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Congregation Beth Israel
Mission to CUBA
Led by Rabbi Michael and Cantor Ida Rae Cahana
January 14-22, 2023

Tour Rates & Dates:

There are no Departure Dates available for this Package.
*Please note that all rates displayed are based on standard room double occupancy.
All rates above are in US Dollars, and are based on full payment by credit card unless otherwise noted.
If check payment discount is available for this tour, it can be selected after clicking "BOOK" above.
(Deposit can still be paid by credit card). Upgraded room categories may be available to book later in the booking process.
If Land & Air price is displayed, the air portion includes tax and fuel surcharges, which are subject to change until ticketed.

PLEASE NOTE: Roundtrip flights between Miami and Cuba are INCLUDED in the package. They will be added to your invoice after booking for your reference.

Tour Overview:

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Cuba: A land frozen in time - so close, yet decades away. A Jewish community dedicated to its heritage across half a century of isolation and prevalent atheism. A rich and vibrant island culture, filled with dance and song, classic cars and donkey carts, rum and cigars. Experience all this and more as we step back in time together.

INCLUDED IN YOUR TOUR:

1 night Courtyard Marriott Miami Airport, Miami
7 nights Grand Aston La Habana, Havana
Roundtrip airfare between Miami and Havana
7 lunches, including lunch with Santa Clara Jewish community members
5 dinners, including Shabbat dinner with Havana Jewish community members
Cigar factory tour
Habana Compas Dance visit
Vocal Clave del Sol interaction
Classic car ride
Late-night Fabrica D'la Arte program
Transfers in Miami and Havana
Entrance fees per itinerary
Porterage

INCLUDED GROUP FLIGHTS:

15JAN AA2705 (American Airlines)
MIA (Miami, FL) - SNU (Santa Clara, Cuba)
10:21AM - 11:50AM

22JAN AA1334 (American Airlines)
HAV (Havana,Cuba) - MIA (Miami, FL)
11:45AM - 12:58PM

NOT INCLUDED:

Roundtrip domestic airfare from Portland to Miami
Border taxes or visa fees (visa to be purchased individually from the airline at the airport)
Tips to guide, driver and dining room personnel ($20 per person, per day; pre-collected)
Meals not listed above
Optional Tropicana show
Items of a personal nature
Travel insurance (recommended - group policy available)
Any costs associated with Covid-19 testing or vaccination

Tour Itinerary:

Day 0: Saturday, January 14, 2023: PRE-NIGHT

• Pre-arrivals arrive in Miami and check in for their overnight at the Courtyard Marriott Miami Airport.

Overnight in Miami

Day 1: Sunday, January 15, 2023: OUR JOURNEY BEGINS/WELCOME TO CUBA!

• Pre-arrivals take a grab and go breakfast.
• We depart Florida on our non-stop flight to Cuba!
• We arrive at the Abel Santamaria Airport in Santa Clara and meet our English-speaking guide and driver.
• We stop at the Che Guevara memorial for a photo opportunity in the square and visit the Che Museum underneath.
• This afternoon, we meet with David Tacher, a leading representative of the Santa Clara Jewish community and Rebecca Langus, to learn about the Santa Clara and Cienfuegos Jewish communities, enjoy lunch together and deliver our gifts.
• After lunch, we drive to Havana and check into our hotel, with a chance to refresh before coming together again for a welcome drink and orientation, followed by a welcome dinner at our hotel.

Overnight in Havana

Day 2: Monday, January 16, 2023: HAVANA VIEJA (OLD HAVANA)

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day with a stop at the La Corona Cigar Factory. Here, we learn about the history of tobacco and the tradition of cigar rolling in Cuba and interact with some of the rollers and locals.
• Continue to the Sephardic center, where we meet with community leader Mayra Levy for an update and to deliver gifts. We then walk through the Holocaust exhibit, the only of its kind in Cuba.
• We stop for lunch at Rita y Champagne.
• After lunch, we enjoy a walking tour of Old Havana (Havana Vieja), a UNESCO World Heritage site. We learn about the history of Havana as we visit highlights of the city and the colonial plazas. We also visit Jewish points of interest, such as the Raquel Hotel, a Jewish-themed hotel, and Adat Israel, the Orthodox synagogue, where we will meet with Jacob Berezniak to deliver our gifts and aid to the community.
• Tonight, we enjoy dinner at Vista Mar.

