The Jewish Experience

 Looks At Life In Cuba

DANBURY — The latest in Congregation B’nai Israel’s series of talks on “The Jewish Experience,” both in the United States and in other parts of the world, will bring George and Vivienne Bruckman to Congregation B’nai Israel on Sunday morning, April 30, to share their experiences on a recent trip set up to study Jewish life in Cuba today.

The trip was sponsored by the 92nd St YMHA in New York City, and “licensed” (given the necessary approvals) by the US State Department.

Participants in the group visited and experienced the services at three synagogues in Havana. They had meetings with Jewish communal leaders and met one on one with members of the small yet committed community of Cuban Jews to learn about their lives and their observance of Judaism within a culture and a society so different from our own.

The Bruckmans will share the observations they drew from their experiences and encounters with Cuban Jewry on this unusual trip. Both George and Vivienne have an on-going dedication to explore life in Jewish communities all over the world, and they make this an important part of all their travel. In an earlier talk in the Jewish Experience series, George reported on “The Jewish Experience in Russia Today,” providing insights drawn from a Jewish Federation “mission” which studied Jewish communities in various areas of the former Soviet Union.

The Bruckmans have a weekend home in Danbury at Lake Waubeeka. Both are active participants on the Diplomatic Outreach Committee of the New York Chapter of the American Jewish Committee, whose role is to provide interface with the local Jewish communities for United Nations diplomatic personnel and foreign Consuls-General.

The talk on “The Jewish Experience in Cuba Today” will be at Congregation B’nai Israel, 193 Clapboard Ridge Rd, Danbury (Tel: 203/792-6161), on Sunday morning, April 30, at 11:00 am. There is no charge, and it is open to the public.