No Jew Left Behind! CFCJ Brings the Pesach to Jews Across 1100 Kilometers of Cuba

The CFCJ welcomes back the final set of Shluchim Rabbi’s Menachem Gansburg and Menachem Greisman from Cuba whom were sent to the island to celebrate the final days of Shvii and Achron shel Pesach with the Jewish community in the capital Havana, culminating with a grand Moshiach Seudah.    

This was the conclusion  of a intense, though b”H successful, 31/2 week activity; starting with Rabbi’s Levi Broner , Moshe Elberg, Shneur Mochkin.   These  Shluchim began with the important door to door Pesach distributions; containing  hand baked Shmurah Matzah, wine and other Passover goods.  There mandate, providing EVERY Jew on the entire island with ALL their necessary Passover/Pesach needs.  Ensuring that our less fortunate brethren living in these remote areas should as well – by receiving theses important Passover goods – have the ability to celebrate the Passover holiday with dignity and joy.  This is in addition to the Spanish translated Haggadot and the Passover guides distributed in about 10 cities and towns – additional to the capital – across the island (a 1100km strip). 

To note for Shabbos prior to Nissan 11, they were in Saniago de Cuba a city in the far east of the country, 

Where in addition to the local Jewish community there are about a minyan (10), (with their families) whom partake in CFCJ’s Kolel – Kolel Menajem (written about in the past).   And as they have grown in Torah and Chassidus, and of course hiskashrus , the shluchim’s spending this full Shabbos with them, in davening, learning, and farbrengen, was for them indeed a shabbos to remember.  As Rabbi Elberg noted (in his reporting after Shabbos, “you can’t imagine what a Shabbos this was like”.     

They were followed by Rabbi’s Menachem Gansburg, and Sholom Rivikin,  whom began their shlichus with their door to door distributions of all the Pesach goods for our brethren living in the capital.  

Immediately followed by the intense preparations for CFCJ’s multiple se-ders.  There were two public Se-ders in the capital Havana.  The first night seder occurred in a rented hall that was filled to capacity b”H.  The second night at the Kolel facility.   On  chol hamoed the exchanging shluchim arrived and dully prepared for the  grand Moshiach seudah (once again a hall was rented for this special occasion). 

And in the exact words of Rabbi Sholom Rivkin (one of CFCJ emissaries)  

“….among the non-locals who joined the Seder held by CFCJ this year in Havana, Cuba, were a Canadian woman, and several groups of Israeli tourists; a family of five from Rishon Letzion, a family of three Israelis currently living in Japan, an Israeli couple currently living in Italy, and an Israeli backpacker. 

The Israelis were all extremely moved and impressed by the Seder, hardly believing that there was a Chabad presence in the difficult conditions of Cuba and amazed by the beautiful seder, with matzah and wine, singing and dancing. 

Mrs. D. from Israel had come over earlier in the day to help prepare the food, and said that she was moved to tears as she observed the preparations of yom tov food. 

All of the Israelis expressed their gratitude and appreciation to us for providing this experience, and one of them remarked to me as he left “this was a night I will never forget”. 

Also the local Jews thoroughly enjoyed the Seder, and one of them explained to me that he saw this as a ray of hope, a beginning of a new era for Cuban Jewry. He said there had never been such a large or beautiful pesach event, and that news of this seder were reaching people who now discovered that there is indeed a Jewish presence in Cuba”. “Thank G -d the emissaries were very successful in their multiple missions;  namely placing  emphasis that every Jewish home in this 1100km strip would be connected to the holiday, and have the ability to fulfill the important mitzvos (precepts) associated with the holiday of Passover.  In conjunction with the famous messianic prophecies: “Ve-atem Teluktu L’Eachad Echad Beis Yisrael” – “And you, the house of Israel, will be gathered one by one”, noted Rabbi Shimon Aisenbach, Director of CFCJ.