JEWISH HERITAGE IN CUBA
Step into the modern day time-warp that is Havana, Cuba and learn about the rebirth of Jewish life in this alluring city by visiting religious and cultural sites in Havana. Meet with vibrant Jewish congregations at Havana synagogues such as Beth Shalom, Patronato and Centro Sefardita. Visit Jewish cemeteries as well as cultural sites such as Chevet Achim Shul and a Holocaust Memorial Exhibit. We will delve into the history of the Jewish experience in Cuba by learning about the population’s Ashkenazi as well as Sephardic roots and focusing on their lives pre- and post-Cuban Revolution in the beautiful backdrop of Havana.
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This year's program dates: October 7, 2017 to Oct 14, 2017
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to go on this trip!
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FULL ITINERARY
Day 1
Depart from Montreal, Canada and arrive at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba. Check into your hotel and get your first taste of Havana by participating in a sunset tour of Old Havana with an experienced English-speaking guide from the Jose Marti Center. Enjoy dinner with your colleagues at a restaurant in Old Havana and evening of leisure.
Day 2
Day of leisure in Havana. Visit museums, Plaza de Revolucion, El Morro fort, people watch at the Malecon sea wall, go to the beautiful beach, catch a baseball game, go salsa dancing, visit the Hemingway farm, explore vibrant Havana neighborhoods or spend your day in Old Havana.
(B) included
Day 3
Arrive by shuttle to the Jose Marti Center, a beautiful historic colonial mansion where we will attend lectures involving educational content. After a tour of the facility, and a welcome reception, attend a lecture focusing on the life of Jose Marti, known as the father of Cuba. After lunch, arrive at the Jose Marti Center and attend lectures given by history faculty from the University of Havana on immigrant migrations to Cuba. Learn about the migration of Ashkenazi Jews from Europe as well as Sephardic Jews from Turkey and the Middle East to the island of Cuba. Evening at leisure.
(B) (L) included
Day 4
Visit the Adath Israel Synagogue of Old Havana built in 1959. Home to the orthodox Ashkenazi community in Havana, the synagogue features a fully restored 600 seat sanctuary, chapel and reception hall for religious and cultural celebrations. Visit Havana’s only kosher butcher shop on Acosta Street run by Shohet Yakob Berezniak Hernandez. After lunch visit the Patronato Synagogue of Havana and learn about this house of worship and why it’s known as the center of Jewish life in Havana. Visit the Jewish pharmacy and library in the Patronato Synagogue. Evening at leisure.
(B) (L) included
Day 5
Visit the historic University of Havana. The University founded in 1728 is the oldest in Cuba and one of the oldest university in the Americas. Tour the beautiful campus in the center of the Vedado district of Havana. Meet leaders of student organization groups as well as faculty and students. Afternoon and Evening at leisure.
(B) (L) included
Day 6
Visit the Havana suburb of Guanabacoa, location of two distinct Jewish cemetaries, one for Sephardic Jews and one for Ashkenazis. View the Star of David on the Spanish Gate at the cemetery grounds and visit the solemn on-premise Holocaust Memorial. After lunch, optional visit to the fishing village of Cojimar, site of Finca La Vigia, the hilltop estate of legendary American fiction writer Earnest Hemingway. Tour the museum and grounds of this legendary location. Evening at leisure.< br /> (B) (L) included
Day 7
Visit the Centro Sefardito (Sephardic Center) of Havana. Tour the temple and facilities with a guide and learn about the Sephardic Community of Havana and its roots and see the moving Holocaust exhibit within the Center. After lunch, visit the oldest Jewish house of worship in Havana, Chevet Achim Shul, built in 1914.
(B) (L) included
Day 8
Bid farewell to Havana and leave for an early morning departure to Jose Marti International Airport and catch flight to Montreal.
(B) included
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