Overnight in Havana

Day 3: Tuesday, January 17, 2023: HEMINGWAY IN HAVANA

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we meet with the fascinating and enlightening Dr. Ricardo Torres from the University of La Habana Economics department. Dr. Torres will share with us how the Cuban economy is organized and how this has changed in recent years as the government policies have been updated. We'll also dive into the impact of the longstanding US embargo upon this small island nation.
• Next, we visit Finca Vigia, the villa that Hemingway called home for 21 years. His home is now a museum with many of his personal belongings, where we learn how Cuba influenced his writing.
• We stop for lunch at Finca Yoandra/Il Divino. Take a glimpse into this organic urban farm and community project with a private restaurant in the outskirts of Havana.
• We continue to the Jewish cemetery in Guanabacoa, including a moment for reflection at the small Holocaust Memorial.
• Enjoy an evening at leisure to discover the vibrant city of Havana and have dinner on own (reservations assistance provided).

Overnight in Havana

Day 4: Wednesday, January 18, 2023: THE ARTSY SIDE OF HAVANA

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin our day with a panoramic overview of the city, including Revolution Square, dominated by the José Martí Memorial. This square is where Fidel Castro delivered the majority of his lengthy political addresses. We pass by the Rosenberg Memorial, Lennon Park and Havana University.
• We continue with a guided tour of old Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts).
• We enjoy lunch at private restaurant ChaChaCha.
• After lunch, we stop at the impressive Fuster house/studio to see this unique mosaic masterpiece and learn about the artist's project to beautify and help the community in which he lives.
• We return to our hotel for a chance to freshen up.
• This evening, we come together for dinner at El Aljibe restaurant.
• Optional: Attend the world-famous show at the Tropicana, an old-world Vegas-style show in production since 1939 (separate cost).

Overnight in Havana

Day 5: Thursday, January 19, 2023: MATANZAS & VARADERO

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we travel to Matanzas located on the northern shore of the island and known for its poets, culture and Afro-Cuban folklore.
• Along the way, we stop at Bacunayagua Bridge. Built between 1956 and 1959, it is considered one of the seven wonders of Cuban civil engineering.
• Upon arrival in Matanzas, we set out on a walking tour. Here, we visit Ediciones Vigia, an independent publishing collective showcasing handmade books of Cuban literature while interacting with the staff and watching them in action!
• We continue to the popular beach town of Varadero, where we have lunch at Xanadu Restaurant at Dupont Mansion. Overlooking the ocean, this property has been carefully restored following its original construction plan dating from the 1930's, when it was commissioned and built for French American business tycoon Irénée Dupont.
• After lunch, enjoy time at leisure to explore the area on own.
• We return to Havana in the late afternoon and have time to rest before heading out for dinner on own.

Overnight in Havana

Day 6: Friday, January 20, 2023: DANCING INTO SHABBAT

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin with a visit the Habana Compas Dance headquarters to enjoy a performance and interact with the dancers and instructors.
• Next, we stop at Almacenes de San Jose market, where we stroll through the stalls of arts and crafts made by the locals. We'll interact with local artisans to learn about their challenges.
• We stop for lunch at El Rum Rum.
• This evening, we join together for Shabbat services and dinner at the Sephardic Synagogue with community members.

Overnight in Havana

Day 7: Saturday, January 21, 2023: A HAVANA SHABBAT

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, we explore the Museum of the Revolution, where we gain an understanding of the momentous change that has occurred in Cuba due to the Revolution over 50 years ago.
• We continue to Vocal Clave del Sol, a musical education program for children ages 5 to 19, founded in 2009. We meet and interact musically with some of the students and teachers and learn about the importance of this program to the students here.
• We enjoy lunch together at Buena Aventura Restaurant before returning to our hotel to refresh.
• We gather this evening and enjoy a classic car ride from our hotel to our farewell dinner at Vista Mar Restaurant, where we savor our closing dinner together as a group and recall all that we have experienced together on this enlightening journey.
• The hearty among us will set out after dinner for a late evening visit to the artists of Fabrica D'la Arte (FAC), a former cooking oil factory, which comes alive on weekend nights and features the best avante garde art in the country.

Overnight in Havana

Day 8: Sunday, January 22, 2023: DEPARTURE

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We transfer to the airport for our flight back to Florida.


The Memories Last Forever!!
*Itinerary subject to change