Pesach Brought to Jews Across Cuba

The Chabad Friends of Cuban Jewry (CFCJ) this year again invested in its grand Pesach activity, sweeping across multiple cities and towns in Cuba (across a stretch of 1100KM…) reaching out to every one of our Jewish brethren – “acheinu bnei yisrael” on the island.

As once again for this year the CFCJ put together a beautiful comprehensive Pesach program, ensuring that every yid on the entire island had all that is needed in order to celebrate the yom-tov – like all their Jewish brethren around the globe.

Beginning with significant door to door Pesach distributions, starting with the immediate needs of the seder nights; shmurah matzah, wine, and more – via multiple groups in 12 cities and towns – starting from the capital – across the island. Together with Spanish translated Hagadot, other Pesach brochures including the Pesach calendar with all Shabbos and yom-tov candle-lighting times and holiday schedules for cities across the island.

“Though this year there were complications in retrieving the Pesach goods (multiple shipments were sent via cargo) from Cuban customs, whereby ultimately, through much negotiation- and with serious additional costs – we were successful to reclaim all the goods,” said Rabbi Shimon Aisenbach – Director of CFCJ. “As such important time was lost, which resulted in a change in the dynamics of the distribution to a few of the cities and towns of the very far east of the country, ultimately sending their representatives, tracking CFCJ representatives, to obtain their Pesach goods/kits accordingly.”

All this was in addition to CFCJ’s multiple sedarim and celebrations, in the Capital – Havana, and Camaguey – a major city situated towards the east the island, in the duration of this three and half week program. Culminating with the second days of yom tov, concluding with the Moshiach Seuda, the final evening of the yom tov.

Numerous tourists from different parts of the world, including quite a few from Israel, joined the sedarim (as well as subsequent meals in the capital) in both locations (Havana and Camaguey).

“With hope and prayer that this coming year we celebrate Pesach – with the ‘kibutz nidchei Yisroel,’ with Moshiach and the 3rd Beis Hamikdosh. As the Frierdike Rebbe explains, that we need not wait an entire year, rather Moshiach is imminently coming, and consequently, ‘L’shanh Habbah b’Yerushalayim!!'” Rabbi Aisenbach concludes.