A report from my amazing colleagues in JDC Cuba ...
It was about a year ago that World Maccabiah got in touch with JDC
because they wanted a meeting with the Cuban Jewish community. This year the
Maccabiah had the vision to invite small communities in the Diaspora to
participate in the games experiencing a world Jewish encounter. They formally
extended this invitation to the president of the Jewish Community, Adela
Dworin, assuring that the participation of any Cuban athletes would be
guaranteed, sponsoring the air fare, meals and accommodations. It was with pure
honesty and determination that the vice president of the community, David
Prinstein, also present in the meeting expressed “we don`t have any
professional athletes in our community, but if you give us six months, we´ll
make them”. After several encounters, the decision was made, the Jewish community of Cuba would be represented for the
first time in their history in what might be the biggest Jewish global event,
by participating in the 19th Maccabiah Games.
The following steps were made by the local Cuban community that began a
research all over the island to look for amateur athletes within community.
Each local community`s president would do a thorough search of their
congregants and propose them to make up the Cuban teams. As a result, 33 athletes
were selected from not only Havana (where the
majority of the population and institutions are located) but from different
provinces across the country such as Cienfuegos ,
Sancti Spiritus, Santiago de Cuba and Santa Clara . The community
put together Table Tennis, Futsal (indoor soccer), Karate, Archery and a
Softball team. This last one was made up half by local members of the community
that live in Cuba and
completed by the other half of former members of the Cuban Jewish community
that had made Alia and currently live in Israel and have their own team. In
addition, 13 dancers were selected from all over the country to represent the
community in the largest Rikkudim (Israeli folk dancing) Dance Festival in Israel known as
the Carmiel Festival. The dance troupe would not only participate in the
festival but proudly dance in front of the Cuban delegation at the memorable
Maccabiah inauguration ceremony.
The months of hard training in the different sports took place and the
community had to make the best efforts for their delegation within the
possibilities. The community owns no training facilities so the practices took
place in public places with the several disadvantages this option carries. JDC funded essential projects in the
important stage of preparation. Projects such as a nutrition complement for the
athletes to enhance a healthy diet. The food packet delivered once a month
included extra proteins (chicken, beans), pasta, milk among other products.
Another goal was to assure each athlete and dancer with a pair of
sneakers which they were lacking of and in some occasions the exact training
footwear needed to practice the sport.
It was import to assure refreshments (mineral water and energy drinks)
during practice, transportation for the players to reach the practice area and
back, and extra transportation and accommodation for the participants living
outside of La Habana were the training took place. In average, once a month an
intensive training was scheduled were players living in other provinces travelled
to La Habana and had a 4 day long training with the team.
In the case of the Futsal team, in joint efforts with Clam and JDC, a
coach from the Argentinean team travelled to Cuba for 10 day intensive training
and helped in the arrangement and preparation of the team.
In addition to setting the conditions for proper training, the road to
the Maccabiah games was long and at the same time, going by quickly. There were
a series of things that had to be considered before the team actually made it
to their flight and accommodations in Israel , to begin with uniforms: for
each sport and a unifying delegation one. JDC, private donors and the support
of other community friends fully funded all the uniforms and costumes of the
Cuban Delegation.
Also taken care
of by JDC were:
·
Tax fair rate
·
Transportation to and from the Airport for the Delegation
·
Transit Visa in France
·
Cell phones for the Delegation Staff in Israel
·
Transportation of the Uniforms to Cuba
·
Per diem for the 2 Archery
Athletes that received training in Israel
The commitment was powerful and passionate. The Cuban Jewish community
was already full of pride as their sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers
and fathers prepared for the games. In Cuba it was much more than a game, it
was the first time a delegation as big as 46 people would leave the country
altogether to represent something they are proud to be: Cuban Jews. Some
participants had left the island to participate in programs such as March of
the Living or Birthright, but many had never had the opportunity of travelling
abroad. The 19th Maccabiah games became a theme of growing unity within the community
where the children from the Sunday school would prepare videos expressing the
support and the adults choir would prepare songs to congratulate a team that
were already winners at home.
It was an ambition to have an “intensive training” with all the athletes
and dancers together to build the bonds of The Cuban Delegation, regardless of what sport or what choreography
tied each one to the project. The overall project was representing the
community they all belonged to. So, JDC developed and supported an overnight
camp with the objective to turn the group
into a team. Volunteers were chosen
to prepare different workshops that would help the participants feel reassured
before the games. These workshops varied from: explaining security issues at
airport and Israel
level, packing and ideal suitcase, expected behavior at hotels including the
first experience with Israeli buffet breakfast, history of the Cuban Jewsih
community, etc. The camp altogether set
the seed of the Maccabiah games near and real and by the end of the day
athletes could dance and dancers could score.
The only thing missing was a grand “good luck” ceremony from the
community to the delegation. JDC supported a community Havdala with special
guests, including local authorities, community presidents from all over the
island, the community Rabi Shmuel Szteinhendler and the associated JDC director
for Latin America , Dr. Fabian
Triskier. That evening the delegation’s flag bearer was announced and the Cuban
community said farewell to a team that aspired to win the medal of dignity, not
knowing that they would return having earned another 5 winning medals.
Once in Israel ,
the delegation was divided in teams to different cities to start the
competitions. The feeling of a whole Cuban delegation wasn’t split up and in
the little free time, teams would travel to support each other at different
games. The inauguration ceremony was a true example of the fervent joy the
teams felt of representing Cuba
for the first time in the Maccabiah Games. The reception of the Cuban
delegation was wild, surprised by the lively entrance of the 13 energetic
dancers and a 9 meter Cuban Flag held by the athletes. That night, the thoughts
shared were filled with deep emotion when the delegation identified their Cuban
flag in the spectacle of the ceremony and realized that they were making
history for their community.
Each player was true to the sprit to fair play and stayed this way
outside the completion as well. And in
the completion, the teams showed real enthusiasm, reaching results much
surpassing any expectation:
·
Bronze medal in Karate: Abel Hernandez (the Delegation`s Flag bearer)
·
Bronze Medal in Karate: Heberto Bedoya
·
Bronze Medal in Archery: Roxana Gonzalez
·
Silver Medal in Team Archery: Roxana and Rafael Gonzalez (siblings)
·
Gold Medal in Team Archery: Roxana and Rafael Gonzalez
Yet the
congratulation also goes to the teams that had no wins in their participation
and still left the games feeling winners, because they gave their heart and
souls with great appreciation of the possibility to play. The dancers also had
their share of recognition vibrantly spreading their local music and joy at the
Carmiel Festival.
Now, with all 46 back home, the community is eager to hear about the
delegation`s performance and so we are currently planning the occasion where
the athletes and dancers can share their meaningful experience. With the spark
the 19th Maccabiah Games left, all athletes are willing and excited
to continue training and hopefully develop a new Sport Department in the Jewish
Community of Cuba. Perhaps, this may
turn into the next program that enhances social and cultural community life
while rebuilding the Jewish identity on the island. For the Jewish Community of
Cuba to participate for the first time in an world Jewish event such as
Maccabiah means many things, but unquestionably strengthens a voice that echoed
this last Shabbat when each participant was welcomed home to their community, a
clear voice that together sounds like this:
Am Israel be Cuba Chai.
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