For the first time, an organized delegation of Cuban Jews is visiting Israel. The Birthright tour was enabled only after close to a year of negotiations with the Cuban government.

For the first time, an organized delegation of Cuban Jews is visiting Israel. HaTzofeh reports that the tour, under the auspices of the Birthright program, was enabled only after close to a year of negotiations with the Cuban government.

Cuba severed diplomatic relations with Israel following the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Some individual Jews from Cuba have visited Israel in the past, but never as part of a group.

Only eight Jews were supposed to have been on the current trip, but the Cuban authorities insisted that two Jewish community leaders accompany them in order to guarantee that none of the other eight would remain in Israel. The trip is to last ten days. On Thursday, they visited the Western Wall.

A major Birthright event will take place this Tuesday night, when thousands of young Jewish adults from throughout the world will convene in Jerusalem’s Binyanei HaUmah Convention Center. Among the participants will be young adults from Hungary, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Poland, as well as from the U.S. the former Soviet Union, and Western Europe. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Jewish Agency Chairman Sallai Meridor will address the participants.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 12th, 2003 and is filed under news.