travel, you can celebrate the week’s end with a member of the Jewish community and feel like family. Your 8-day tour of Cuba introduces you to the unique life of Cuban Jews, from their struggles of continuing traditions to their history of family perseverance. You arrive in Havana for an introductory tour of the city, beginning with a visit to the Plaza de la Revolucion. Settle in the luxurious neighborhood of Vedado, home to some of the finest hotels in all of Havana. The next day, you meet with members of the Jewish community learning about the religious school system, along with the exploring the different synagogues around the city.

Follow your guide on a fabulous tour of Old Havana. Make your way to the orthodox temple and visit Cuba’s only kosher butcher. Discover the thriving art scene of Cuba by venturing to Finca Vigia, the former home of Ernest Hemingway. Continue with a tour of the spectacular neighborhood of Jaimanitas, also known as Fusterlandia, named for the artist who turned the streets into a ceramic wonderland. Next, you venture to the Guanabacoa Museum for an introduction into the eastern suburb of Havana. Stroll through the Jewish Cemetery before arriving in the charming fishing village of Cojimar.

Your private transfer escorts you to Santa Clara, where you meet the local Jewish community. If you arrive on Shabbat, you can partake in dinner and the traditions of the city. The next day takes you to the preserved colonial town of Trinidad for an interactive cultural experience. Enjoy a pottery workshop before touring the historic streets. Then, you explore the spirited ambiance of Santa Clara. Make your way to the Holocaust Museum followed by a tour of the colonial houses and remarkable monuments decorating the city. On your final day, your private transfer escorts you to the airport in Cienfuegos for your flight home.

Consider browsing our other tours to Cuba to gain further inspiration for your dream Cuba vacation of a lifetime.

Starting Price

$4,300  per person (excluding international flights)

Your Zicasso trip is fully customizable, and this sample itinerary is a starting place for your travel plans. Actual costs are dynamic, and your selection of accommodations and activities, your season of travel, and other such variables will bring this budget guideline up or down. Throughout your planning experience with your Zicasso specialist, your itinerary is designed around your budget. You can book your trip when you are satisfied with every detail. Planning your trip with a Zicasso travel specialist is a free service.

What's Included

• Accommodations
• In-country transportation
• Some or all activities and tours
• Expert trip planning
• 24x7 support during your trip

Your final trip cost will vary based on your selected accommodations, activities, meals, and other trip elements that you opt to include.

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Havana Tours Havana’s Jewish Heritage

• Learn about the history of Jewish immigration in the early 20th Century
• Meet with members of the Jewish community and tour a synagogue
• Visit a special hotel that references Jewish culture with its décor

At a Glance

Detailed description.

This tour takes you through the history of the Jewish immigration and presence in Cuba.

We will meet the President of the Jewish Association in Havana who invites you into the synagogue still in use today in Vedado. We will also see another synagogue in Vedado before heading off to visit the cemetery in Guanabacoa to talk about the burial traditions and symbolism displayed throughout the cemetery. After our visit to Guanabacoa we head back to Old Havana and stop in at the Menorah Square to pay tribute to the victims of the holocaust. This square was inaugurated by Fidel Castro in June 2006.

We walk through Old Havana passing by the oldest Orthodox synagogue in Cuba, to arrive at the Hotel Raquel, a tribute to the Hebrew culture and its ongoing presence in Cuba. This ornate hotel with its baroque facade hints to a time gone by, when a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood of Old Havana once thrived. After the revolution 95% of the Jewish community left Cuba, but we invite you to experience the legacy left behind.

Ending point: Hotel Raquel, 263 Mercaderes Street, Old Havana

Legality for Americans:   Services are OFAC compliant under the general license Support for the Cuban people  515.574

Child Policy:   Child friendly experience

• Local Havana English speaking tour guide
• Entrance fees for activities noted
• Transport during the tour

Not Included

• Transportation from meeting point
• Additional food and drinks
• Tips/gratuities

More Havana Tours

Havana Marathon Experience (November 17)

Join the May Day Parade in Havana (May 1st)

Old Havana history walk with local guide

1950’s Convertible Car Tour

Learn about Afro-Cuban culture and religions

Old Havana street food experience

Cooking Experience with Local Cubans

Full Day Havana Tour Package

Mafia & The American Influence in Cuba

Discover Havana’s Street Art and its Artists

Learn about and taste Cuban Cigars

Learn about and taste Cuban Rum

All about Ernest Hemmingway’s Cuba

Jewish History and Influence in Cuba

Havana Nightlife with a Local Guide

Visit the Best Lookouts over Havana

Visit hidden parks and garden of Havana

Follow a local photographer to the best locations

See amazing examples of Art Deco in Havana

Explore Havana by Bicycle

See Quintessential Rural Cuba

Multi-day stay in Havana with accommodation + local guide

Your own customized tour of Havana 

More Day Tours

Wander Havana's cobblestone streets, discovering the richness of Cuban-Jewish life in synagogues like Sephardic Hebrew Center and Temple Beth Shalom. Unveil the stories of the Jewish community in Old Havana's squares, delving into the lives that have shaped it. Extend the journey to Hemingway's iconic residence for a literary touch and immerse yourself in other captivating experiences the island has to offer, creating a diverse tapestry of memories where the spirit of Cuba, the essence of Jewish culture, and Hemingway's legacy intertwine.

