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Bet Shalom Congregation
Humanitarian Tour of Cuba
Led by Rabbi David Locketz
March 24-31, 2019

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.

Tour Overview:

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INCLUDED:

3 nights Melia Cohiba Hotel, Havana
2 nights Hotel Jagua, Cienfuegos
2 nights Melia Cohiba Hotel, Havana
All touring and sightseeing per an agreed upon itinerary in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking guide 
Breakfast daily
6 dinners, including Shabbat dinner in Havana 
5 lunches 
Classic car ride 
Transfers 
Entrance fees as per itinerary 
Porterage
Cuban Travel Visa 
Cuban emergency medical insurance

NOT INCLUDED:

Roundtrip airfare, departure taxes and fuel surcharges (priced separately)
Any border taxes
Tips to guides, driver, and dining room waiters ($20.00 per person, per day-pre-collected) 
Any items of a personal nature 
Travel insurance (highly recommended)
Gifts and aid to synagogues or other institutions (suggestions will be provided)

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1: Sunday, March 24, 2019: DEPARTURE

• We depart Minneapolis early this morning, connecting in Atlanta, on our flight to Havana!
• We arrive at the Jose Marti Airport and meet our English-speaking guide and driver.
• This afternoon, we enjoy 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 check in to our hotel and enjoy a welcome drink.
• This evening, we join together for a welcome dinner at Café Laurent.

Overnight in Havana

Day 2: Monday, March 25, 2019 HAVANA VIEJA

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• We begin with a visit to Patronato, where we meet with community leaders - likely either Adela Dworin, the President of Beth Shalom, or David Pruinstein, Vice President of the community.  Tour the center and learn about the Pharmacy and Sunday school with time to deliver our gifts and aid.
• Next, we enjoy a walking tour of Old Havana (Havana Vieja), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along the way, we learn about the history of Havana as we visit highlights of the city and the colonial plazas.
• This afternoon, we visit Jewish points of interest such as the Raquel Hotel, a Jewish-themed hotel.
• We continue to Adat Israel, the Orthodox Synagogue and meet with Jacob Berezniak to deliver our gifts to the community.
• Next, we visit the Casa de la Artesania to learn about the history of tobacco and the tradition of cigar rolling in Cuba as we interact with rollers and locals.
• Lunch at Café del Oriente.
• Later this afternoon, 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.
• Tonight, we enjoy dinner at El Mediterraneo together.

Overnight in Havana

Day 3: Tuesday, March 26, 2019: HAVANA

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we visit the Sephardic Center and meet with Mayra Levy, President of the congregation, who discusses the role of Sephardic Jews in the resurgence of Jewish life in Cuba. We also deliver aid to the community and interact with locals.
• While at the Sephardic Center, we view the first Holocaust exhibit displayed in Cuba.
• We continue with a visit to the Jewish cemetery in Guanabacoa, including a special visit to the site of the Holocaust exhibit.
• Lunch at Talisman Restaurant, where we participate in a cooking class lead by a Cuban chef! Following the class, we enjoy the food that we have just prepared!
• After lunch, we continue to Finca Vigia, the villa that Hemingway called home for 21 years. His home is now a museum with many of his personal belongings. Learn how Cuba influenced his writing.
• Return to hotel to relax and refresh.
• Enjoy the evening at leisure and dinner on own. (Option to pre-book the Tropicana Show, not included).

Overnight in Havana

Day 4: Wednesday, March 27, 2019: SANTA CLARA TO CIENFUEGOS

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• Today, we depart for Santa Clara, an important city founded in the 1600's. Here, in March 1958, Che Guevara and his troops won a crucial battle in securing victory for the Cuban Revolution.
• We stop at the Che Guevara memorial for a photo opportunity in the square and visit the Che Museum underneath.
• Lunch together at Santa Rosalia.
• This afternoon, we meet with David Tacher, a leading representative of the Santa Clara Jewish Community, where we will learn about the local community and deliver our gifts.
• We continue to the beautiful port city of Cienfuegos, Cuba's “Pearl of the South".
• We check in to our hotel and refresh for dinner together at Villa Lagarto.

Overnight in Cienfuegos

Day 5: Thursday, March 28, 2019: TRINIDAD

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we travel to the beautiful colonial town of Trinidad, a charming city settled in 1514 which is a UNESCO heritage site since 1988.
• We enjoy a walking tour of historic Trinidad, which is a 500-year old city with Spanish colonial architecture. Only a few square blocks in size, historic Trinidad is famous for its lovely cobblestone streets, pastel houses with wrought iron grills, as well as beautiful palaces and plazas. We learn about the efforts to preserve the city's heritage.
• This afternoon, we meet with the famous family Santander, well-known local potters, and visit their workshop and gallery. These artists have been making handmade pottery for over 100 years.
• Lunch at El Dorado paladar.
• We return to Cienfuegos where we meet with Rebecca Langus and learn about the local Jewish community with time to deliver gifts.
• We enjoy a performance by Cantores de Cienfuegos at Museo Provincial de Cienfuegos.
• Dinner at Los Laureles together this evening.

Overnight in Cienfuegos

Day 6: Friday, March 29, 2019: A HAVANA SHABBAT

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• This morning, we tour Cienfuegos including Parque Marti and the Thomas Terry Theater. We learn about this UNESCO World Heritage Site, founded by French immigrants in 1819
• We depart for Havana. Lunch on own en route.
• Upon our arrival, 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 check in to our hotel and refresh.
• This evening, we join together for Shabbat services and dinner at the Sephardic Synagogue with community members.

Overnight in Havana

Day 7: Saturday, March 30, 2019: SHABBAT SHALOM!

• Breakfast at our hotel.
• This morning, we stop at Almacenes de San Jose market, where we stroll through the stalls of arts and crafts made by the locals.
• Lunch at a Sloppy Joe's paladar.
• We visit the Cuban Art Collection at the Fine Arts Museum.
• This evening, we enjoy a classic car ride from our hotel to our farewell dinner at La California paladar, recalling all that we have experienced together.

Overnight in Havana

Day 8: Sunday, March 31, 2019: DEPARTURE

• Breakfast and check out of our hotel.
• We transfer to the airport for our flight back to Minneapolis, connecting through Atlanta.



The Memories Last Forever!!
*Itinerary subject to change