BARUKH
DAYAN HA'EMET
It is with
great sadness that we must say goodby to Franco Nissim from
Camajaunay. He was a kind man who enjoyed his long life and his
friends will miss his cheerful face.
Franco was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Santa Clara just before
Passover began in April 2010. |
Our dear friend,
Isaac Rousso, president of B'nai B'rith Maimonides Lodge, died on
March 10, 2008 after a difficult struggle with cancer. He was an
inspiration to all who knew him and his memory will surely be for a
blessing as we move forward fulfilling his dreams for the future of
the Cuban Jewish community.
B'nai B'rith Cuban Jewish Relief Project
Isaac Rousso and his wife, Flora
November 2007 |
Of
Blessed Memory: Dr. Jose Miller Fredman
February 27, 2006
President, The Joint Coordinating Committee --Comision
Coordinadora.
Interview with Dr. Miller
from March 2004
Send a
wheelchair to Cuba in Memory of Dr. José Miller
Fredman
The Jewish Cuba Connection has a project to
send wheelchairs to Cuba. Currently, there is a
special project to honor the memory of Dr. José
Miller Fredman, president of the The Joint
Coordinating Committee --Comision Coordinadora
by presenting 75 wheelchairs to the Jewish
community on the occasion of the 100th
anniversary of the first organized Jewish
synagogue and the purchase of the first
cemetery. If you want to help, go to
http://www.jewban.org/ |
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Linda Hirsch has informed us, with sadness, of the death of Rebeca
Leon. She was the wife of Samuel Leon, Cienfuegos Jewish community's
oldest member who is 75. Rebeca had suffered from Parkinson's and
respiratory illness for years. Those of you who met Samuel, may
recall his wonderful hugs, love stories, and sense of humor despite
the challenges of his wife's failing health. Rebeca was the mother
of several sons, one daughter, and had several grandchildren,
including Amaya, a medical student, now in Israel. Their daughter,
Raquel, is a banker who lives & works in Cienfuegos. She provided
constant care for her mother.
May the family be comforted among the mourners of Zion, Jerusalem,
and the World.
ISAAC GELEN
IN MEMORY OF ISAAC GELEN: past
president of Maimonides Lodge of B'nai B'rith in Havana and
a good friend to all.
by Isaac Rousso, Maimonides Lodge president
I met him in the School of Economics at the
University of Havana in 1962. Those were the historical days
of the October Crisis (Missile Crisis). Everyone was
passionately arguing about those events. We all felt we were
able to give our own opinion about what the leaders Fidel
Castro, John F. Kennedy, and Nikita Jruschov's subsequent
steps would be. While debating, Isaac did not speak loudly,
but he was energetic throughout. Looking at his biotype, I
realized he was a Jew; just like me. We introduced each
other, he was named Isaac; just like me. I knew he had
studied in the Centro Israelita School during his childhood.
And I also knew he had been a member of the Hashomer Hatzair,
a left-winged Youth Zionist Organization that was considered
to be a communist -like organization after World War II. In
fact, communism was a very serious issue at that time.
McCarthyism was quite a controversial leading matter not
only in United States, but also in other countries,
including Cuba, where United States had a strong influenced.
After completing our studies at the University, Isaac and I
started working for different Ministries. Isaac worked at
the Electric Company, and I worked at the Ministry of
Agriculture. We only saw each other occasionally. As time
went by, we met only occasionally. In 1991, we ran into each
other again. He told me he was attending the Beth Shalom
synagogue (Patronato) and the B'nai B'rith lodge meetings.
He invited me to attend the next B'nai B'rith meeting to be
held in the Shevet Ahim synagogue, on Inquisidor Street, in
Old Havana. I really appreciated his invitation as it meant
a lot to me. On one hand, it meant going back to the place
in which the Theodor Hertzl School was; the place where I
received elementary education. On the other hand, it also
meant joining the B'nai B'rith lodge, where I had started
working when I was a teenager. Over the years, the B'nai
B'rith Maimonides Lodge, founded in 1943, seemed to
disappear. It was precisely then when the organization was
at its lowest function, when Isaac Gelen became president of
the Lodge. His efforts to strengthen it began from that
moment on. One of his first endeavors was to review the
lodge bylaws that had been passed fifty years ago. I
remember one of his first proposals was to reconsider the
male-chauvinist wording; as the lodge was only meant for
men. All the participants agreed on Isaac's proposal. At
this time, we believed that the decision taken was a very
revolutionary one for bringing an end to that absurd women's
segregation. Later, we did learn the B'nai B'rith had
changed to a new perspective by allowing women to become
active members, but we did not knew that. As President of
the B'nai B'rith Maimonides Lodge for almost nine years,
Isaac Gelen kept his hard work to strengthened the lodge's
growth and development. In the year 2000, there was a sad
turning point in his life. His dear wife passed away and
from that moment on Isaac began fading away like a candle.
His health was slowly getting worse until he died on
December 6th, 2004. However, we do keep in our memories, his
hard work. We want to pay a tribute to his memory saying:
Thank you Isaac!
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SALIM TACHE JALAK
"Blessed be the true Judge, who causes life and
death."
Salim Tache Jalak died Tuesday, August 14, 2001 after more
than 2 weeks in an Intensive Care Unit. The burial was Wednesday morning, August 15,
2001. May his memory be a blessing for both family and friends who mourn his
passing.
Salim Tache, known simply as "Tache" to most who knew
him, was administrator and official welcomer of visitors to Adath Israel, the Orthodox
synagogue in Habana Vieja. Tache, a Syrian-born Jew, was a very complex man with a
big heart. He leaves behind a loving wife and daughter and many, many good friends
who remember him for his warmth and strong devotion to God and the Orthodox Jewish
community.
Jon Adams, a photographer, writes the following:
"Tache is both generous with his time and with whatever sparse
accommodations are available at the Orthodox synagogue ... Tache is a good listener and
almost never says no...a member of the Communist Party and a true believer in the
Revolution. And so it is difficult for anyone with the North American notion of what
a Communist is to reconcile his kindly compassionate demeanor and his political
credentials."
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In
Memory of Isabel Maya
We regret to announce the death of Isabel Maya in Havana on May
3, 2001. She passed away shortly after a surgical procedure. Her daughter, Maria del
Carmen survives her. The informant continues, "All the community is very sad.
We will work on Maria del Carmen's well-being". May she be comforted among the
mourners of Israel and Zion.
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In Memory of Luis Chanivecki
1927 ... 2000
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We lovingly remember our dear friend Luis Chanivecki, a
professional musician, composer, and a devout Jew.
Luis was born in Cuba in 1927 and died there in June of 2000.
Barukh Dayan Ha'Emet
His father, immigrated from Kiev, Ukraine, to Budapest, Hungary in order to study
violin. After his first wife died, he sailed for Cuba where he met and married Luis'
mother. First his sister, and then Luis, was born in Havana. Although this was to be
a temporary asylum on the way to the U.S., the family settled permanently. Luis
studied music and helped out in the family business. Later in life he was named a member
of ICRT, Instituto Cubano de Radio y Televisión, where he became well known as a musician
and composer of popular romantic songs, boleros, and background music for television. He
also composed a musical score based on "The Diary of Ann Frank. In his spare
time, he trained himself to lead religious services and leyn Torah. During his last
years, he prided himself on being able to speak about the Jewish community and answer
questions for visitors. To those of us who knew him, he will be remembered for his
friendliness, warm smile, and devotion to Torah study. He was always concerned for the
well being of the Patronato community and never failed to have a smile for his friends.
May he rest in peace.
Read
My Friend Luis by
Arturo López Levy |
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