Highlights:

• Uncover the enchanting facets of Cuban-Jewish life at synagogues such as Sephardic Hebrew Center and Temple Beth Shalom . 
• Stroll through the captivating streets of Old Havana and the Jewish Quarter on a delightful walking tour. 
• Indulge in a privately curated journey through the artistic wonders of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana.  
• Engage with Dr. Maritza Corrales, an expert in Cuban Jewish history. 
• Delve into a detailed discussion on U.S. and Cuban relations with Camilo Lopez Trigo, a seasoned former diplomat. 
• Discover the allure of Ernest Hemingway’s Island lifestyle as you explore his home, Finca Vigia.  
• Celebrate a meaningful Shabbat with the local community  
• Embark on a poignant journey as you pay respects at the Jewish Cemetery and Holocaust Memorial , delving into the profound narratives they hold. 

For the itinerary and other details, please see the tabs below . On a mobile device, use the menu icon (☰) to open other tabs.

• Need to Know

Jewish Cuba: A Tapestry of Cultures January 27 – February 2, 2025 (Itinerary subject to change)  

Day 1: Monday, January 27, 2025  

• Arrival and transfer to hotel (private transfers from the airport can be arranged for an additional charge). 
• Check into the hotel. 
• Panoramic view of Havana and dinner at a unique, private family-run Paladar. 

Overnight: Hotel Grand Aston la Habana, Havana  

Day 2: Tuesday, January 28, 2025  

• Breakfast at the hotel. 
• Visit the Sephardic Hebrew Center and meet with a community leader followed by fellowship and interaction with members of the community. 
• Explore a local market . With help from your escort and guide, you will be able to interact with the vendors and shoppers and get a feel for real life in Cuba today.  
• Lunch at leisure. 
• Watch a rehearsal at the Compas Dance of Cuba . The group uses percussion, African rhythms, flamenco, and classical ballet creating a new and different Cuban beat. You will be able to talk to the dancers about their training and dreams for the future. 
• Visit the home and studio of José Rodriquez Fuster . Born in 1946, Fuster is a Cuban artist specializing in ceramics, painting, drawing, engraving and graphic design. This winner of many awards with collections in prominent museums, has made a major contribution over 10 years of rebuilding and decorating the fishing town of Jaimanitas on the outskirts of Havana, where he lives. Jaimanitas is now a unique work of public art where Fuster has decorated over 80 houses with ornate murals and domes to suit the personality of his neighbors. 
• Dinner at leisure. 

Day 3: Wednesday, January 29, 2025  

• Participate in an interactive discussion with a Cuban sociologist Dr. Marta Nunez Sarmiento will discuss gender roles in Cuban society today.  
• Join a walking tour of Old Havana and the Jewish Quarter . Old Havana has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO and will remind you of cities in Europe, with its beautiful architectural elements. During the walking tour of the two main squares: Plaza de Armas, Plaza de San Francisco , you will gain insight about the families that forged the Jewish Community of Cuba and the present members of that community. 
• Group lunch at a private restaurant. 
• Bring donations to Beth Shalom Temple and meet with a community leader . Built in 1952, the synagogue is located in the Vedado district of Havana that was once a center of Jewish activity. Today it contains the main community center and library with a nursery and educational activities to help bring back the youth into the Jewish community.  
• We proceed to the neighborhood of Lawton, where we visit Mureleando . Mureleando is a community project started by families living in and around Lawton. The objective is to introduce and teach the arts to children and adults through their workshops. 
• Dinner at leisure.  

Day 4: Thursday, January 30, 2025  

• Explore the National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana with a private curator, who will take you on a journey of the many facets of Cuban art. Founded in1913 and having made frequent moves, it was finally placed on the block once occupied by the old Colon Market. In 1954, the new Palacio de Bellas Artes was opened, designed by the architect Rodriguez Pichardo. The museum is dedicated exclusively to housing Cuban Art collections and has rooms dedicated to landscape, religious subjects and the Costumbrismo narrative scenes of Cuban life. 
• Community Service at Jewish Cemetery in Guanabacoa. We will clean up graves and help to restore graves in the children’s section. Those who are unable to do physical work may recite Kaddish at graves. A stop will be made at the Holocaust Memorial which is located inside the cemetery. 
• Visit a typical Cuban home where we will learn the story of this house and its residents, past and present. 
• Group dinner at a private restaurant. 

