Unique prescription for Cuban Jewry

The Jewish Chronicle (Pittsburgh) (from 1999)

by Iris M. Samson
Assistant Editor

Almost three years ago, Staney Cohen learned of the plight of Cuban Jewry.

A dwindling yet highly-dedicated and spiritual community, the Jews of Cuba face the harsh reality of life under the Castro regime: food, fuel, basic everyday necessities are rationed or totally unavailable due to a languid economy and a U.S. embargo.

Though the economic situation may be bleak, the religious spirit that characterizes this community is strong. Touched by their enthusiasm and commitment, Cohen made it his mission to publicize Cuban Jewry's plight, to bring them humanitarian relief.

Nearly three years later, Cohen is international chairman of the B'nai B'rith Cuban Jewry Relief Project, and has shepherded efforts to aid their community "that are making a difference."

"We have shipped well over 20,000 pounds of supplies in less than three years - close to $2 million in medicines, food, clothes, and equipment," Cohen, active in many Jewish communal organizations here, begins.

Often, it's the one-to-one contact that gladdens Cohen's heart. Take the recent UJF mission to Cuba. Briefing the group prior to their trip, Cohen asked one participant to bring a pair of eyeglasses to a little girl.

Her eyes were so weak that conventional glass just wouldn't fit into eyeglass frames - nor could the youngster wear them comfortably, even if they could.

"This was a real mitzvah," Cohen sighs, "helping a six-year-old girl. I'd bring her 100 pairs if she needed them."

Cohen enlists anyone and everyone in gathering supplies for Cuban Jewry. Most recently, the local humanitarian organization, Brother's Brother, signed on, donating 250,000 multivitamins. "Cuban Jews have little or no protein in their diet," Cohen explains of the need for vitamins.

"We shipped 60,000 down last week." Cohen is a latter-day horse trader, giving Brother's Brother walkers and crutches for Turkey's earthquake victims in return for one-a-day vitamins.

"I'm a clearinghouse," he says simply, of his matchmaking efforts. But, he notes with obvious pride, Pittsburgh is the largest supplier anywhere of relief to Cuba.

While he sends everything from medicine and Judaica to Cuban Jewry, he's sometimes asked to bring things back. On his last trip, it was something very simple: dirt.

A non-Jewish reader of the B'nai B'rith Jewish Monthly Magazine read about Cohen's relief efforts on behalf of Cuban Jewry and decided to contact him.

Pedro Ramirez had left Cuba quite suddenly in 1962; his parents sent Pedro and his siblings to the United States to escape an increasingly-hostile Communist regime.

Ramirez, a boy of 14, was left in charge of four brothers and sisters, ranging in age from six on up.

When the kids got to Miami, there was no one to greet them. U.S. Immigration officials wanted to split up the family, and farm them out to orphanages.

Only Pedro's efforts kept the children together. Three long years later, the Ramirez parents finally made it to the United States, and the family was reunited.

"He contacted me," Cohen says, "and asked if I could bring him back some soil from Cuba. He told me he regularly dreamt about his old home, and wanted to know if it was still there."

On Cohen's next visit, he not only found Ramirez's home, he took pictures and went inside. It had been turned into a private restaurant.

When Cohen returned to America, he contacted Ramirez and set up a meeting. "I played Cuban music in the background, gave him a Cuban cigar, and showed him a picture of his home," Cohen smiles.

Ramirez was overcome with emotion for Cohen's gesture. "It brought him closure," Cohen muses. "He had been holding all these emotions inside because it had been a horrible experience for him, to leave in the middle of the night, not knowing when he would see his parents again."

"It was so little, but I got so much out of it," Cohen smiles.

Little things mean a lot for Cuban Jewry. A local benefactor, John Wolf Jr., recently sent down art supplies for a talented Cuban Jewish artist, Jose Farinas. Those canvases and oils were put to immediate use, with the results to be viewed back here in Pittsburgh: Farinas' artwork will be featured during a Cuban Exposition, scheduled for this spring at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill.

"We have been collecting artwork and artifacts that will benefit the Cuban Jewish community," Cohen notes, adding that supplies are always needed.

From the Judaica contributed by Pinsker's to the vitamins from Brother's Brother, to money and powdered milk, the Jewish community has answered Cohen's call for aid.

"We still need to do this," Cohen insists. "Things seem to be a little bit better, but it will be a long time until things begin to trickle-down to the people. Everything we do really helps these people."

To help or to participate in future missions to Cuba, contact Stanley Cohen through the B'nai B'rith office, (877) 222-9590.

Copyright by the Jewish Chronicle, Pittsburgh