Marcos Maus, president of HIAS of Mexico, reported today to leaders of United Hias Service on the status of Cuban Jews who sought temporary haven or permanent resettlement in Mexico. “Since the advent of Castro, a total of several hundred Cuban Jews have come to Mexico — some staying for periods as long as six months — while they awaited processing for the United States and other countries of resettlement,” he said.
He praised United Hias Service which processed the refugees and arranged their documentation, transportation from Mexico and resettlement which was mainly in the U.S. At the same time, he spoke highly of the members of the Mexican Jewish community who cared for their co-religionists from Cuba during the lengthy processing period. “Substantial sums,” he said, “were raised to provide food, clothing and shelter. The refugees arrived with little more than the clothing they were wearing.”
Gaynor Jacobson, United Hias executive director, reported that the Jewish community of Cuba numbered about 11,000 when Castro came to power. “Today, there are fewer than 2,500 Jews in Cuba. The vast majority of those who left were assisted by United Hias to establish new homes in 113 communities in 32 States in the United States. In addition, a substantial number of Cuban Jews are being resettled in Venezuela, Panama and Canada.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