Day 5: Friday, January 31, 2025  

• Participate in an interactive discussion about U.S. and Cuban relations with Camilo Lopez Trigo , a former diplomat. 
• Visit the two main squares, Plaza Vi eja and Plaza de la Catedral in the Old City. 
• Visit Hemingway’s House . In 1940, Hemingway, with his new wife Martha, purchased a home outside Havana, Cuba. He would live there for the next twenty years. The Hemingway’s named the site Finca Vigia, or “lookout farm.” He fished extensively aboard his boat, Pilar, and enjoyed the island lifestyle, hanging out in Havana, and entertaining guests at the Finca. View his home, with many original furnishings, hunting trophies, and personal artifacts. 
• Ride in Havana in vintage American convertibles . It’s a return to the 1950’s when there were about as many American convertibles in Havana as in New York. The cars will take you to the Forest of Havana and drive down the fabled 5th Avenue of Miramar and along the Malecon.  
• Kabbalat Shabbat Services at Beth Shalom , followed by a festive Shabbat dinner at the hotel.  

Day 6: Saturday, February 1, 2025  

• Morning meeting with Dr. Maritza Corrales, Jewish Historian. 
• Rest of day at leisure. 
• Motorcoach will be available to take passengers to the Old City and Craft Market.  

Day 7: Sunday, February 2, 2025  

• Checkout from the hotel by 12:00 PM. 

The Melton tour to Cuba will be led by Miriam Levinson , who has led numerous trips to her native Cuba. Miriam's expertise in Jewish Latin America, particularly Cuba, adds a distinctive dimension to her portrayal of these communities.

Melton Travel is open to adults of all ages. While Melton oversees the educational aspects of our tours, it's important to note that we are not a travel agency. For the logistics of this trip, our local travel partners will be responsible.

Please note that Melton is not liable for any financial loss due to reasons beyond our control, such as health-related cancellations. We highly recommend purchasing comprehensive travel insurance covering trip cancellation and health-related issues, including COVID, within a few weeks of paying your nonrefundable deposit.

Thank you for your interest in travelling with Melton. We eagerly await the opportunity to learn and explore together with you.

The Melton Travel Team

Register online today >

• 6 nights' accommodations / 6 days of touring  
• Deluxe air-conditioned bus 
• 6 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 3 dinners 
• All tips (except for housekeeping) 
• All educational programming and entrance fees according to the itinerary
• Visa fees 

Havana:   Hotel Grand Aston La Habana . Calle 1a y D, Vedado. Tel: +53.7.886.3000

Note: We will do our best to assist you with extensions both before and after the seminar.

Not Included:

• Flights and personal insurance 
• Personal expenses, including meals or drinks not mentioned in the itinerary, unless specified

Reservations and Cancellations:   

Group rates are per person and a minimum of 15 fully paying participants. Should the number of participants drop below the minimum listed above, we may adjust the cost of the trip to reflect the additional expense of operating the program.

Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, special dinners, sightseeing, admissions, luggage handling and the services of local guides, drivers, and the tour guide/educator are included.

A nonrefundable deposit of $750 per person is due upon registration. If the trip is cancelled, the registration fee will be refunded. Final balance will be due 60 days prior to trip start date on 11/28/2024. No refunds will be given for unused services. 

Program Cancellation due to insufficient registration:

The Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning, its management, staff, officers, and representatives reserve the right to cancel any program for lack of sufficient registration and 100% of all monies collected by MELTON will be returned to the registered participants.  

Program Cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances: 

As you may know, Melton provides the educational content for its tours, but is not a travel agency. Great Time Tours, LTD is the travel logistics provider for this tour. Neither Great Time Tours, LTD nor Melton is responsible for any financial loss associated with a cancellation of this seminar for reasons beyond their control, including COVID. Each traveler is urged to attain Trip Cancellation and Travel insurance. 

What is not included: Travel insurance, international flights, incidental hotel charges such as telephone calls, housekeeping tips and room service, sightseeing attractions listed as optional, meals not listed, items of a personal nature and tips for services other than those listed for each specific itinerary.

Ability to Travel:

Participant(s) hereby certify that they do not have any physical, emotional, psychological, or other condition or disability that would interfere with their enjoyment of the program, hinder the experience of others, or pose a hazard to themselves or others.

Travelers Needing Special Assistance:

Melton cannot determine your fitness to travel or guarantee your ability to successfully manage a tour. If in doubt, please consult your doctor. Persons needing individual assistance for walking, dining, or other personal needs must be accompanied by an able companion and must notify us in writing at the time of booking. Certain trips and features may not be wheelchair accessible. In international destinations, we cannot guarantee wheelchair accessibility.

All itineraries are subject to change without prior notice. Participant waives any and all claims of action against the GREAT TIME TOURS, LTD. for damages, loss, injury, accident or death incurred by any person in connection with this program. In making arrangements for accommodations, meals, transportation, and other services included in the program, GREAT TIME TOURS, LTD. are acting only as an agent for the following suppliers of travel services, i.e. airlines, hotels, ground handlers, transfer companies, restaurants, bus companies, and other suppliers, and is not liable for any accident, injury, damage, loss, delay or other irregularity which may be caused by the defect of any vehicle, or the negligence or default of any company or person(s) engaged in conveying the passengers or carrying out the arrangements of the program. No responsibility is accepted for losses or expenses due to sickness, weather, strike, wars and other causes. 

