122:, the communist party of Cuba announced a relaxation of some of their principles and the toleration of religion. But with the fall of the Soviet Union, aid to Cuba was stopped and people suffered material shortages: in 1994 Bonnie Burt traveled to Cuba and found there was a lack of medication, power outages are an everyday occurrence, and groceries per-household are extensively limited throughout the island. Within these conditions, she filmed Abraham and Eugenia, and a revival of Judaism in Cuba.
140:. Eugenia and her sister wanted to respect their religious father's desire that they wed men only of the Jewish faith, but found it impossible to find mates when most of the remaining Jews lived in Havana. By the time the women reached their 30s, they decided to marry Gentiles rather than remain single forever. With her husband's understanding, Eugenia was rearing their children as Jews.
166:
The documentary notes that Cuba's Jews had been from both
Sephardic and Ashkenazy traditions, coming from Turkey, Poland, Germany and other parts of Europe, with most immigrants having arrived. With the liberalization of policies in the 1990s in Cuba, they hoped to attract new immigrants.
111:, which makes it easier to get along. But Abraham is concerned that without working at it, the younger generation will live "as an average Cuban" and fail to carry on Jewish traditions.
185:
as "a very thoughtful film, easy to view with its large
English subtitles. It is recommended for school and public libraries that emphasize Jewish, Latin American, or ethnic studies."
136:
In the rural, undeveloped area of Cuba's inland, Burt introduces
Eugenia and her sister. They were raised in the same countryside that developed the radical leaders of the
118:
took power in 1959 up until the early 1990s, 94% of the Jewish population left Cuba. Before then, there had been 15,000 Jews in Havana alone. Shortly after the fall of the
364:
203:
389:
273:
255:
369:
354:
129:. It is the first such event in Havana in over 15 years. At the service Abraham notes that their congregation has not had a
359:
379:
384:
374:
103:
Abraham, a Jewish-Cuban and the only kosher butcher left in Havana, expresses the intensity of pressure to
260:
330:
207:
317:
277:
8:
349:
126:
104:
295:
152:
137:
334:
177:
143:
The Jewish population is at a significantly low level; the pious societies of
343:
108:
97:
115:
144:
231:
159:
to congregate and worship in. To strengthen Jewish living and retain a
156:
148:
94:
195:
100:
who have held onto their faith in the years since the revolution.
160:
130:
242:
March 1997, at Jews of Cuba website, accessed 24 August 2014
119:
107:
into the society. He acknowledges that there is a lack of
133:
in about 30 years, but they have been able to persevere.
82:
is a 1994 documentary directed by
American Bonnie Burt.
163:
of Jewish men, more people are considered necessary.
325:
155:stand at fewer than 100 Jews per town. They lack
125:Burt shows Abraham preparing for his son Yacob's
341:
276:. Bonnie Burt Productions. 1994. Archived from
274:"Abraham and Eugenia: Stories from Jewish Cuba"
204:"Abraham and Eugenia: Stories From Jewish Cuba"
319:In Cuba, Finding a Tiny Corner of Jewish Life
183:Abraham and Eugenia: Stories from Jewish Cuba
91:Abraham and Eugenia: Stories From Jewish Cuba
79:Abraham and Eugenia: Stories From Jewish Cuba
24:Abraham and Eugenia: Stories From Jewish Cuba
93:tells the story of two people living on the
201:
234:Abraham and Eugenia: Stories of Cuban Jews
256:The Believers: Stories from Jewish Havana
71:English, Spanish (with English subtitles)
365:Documentary films about Jews and Judaism
227:
225:
342:
222:
206:. Women Make Movies. Archived from
13:
390:English-language documentary films
14:
401:
311:
1:
266:
370:Documentary films about Cuba
355:1990s English-language films
298:. JewishFilm.com. April 1996
170:
7:
261:History of the Jews in Cuba
249:
10:
406:
360:American documentary films
202:Bonnie Burt (March 2005).
85:
67:
59:
36:
28:
23:
296:"A Jewish Film Homepage"
188:
380:1994 documentary films
232:Paul Kaplan, Review: "
385:1990s American films
375:Jewish Cuban history
280:on October 29, 2008
333:2008-07-24 at the
327:The Jewish Channel
321:, www.nytimes.com
210:on August 2, 2009
75:
74:
397:
307:
305:
303:
289:
287:
285:
243:
240:Library Journal,
229:
220:
219:
217:
215:
199:
138:Cuban Revolution
52:
50:
21:
20:
405:
404:
400:
399:
398:
396:
395:
394:
340:
339:
335:Wayback Machine
314:
301:
299:
294:
283:
281:
272:
269:
252:
247:
246:
230:
223:
213:
211:
200:
196:
191:
178:Library Journal
175:Paul Kaplan of
173:
88:
55:
48:
46:
39:
17:
12:
11:
5:
403:
393:
392:
387:
382:
377:
372:
367:
362:
357:
352:
338:
337:
323:
313:
312:External links
310:
309:
308:
291:
290:
268:
265:
264:
263:
258:
251:
248:
245:
244:
221:
193:
192:
190:
187:
172:
169:
87:
84:
73:
72:
69:
65:
64:
61:
57:
56:
54:
53:
42:
40:
37:
34:
33:
30:
26:
25:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
402:
391:
388:
386:
383:
381:
378:
376:
373:
371:
368:
366:
363:
361:
358:
356:
353:
351:
348:
347:
345:
336:
332:
329:
328:
324:
322:
320:
316:
315:
297:
293:
292:
279:
275:
271:
270:
262:
259:
257:
254:
253:
241:
237:
235:
228:
226:
209:
205:
198:
194:
186:
184:
180:
179:
168:
164:
162:
158:
154:
150:
146:
141:
139:
134:
132:
128:
123:
121:
117:
112:
110:
109:anti-Semitism
106:
101:
99:
98:island nation
96:
92:
83:
81:
80:
70:
66:
63:United States
62:
58:
44:
43:
41:
35:
31:
27:
22:
19:
326:
318:
302:September 8,
300:. Retrieved
284:September 8,
282:. Retrieved
278:the original
239:
233:
212:. Retrieved
208:the original
197:
182:
176:
174:
165:
142:
135:
124:
113:
102:
90:
89:
78:
77:
76:
38:Release date
18:
127:Bar Mitzvah
114:Soon after
32:Bonnie Burt
29:Directed by
350:1994 films
344:Categories
267:References
181:described
157:synagogues
149:Cienfuegos
171:Reception
105:integrate
95:communist
68:Languages
16:1994 film
331:Archived
250:See also
214:July 25,
153:Santiago
145:Camagüey
86:Summary
60:Country
47: (
161:quorum
116:Castro
189:Notes
131:rabbi
304:2008
286:2008
216:2005
151:and
120:USSR
49:1994
45:1994
346::
238:,
224:^
147:,
306:.
288:.
236:"
218:.
51:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.