Road Scholar, the educational travel organization especially for those 50 years old and above formerly known as Elderhostel, now offers weekly programs to Cuba that include cultural visits with local artists and special weeks focusing on Jewish life in Cuba. Several trips are designed for families and intergenerational groups, such as grandparents and grandchildren.
The Cuba visits have begun thanks to a People-to-People educational license granted by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
Road Scholar Cuba Departures Weekly
These new tours leave almost every week in 2012 from Miami, last eight days and cost $3,000 and up. Airfare is included in the price as of mid-September 2011.
According to a Road Scholar press release, the visits “include week long programs to Cienfuegos and Havana that allow participants to meet face to face with locals to discuss their faith and learn about their lives and cultural traditions. Participants will also get the unique opportunity to meet with artists and intellectuals to discuss and learn more about today’s Cuban culture.”
Charters to Cuba Also Available
For those who would rather organize their own visits or go with another group to Cuba, the Miami Herald reports that a growing number of charter flights will be headed there, leaving from the Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa airports as well as Miami, the traditional jumping-off point for Cuba flights.
Earlier in September 2011, according to the Herald, the first charter in nearly 50 years departed from Tampa International Airport. The Herald said the trip, run by Xael Charters, was timed to coincide with the feast day of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre, Cuba’s patron saint.
Xael’s website offers information about visas, items that visitors can bring that are exempt from taxes, and tips on what to wear.
Jewish Life is Focus of Some Road Scholar Trips
At Road Scholar, the 9-day 8 night trip called “Shalom Cuba: Exploring Jewish Heritage,” allows travelers to meet the ”small but vibrant Jewish community that has evolved through the years” and to “discover the history and dynamics of Judaism in Cuba,” according to the group’s website.
Among the highlights of Shalom Cuba are:
- a chance to meet with the director and members of the Centro Sefardi Synagogue and get an overview of the large Jewish community of Havana.
- meetings with Jewish community leaders in Cienfuegos and in Santa Clara for a discussion on Judaism in Cuba, and
- an exploration of the Patranato Synagogue and Jewish Pharmacy regarded as the heart of Cuban Jewish community life.
Sources
Road Scholar press release and website
Miami Herald issue of 9/11/11
Xael website
Grace Lichtenstein - I prefer "seasoned" to "senior" but whatever term you use, I have been an outdoor adventurer for most of my adult years. I am a cycling ...