Travel Documents:

Participants  will receive program documents approximately 10-14 days prior to trip departure provided full payment has been received. Documents may include program itinerary, airline and hotel information, clothing suggestions, bag tags and any other helpful hints. 

Luggage Handling:

Luggage handling and porterage is included for a maximum of one piece of luggage per person at hotels. Carry-on luggage is the traveler’s own responsibility. 

 Not Included:

Melton Travel recommends Forbes Advisor for the most up-to-date travel insurance comparisons. Consider travel protection for:

• Trip Cancellation
• Trip Interruption
• Emergency Medical Expenses
• Emergency Evacuation/Repatriation of Remains
• Baggage & Personal Effects
• Baggage Delay

Please Note: To be eligible for the waiver of pre-existing medical condition exclusion, the protection plan must be purchased within 21 days from the time you make your initial trip deposit, the entire non-refundable amount of the trip must be insured, and you must be medically able to travel at the time the premium is paid. However, the travel protection plan itself can be purchased any time prior to departure.

Additional Information

• Airline Security Measures: Your name must match the name on your tour reservation and airline ticket, or you may be denied boarding. If you are traveling from an airport outside the jurisdiction of the U.S., you will need to determine what travel documentation and identification are required for that particular airport.
• Due to heightened security regulations, certain items such as a metal nail file, pocketknife, cigarette lighter or tweezers, and some liquid, gel, or aerosol items may not be permitted in your carry-on luggage. Please call your airline prior to departure to obtain current information on non-permissible carry-on items and recommended airport check-in times. You may also wish to visit the Transportation Security Administration website at www.tsa.gov to obtain more information on acceptable identity documentation and prohibited luggage items.
• Holidays and Museum Closures - Museum visits and personal shopping time may be disrupted due to unforeseen circumstances or state and local holidays observed in the destinations being visited.
• Photography During Tours: We will occasionally use photographs taken by fellow guests or your trip director for promotional purposes. If you prefer your photo not used in any marketing activities, please notify us at the start of your tour.

For more information about this tour, please write to us here .

Or, call 1–646–921–0747, Ext. 4

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Ayelet's Traveling University Unforgettable Tour to Cuba with Professor Stephen Berk December 8-15, 2024

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Tour of Jewish Cuba

Hosted By: My Jewish Learning

Join My Jewish Learning and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency for a virtual tour of Jewish Cuba.

Currently, there are five active synagogues on the Island, three of them are located in La Havana, one in Cienfuegos and one in Santiago de Cuba. The total Jewish population in Cuba is approximately 800 members from which 700 are located in La Havana. Come learn about this small but mighty Jewish community whose roots go back to 1492.

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Journeys | Religious Tourism

In Cuba, Finding a Tiny Corner of Jewish Life

By Caren Osten Gerszberg

• Feb. 4, 2007

CLAUDIA BARLIYA, a 6-year-old Cuban-Jewish girl, stood on a cobblestone street in Trinidad, a small centuries-old city on the south coast of Cuba. A donkey carrying an old man passed behind her; a group of 30 Jewish-Americans, including this reporter, stood before her. The girl had asked if she could perform a song for the group, which was on a humanitarian mission with the Westchester Jewish Center of Mamaroneck, N.Y. She now had their full attention. When her song rang out — not in Spanish, but in the Hebrew words of “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav,” or “Jerusalem of Gold” — the group couldn’t help joining in.

Claudia is one of about 1,500 Jews who live in Cuba; 1,100 reside in Havana, and the remaining 400 are spread among the provinces. There is no rabbi living on the island, and there is only one kosher butcher. This small Jewish presence is in stark contrast to the bustling community that existed before Fidel Castro came to power in 1959. In those days, there were 15,000 Jews and five synagogues in Havana alone. Still, Jews in modern-day Cuba manage to keep their culture and traditions alive.

As Maritza Corrales, a Cuban historian who lives in Havana and the author of “The Chosen Island: Jews in Cuba,” remarked, “To be Cuban and Jewish is to be twice survivors.”

Visits by groups like the Westchester Jewish Center, one of many United States Jewish entities that organize occasional humanitarian or religious trips to Cuba, are one of the ways that Jews in Cuba nurture their communities. Although the focus of these trips allows American travelers to bypass United States restrictions on tourism to Cuba, they require a full schedule of religious and humanitarian activities that often include donations of medications, clothing and religious objects needed for prayer.

On a weeklong trip in November, the group traveled around the island by bus, accompanied by two English-speaking guides who were well versed in Jewish-Cuban history and culture. When the visitors from Westchester entered Adath Israel, Cuba’s only Orthodox synagogue — and one of three active synagogues in Havana — the feeling of connection between the Cubans and the Americans was palpable. The words, the songs, were all the same. In the sanctuary, a large wooden bimah, or podium, housed the Torahs behind a red velvet curtain, and a glass wall separated the men from the women.

