How am I ever going to be able to tell my friends and family at home what I saw, what I felt, what I experienced on this trip? I just can't seem to put anything into words. That was a question, among many others, that was put to me by a participant of a recent humanitarian mission to Cuba. My response was really quite simple. Don't try to say anything until you feel ready. It will fall into place and when that happens your words will flow like a river. This is indeed the case. I had, in fact, the same reaction when I made my first one-week trip to Cuba in February 2003. There were so many emotions running through me I thought I'd never be able to explain what I had done during that most incredible week spent in Havana. It did, finally, fall into place and what that person asked me, will, too. Having the perspective of visiting Havana three times, I can now relate some of the wonderful experiences one has when taking a Humanitarian Mission to Cuba. The idea of traveling to Cuba was borne out of the fact that I have family in Havana. Though now there is only one cousin remaining, there were several more in 1978 when we made our first visit. At that time we were able to enter the country on a cruise ship that had first stopped in Cozumel, Mexico. While we were in Havana for only 18 hours, it was the most intense experience we had ever faced. We were able to contact my cousin, Luis Chaniveky (Chanivetsky) and arrange for a meeting. Luis invited us to his home and it was during that time that we met his wife Rosita and son Rafael. His sister, Sophia, was not able to leave work for our get together. We had learned of their tremendous need for even the most simple and taken-for-granted items from their sister Rose, who lives in Bridgeport, Connecticut. We brought as many things as we thought we could safely bring into the country, not knowing if these items would be confiscated by Cuban officials. What we thought was a paltry offering was accepted with appreciation beyond its value. To say their apartment was Spartan would be an understatement. I felt ashamed and frustrated at the same time because there was little I could do to help at that time. After visiting with Luis, Rosita and Rafael, however, we made a pledge to find a way to help, not only our family, but the hundreds of other Jewish people of the island nation. It was not until the early summer of 2001 when we learned about the Cuba-America Jewish Mission that we found a way to fulfill the promise we had made to ourselves. We organized the first Mission for November of that year. Working with June Safran, subsequent Missions have been made in February 2003, December of 2003, and February of 2004. With each group we help to span the bridge that separates our two Jewish communities. What we have learned, among so many other things, is that we are not foreign, alien or different from one another. We each possess the same common thread, the Yiddishe Neshomah.

So, now back to that flood of emotions, mentioned earlier. If you are familiar with the Ulpan method of learning Hebrew, simply apply that concept to the program followed by visitors to Cuba. It is total immersion into the culture and society of the country. Participants in a Humanitarian Mission visit with members of the Jewish community, spending time over every meal, sharing our life stories with one another. Language is never a problem. Many Cubans speak flawless English, while many group members speak a very passable Spanish. And then, there ís always Yiddish! We are hosted by Cuban Jews in their homes. We observe Shabbat at the synagogues and visit with the children in the Jewish Sunday school. We meet with members of B'nai B'rith and the representative of the American Interest Section in Havana. We attend meetings with the Women's Groups and the Seniors and spend time with Dr. Jose Miller and Adela Dworin, President and Vice-president of the Jewish Community of Cuba, respectively. Dr. Rosa Behar, director of the pharmacy at the Patronato Synagogue, takes time out of her busy schedule to explain to us how the pharmacy and the Bottoms Up program for babies works. One of the most moving impressions we get comes from witnessing the natural and beautiful interactions between Seniors and young people. It is extremely common to see a youngster assisting an older person in life's daily routine. The young people are very much attuned to the needs of the older ones, giving of themselves without reserve.

Americans learn only too quickly about the extreme conditions under which our brethren live their daily lives. A simple gift of a tee shirt or a pair of trousers might seem trifling, but to the person receiving such an offering it is nothing short of monumental. A trip to a dollar store, shopping with Cuban guests, is a learning experience for us. Treating one of our guests to a purchase brings us the greater reward. Consider that frozen chicken costs $2.29 a pound. For us that would be about the same price we might pay. For a Cuban it is out of range because the average salary is about $15.00 a month.

Some of the other encounters we have during a week long visit play with our emotions, as well. The city of Havana is beautiful, in a tumble down sort of way. There are many beautiful little squares, streets and courtyards. The Malecon, the promenade along the waterfront, is beautiful, allowing for magnificent views in almost every direction. The Cuba National Ballet Company, always delivers an outstanding performance, one that allows you to forget where you are for however brief a time. And the music, for which the country is renowned, is infectious. Countless numbers of CDs are purchased as gifts for friends back home. And then there are the cars, the city is an outdoor antique automobile museum. But, the most wonderful discovery made by travelers to Cuba is the people. They are genuinely warm and friendly, and above all, generous of spirit, which makes us feel that we are all part of one large extended family.

To illustrate this last point, allow me a short vignette: When I returned to Havana in December, 2003, I was greeted by a B'nai B'rith member who was at the Patronato Synagogue. He approached me with a quizzical look on his face, but when he was sure he recognized me he extended his arms to hug me. At the same time he became very emotional. Beneath the tears he whispered in my ear, "I know you said you would come back, but I never thought it would be so soon. I now know that you did not forget us and that means so much to us. We love you." It is because a participant in a Humanitarian Mission is literally bombarded by so many different and contradictory images that it is difficult, if not impossible, to relate what has happened immediately on return home. It all works itself out; you have my word. After all, it is just now that I can tell this story.