In 2007 Centro Hebreo Sefaradi Synagogue was described as “…the only remaining institutional legacy of the

Sephardic Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), ...

presence in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

.” Construction originally began in 1957 and the synagogue was completed in 1960 with a 726-seat sanctuary. The main sanctuary was later rented out to the

Afro-Cuban Afro-Cubans or Black Cubans are Cubans of West African ancestry. The term ''Afro-Cuban'' can also refer to historical or cultural elements in Cuba thought to emanate from this community and the combining of native African and other cultural ele ...

band Síntesis for their rehearsals while weekly religious services were held in a small room next door.Behan, p. 66 As of 2010, the synagogue had eighty families constituting 320 members. The majority of congregants were 60 or older. Centro Sefaradi de Cuba

Centro Hebro is affiliated with the

Conservative Jewish Conservative Judaism, known as Masorti Judaism outside North America, is a Jewish religious movement which regards the authority of ''halakha'' (Jewish law) and traditions as coming primarily from its people and community through the generat ...

movement in the United States.Behan, p. 68 There is a small Holocaust memorial at the synagogue with quotations from

José Martí José Julián Martí Pérez (; January 28, 1853 – May 19, 1895) was a Cuban nationalist, poet, philosopher, essayist, journalist, translator, professor, and publisher, who is considered a Cuban national hero because of his role in the libera ...

References

The Sefaradi are the Jews in Spain before and after the expulsion. http://www.madregot.com/Sefarad.htm Conservative Judaism in North America Conservative synagogues Synagogues in Havana Buildings and structures in Havana Sephardi Conservative Judaism Sephardi Jewish culture in the Caribbean Sephardi synagogues Spanish-Cuban culture {{Cuba-synagogue-stub