After the service, a 17-year-old college student serenaded the Americans with his violin, playing traditional pieces like “Hava Nagila.” The musician could have been a college student from anywhere in the United States, with his facial stubble, sneakers and low-slung jeans. The difference is that this young man is not allowed to leave his country, not even to visit his parents, who are government engineers working abroad.

Elsewhere in Havana, there is the Sephardic Hebrew Center of Cuba, and the Conservative Beth Shalom synagogue, largest of the three synagogues, with more than 500 members. Beth Shalom houses a Jewish community center, known as El Patronato, a library and a pharmacy, which distributes medication — most of which comes as donations from Jewish groups visiting from the United States — throughout the island to Jews and non-Jews.

After Mr. Castro took power and nationalized private business and property, 90 percent of the Jewish population, many of them business owners, fled the island, and the remaining 10 percent were largely not observant. There were so few Jewish people coming to pray that the Cuban minyan was born, counting each Torah as a qualifying member to make prayer possible (a minyan normally requires 10 Jewish adults).

The Jewish presence continued to fade for years, and it was not until 1992, after the fall of the Soviet Union, that Cuba changed its constitution, allowing for religious freedom. The Jewish community began to rebuild. Rabbis from Chile, Argentina, Panama and Mexico came to teach the remaining Cuban Jews how to pray and lead services, and Jewish organizations in Canada began sending kosher food for Passover.

The synagogues welcomed the Jews who came to pick up the food, and encouraged them to come back for Shabbat and various holiday celebrations. Within 10 years, a growing number of activities were established, including the Sunday school at the Patronato, where children ages 6 through 14 learn Jewish culture and tradition. It started with 10 children and now has nearly 70. There is also a Jewish women’s group with 150 participants, meeting once every six weeks to help with women’s issues like domestic violence and how to keep a Jewish home. Jewish life is not as organized outside Havana, where the Jewish population is much smaller. For instance, only 27 practicing Jews live in Cienfuegos, a picturesque city on a bay. There is no synagogue to pray in. Instead, the Jewish community of Cienfuegos gathers each Friday night for Shabbat services in the front room of Rebecca Langus’s second-floor apartment.

Ms. Langus, the 43-year-old leader of the community, who lives with her husband and two sons, has adorned the walls of her small home with Jewish art, the bookcases with Jewish prayer books and the shelves with an array of Jewish paraphernalia.

“When you are few, there is a responsibility to keep traditions,” Ms. Langus said. “Educating the children is the only way to keep the community alive.”

The 25-member Jewish community of Santa Clara, the capital city of the central Villa Clara province, has raised enough money to buy a house and convert it into a synagogue, but has yet to find the ideal property. For now, they take great pride in the somber Holocaust memorial, erected in 2003, in the local Jewish cemetery. It includes a stone from the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, and in front is a path made of stones from the Warsaw Ghetto.

Next to the memorial stands a menorah with a Star of David and branches for six candles, symbolizing the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust.

Although preserving Jewish culture has been an uphill struggle, leaders remain optimistic about the future. Even though Israel is the only country with which Cuba has cut off diplomatic relations, there is no evidence of anti-Semitism in Cuba. “I felt safer wearing my yarmulke in Cuba than I do wearing one in White Plains,” said Jeffrey Segelman, the rabbi of the Westchester Jewish Center. And the island’s Jewish presence remains solid.

“If you asked me 10 years ago when the community was dwindling, I may have said that the Jewish community wouldn’t exist today,” said Adela Dworin, president of the Jewish community in Cuba. “It won’t be the same as 1959, but now at least we have people who are young, middle-aged and old.”

MS. DWORIN had the opportunity to meet Mr. Castro in 1998, and asked him why he had never visited the Jewish community, to which he replied: “Because I was never invited.” Ms. Dworin promptly invited him to the coming Hanukkah celebration at the Patronato. When Mr. Castro asked what Hanukkah was, Ms. Dworin explained that the holiday celebrates the “revolution” — a word Castro likes — of the Jewish people.

To her surprise, Mr. Castro showed up at the party of 200, sat next to her in the front row and addressed the congregation in a lengthy speech.

Joseph Levy, leader of the Sephardic temple, has a more somber outlook on Jewish life in Cuba. He emphasized how difficult it was to keep Jewish traditions alive, because without a rabbi, he said, “the Jewish community here is almost like living in a house without parents.”

For the group from Westchester, one member’s past was a snapshot of the Jewish experience in Cuba. Sandy Marantz , a psychotherapist at Beth Israel Hospital in Manhattan, was born in Cuba in 1959, and 12 days before the United States closed its borders to Cuban citizens in 1961, Ms. Marantz, then 19 months old, and her parents left for the United States.

After 45 years of wanting to visit her native country — her parents never wished to return — Ms. Marantz finally saw the hospital in which she was born, the apartment in Havana where she lived, the synagogue to which her parents belonged and the grave where her grandfather, whom she never met, is buried.

