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