Going to Cuba, said Ms. Marantz, allowed her to “connect with my past” and “made me feel grateful to be a Jew.”

Information about Jewish missions to Cuba is available from B’nai Brith (877-222-9590; www.jewishcuba.org/bnaibrith), the Cuba-America Jewish Mission (www.thecajm.org) and the Jewish Cuba Connection (www.jewban.org).

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Cuba: A Cultural Odyssey

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EXPERIENCE WITH TAUCK

Five days of "People-to-People" educational exchange

TAUCK VALUE INCLUDES

All hotel accommodations – 1 night in Miami at Hyatt Regency Coral Gables, Miami and 5 nights in Havana at GRAND ASTON La Habana

All day-to-day travel details taken care of for you 

Escorted travel from the moment your trip begins in Miami, accompanied by a professional Tauck Director and experienced local Cuban guides, all fluent in both English & Spanish

SEE WHAT YOUR JOURNEY INCLUDES

Guests should be able to easily walk one to two miles, which may include climbing one or two flights of stairs and walking over uneven pavement, groomed hiking trails or cobblestones. Standing up to one hour or more may be required.

Often robust – may include long days, active sightseeing, early starts, evening activities, significant travel times.

Experiences of a lifetime

Meet face-to-face with local residents from different professions, share thoughts, gain knowledge, and connect with Cuba's cultural heritage as you discover the traditions of Cuban culture through music, sports and more!

Through cultural exchange activities built around key themes including Cuban culture and the arts, history, architecture, agriculture, cigars, vintage cars, baseball and more, you'll interact directly with the people of Cuba on Tauck's Havana-based People-to-People trip. Meet Cuban students, educators, entrepreneurs, architects, artists and artisans, dancers, musicians, technicians, baseball players and coaches and more. Explore Ernest Hemingway's life in Cuba at his preserved home. Discuss art and private enterprise with artists in their studios. Visit with agricultural workers to talk about agrarian reform, tobacco production and organic farming. Interact with members of Havana organizations about their work, from dance to historic preservation to baseball. Learn about Cuban cultural traditions… have meals at paladares (small, privately operated Cuban restaurants)… and connect with the people of Cuba, their passions and their culture in many ways through unique Tauck Experiences.

Connect with Locals

Connect, learn and discover.

Connect with locals of all ages in various outreach programs throughout the island. You'll visit various organizations that teach language and traditional music skills to youth, as well as sustainable farming productions that benefit the communities. Immerse in an incredible Afro-Cuban cultural experience with Project Beyond Roots, and feel the energy of the students at Havana Compas Dance. A trip to Cuba wouldn't be complete without the chance to dance along to cultural classics.

Learn about Cuba's agricultural products

Private tour of a tobacco farm.

Meet the owner of a private tobacco farm, Tabacco de Benito Camejo, and hear stories about his experience living in the countryside. He'll teach you about the process of growing tobacco and cigar rolling. As a fifth-generation cigar farmer he'll have lots to show you across his picturesque farm in the tobacco-region of the Viñales Valley.

Learn about Vintage American Cars

American vintage cars.

The glint of chrome from countless American vintage cars swathes the streets in Cuba. From taxis to vintage cars that are locally owned, you can find more than 60,000 pre-1959 American cars cruising the city streets of Havana. You'll have the chance to ride around town in one too!

Explore Ernest Hemingway's Home

Discover the inspiration for "the old man and the sea".

American novelist Ernest Hemingway loved Cuba and its people. He called Havana home for over twenty years from 1939 to 1960, and wrote some of his most well-known works here. You'll see his extensive library and beloved typewriter and learn more about his life amongst Cuban people and his hobbies along the coastline.

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GRAND ASTON La Habana

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About Booking This Tour

How to Book a Tour

See your travel advisor, or call Tauck at 800-468-2825 to make a reservation.

At the time of booking, please have the following information ready for all members of your party:

• Tour Name and Departure Date
• Traveler's Name: First and last names as they appear on your passport or driver's license
• Traveler's Address(es)
• Email Address*
• Traveler's Phone Number(s)*
• Emergency Contact Information: Please provide the name and phone number  of a relative or friend (not travelling with you) whom we could contact during the tour in the unlikely event of an emergency
• Interest in purchasing a travel protection plan (US and Canada)
• Interest in extending your trip by staying in a Tauck recommended hotel before your trip begins or after it ends
• Interest in our specially negotiated airfares

* Required Fields

Deposits & Final Payment

Deposits and fees for the optional Protection Plan or Cancel Fee Waiver [CFW] coverage are due at time of booking.

The deposit amount is $600 per person

Final Payments:

Final Payment is due to Tauck  90  days before departure for lands trips, and  120  days before departure for cruises and rail journeys. If your deposit was made by credit card, final payment will be automatic unless you opted out at time of booking. Bookings without full payment at this time may be subject to cancellation without notice. Failure to make payment will be a considered a cancellation by the guest and all applicable cancellation fees will apply.

Travel Protection Plan

Effective for plans purchased as of July 1, 2021:

Tauck's Guest Protection

Tauck's Guest Protection provides you with cancellation protection before your journey begins as well as insurance benefits while you are traveling. Guest Protection includes the following:

Cancellation Waiver – Provided by Tauck:

Under Tauck's Cancellation Fee Waiver you can cancel your tour for ANY REASON up to the day before departure and receive a money-back refund (except in Extreme Circumstances*) on the land tour cost, based on your original method of payment.

*Extreme Circumstances:  In the event of an act of God, war (whether declared or undeclared), terrorism, accident, natural disaster, outbreak of disease, or other event or circumstance beyond our control that contributes to or results in cancellation rates above our historical cancellation rates in the absence of such event or occurrence, Tauck reserves the right to issue a credit to you in lieu of a money-back refund, applicable to a future Tauck journey.

Travel Insurance Benefits – Underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company.

• Trip Cancellation –  If you must cancel your tour due to a covered reason, the plan provides coverage for the amount you paid for your travel arrangements. Since the non-insurance cancellation waiver takes care of the land package cancellation fees already, this benefit reimburses the airfare cancellation charges up to the value of your original airfare purchase.
• Trip Interruption –  If you have to interrupt your tour for covered reasons, the plan provides reimbursement to catch up to your tour or return home.
• Travel Delay –  Provides reimbursement for missed, prepaid travel arrangements if you are delayed by a common carrier, natural disaster, unannounced strike, or other reasons as cited in the plan.
• Medical Expense –  Reimburses covered medical expenses incurred in the event you become injured or sick during your trip. 
• Baggage / Personal Effects Protection –  Provides reimbursement in the event your luggage or personal effects are, lost, stolen, damaged or delayed during your trip.
• Worldwide Emergency Assistance Services –  Provided by Carefree Travel Assistance; 24-hour emergency telephone assistance hotline for medical and travel related problems.

The cost of Tauck's Guest Protection is: $499  per person

This protection provides insurance coverage that applies only during the covered trip. You may have coverage from other sources that provides you with similar benefits but may be subject to different restrictions depending upon your other coverages. You may wish to compare the terms of this policy with your existing life, health, home and automobile policies. If you have any questions about your current coverage, call your insurer, insurance agent or broker.

This optional Guest Protection must be requested at time of booking and fee must be included with initial payment. Fees are based on costs as of July 1, 2021, and are subject to change. Details will be provided with written confirmation of your tour reservation. Guest Protection does not protect travel agent commissions. Reimbursements will be made according to original method of payment. The amount of any refund shall be reduced by any recoveries obtained by you from any third parties.

The Guest Protection plan waives cancellation fees outlined below, provided we are notified of cancellation before your tour departs. Tour cancellation fees are waived regardless of reason, without written notice, and Tauck will refund land tour cost.

To obtain your state-specific Certificate of Insurance that contains the complete terms, conditions, limitations and exclusions of the certificate, visit  affinitytravelcert.com/docs/TACGPPINTL .

If You Have To Cancel

If you cancel within 10 days of initial deposit Within the first 10 days after you place your initial deposit, you may cancel your reservation for any reason with no cancellation fees. If you cancel more than 10 days after initial deposit Regardless of reason, cancellations result in costly charges from our travel and hotel providers covering penalties and fees incurred by canceling confirmed bookings. These fees vary from tour to tour. Therefore, the following fees apply.

Cancellation Fees with Tauck's Guest Protection Plan:

Loss of Guest Protection fee, per person 

Cancellation Fees without Tauck's Guest Protection Plan :

60 days or more before departure = $600 per person

59-8 days before departure = $900 per person

7-1 days before departure = $1500 per person

Time of cancellation will be when notice is received in our Wilton Woods, CT office.

In the event of an unforeseen circumstance beyond our control, Tauck reserves the right to amend the cancellation terms outlined herein.

Note:  All Guests, regardless of residency, who book a Tauck journey have the option of purchasing the Cancellation Waiver provided by Tauck in the event they need to cancel their trip after making their reservations. Tauck's Guest Protection, which includes both the Cancellation Fee Waiver and the Travel Insurance Benefits and Assistance Services described above, is not available to residents of Puerto Rico.

Travel Requirements For This Tour

Travel Documents

If you are a U.S. citizen, you will need a passport valid for six months beyond the completion of your Tauck trip for entry into Cuba. You will also need a visa to enter Cuba, the nature of which is somewhat different than what many other countries require. The Cuban government requires all foreign visitors to have a Cuban visa, sometimes referred to as a "Tourist Card," for which there is no official application process. Cuban immigration officials will collect one half of this two-part card upon your arrival in the country, and the other half upon your departure. Tauck will obtain your Cuban visa, which will be given to you in Miami, along with the documents for your included charter flight from Miami to Havana.

In addition, other special documentation will be needed to complete the requirements for travel to Cuba; more details about this required documentation will be sent to you with your booking confirmation. Please review the details in the Instruction Sheet and  Travel Affidavit . You must retain these documents for a period of at least five years.

Please Note: Because many of you are traveling as a U.S. citizen with Tauck on a People-to-People educational exchange travel itinerary operated under a license granted to Tauck by the United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), you are legally licensed and authorized to travel to Cuba.  Before departing on your trip, we will give you a Letter of Authorization from Tauck stating that you have permission to travel under that license, to keep as part of your travel documents.

If you are a citizen of another country but legally reside in the U.S., you may travel on Tauck's People-to-People trip to Cuba as long as you have a valid passport from your country of citizenship, as well as a residency card or alien card (or "green card") to establish your legal U.S. residency when returning to the U.S. from Cuba upon your arrival in Miami.

If you are a Cuban-born U.S. citizen, your travel document requirements depend on when you originally departed Cuba. If you departed Cuba prior to December 31, 1970, you will require either a PE-11 visa (which can take from six to eight weeks to process, is valid for a one-time entry for 30 days, and expires within 90 days of issue) or a Cuban passport; the choice is yours. If you left Cuba after January 1, 1971, you will require a Cuban passport, which can take from three to four months to obtain. If you will need help in obtaining one of these documents, please let us know at the time of booking.

If you are a citizen of another country and do not legally reside in the U.S., you may travel on Tauck's People-to-People trip to Cuba as long as you have the proper documentation that allows you to enter the U.S. for the start of the trip and return to the U.S. at the end of the trip. A multi-entry U.S. visa is required.

A travel affidavit is also required for all travelers to Cuba, regardless of nationality. Please use this link to apply for your travel affidavit at least 75 days prior to your trip: https://cubatravelservices.com/tauck-travel-affidavit/ 

Because all guests on this tour (U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens alike) will be arriving into Cuba from the U.S., a Cuban visa is required of all travelers. Tauck will obtain your Cuban visa for you during your tour.

Please note that you will not be traveling to Cuba as a tourist. You will be traveling as part of the People-to-People educational exchange.

We recommend that you make at least two photocopies of all the travel documents that you bring with you. Include copies of the photo page of your passport that contains the date of issuance, the date of expiration and your citizenship. Secure one set of copies in the safe in your room while traveling and leave one set behind with someone at home who will assist you in the event your documents are misplaced, lost or stolen. You must retain these documents for a period of at least five years.

TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN AS A GUARDIAN: If you are traveling as the guardian of a child/children, we strongly suggest that you carry a letter from both parents of the child authorizing emergency treatment in the event of illness or accident. For travel abroad, many foreign countries have specific entry requirements for children under 21 who are traveling internationally without BOTH parents. (These requirements are in response to the increased incidence of children being abducted and taken abroad.) PLEASE NOTE THAT TAUCK IS NOT RESPONSIBLE for the disruption of travel caused by improper documentation for children traveling without both parents.

Health Safety and Mobility

Our People-to-People cultural exchange include visits to rural areas, agricultural facilities and small villages, as well as to various sections of Havana with centuries-old streets and buildings with limited access. You should be in good health and able to walk reasonable distances over unpaved and uneven terrain. Both hotels are equipped with elevators.  The road conditions in Cuba are improving; however, paved roads, especially in rural areas, are often in poor condition. Some roads to rural locations are not paved and some out-of-the-way destinations are accessible only by these roads; other roads may be unpaved and bumpy. Our People-to-People cultural exchange itinerary includes several early morning starts and leaves little scheduled free time.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ON SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN AND MOBILITY ISSUES:  This Tauck itinerary cannot accommodate oxygen tanks, wheelchairs or motorized scooters.  Oxygen tanks are strictly prohibited in many foreign countries on regional flights aboard small aircraft, such as those intra-tour flights featured on this Tauck journey.  Likewise, the very limited cargo capacity on such flights prohibits the transport of wheelchairs or motorized scooters.

Travelers should also bear in mind that the infrastructure in many foreign countries, particularly in developing countries, often presents severe and even insurmountable challenges for those with walking difficulties or other mobility issues.  The responsibility of the Tauck Director is to ensure that the larger group enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing individual assistance to any one traveler.  Travelers requiring such individualized assistance must be accompanied by an able-bodied companion who can provide it. While drinking water is generally safe at the hotels on the journey, bottled water will be available wherever the local water is not fit to drink. We also provide bottled water on your motor coach.

Airline Disinsection

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a guidance letter that requires airlines and travel agents to disclose to consumers countries that require the use of insecticides by airlines. Please click  here for more information.

SPECIAL DIETARY REQUESTS

The restaurants, hotels, caterers and numerous other partners we work with all do their best to accommodate special dietary requests from Tauck guests. However, given the diverse nature of those food providers (from small wineries to grand hotels to world-famous restaurants in more than 70 countries worldwide), some of our partners are better able than others to accommodate such requests. We therefore cannot guarantee that all dietary requests can be accommodated at every meal. Also, please note that where dietary requests can be accommodated, choices will frequently be limited.

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