Beth Shalom Temple (Havana)

Beth Shalom Temple (Hebrew: בית הכנסת בית שלום, romanized: Beit haKnesset Beit Shalom; Spanish: Gran Sinagoga Bet Shalom), commonly referred to as El Patronato,^[1] is a Conservative Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the Vedado neighbourhood of downtown Havana, Cuba.

For similarly named synagogues, see Beth Shalom.

Beth Shalom Temple
Hebrew: בית הכנסת בית שלום Spanish: Gran Sinagoga Bet Shalom
The synagogue exterior, 2008
Religion
Affiliation	Conservative Judaism
Rite	Nusach Ashkenaz
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Synagogue
Status	Active
Location
Location	Calle I Esq. 13, Vedado, Havana 10400
Country	Cuba
Location of the synagogue in Cuba
Geographic coordinates	23°08′30″N 82°23′22″W
Architecture
Type	Synagogue architecture
Style	Modernist
Date established	1904 (as a congregation)
Groundbreaking	1951
Completed	1953
Specifications
Capacity	300 seats
Materials	Cement-block

Temple Beth Shalom is the main synagogue serving Havana's Jewish community of 1,500 people. The congregation was founded in 1904^[2] and it serves as a hub for Jewish religious and cultural activities in the city. Construction on the current building began in 1951^[3] and was completed in 1953. The synagogue receives thousands of visitors each year for both Shabbat and tours of Jewish Cuba.^[4]

History

Jews arrived in Cuba shortly after the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492. Subsequent waves of Portuguese Jews from Brazil and Dutch Jews arrived in Cuba from the 16th through 19th centuries. Ashkenazi Jews from Europe started arriving in Cuba, usually via the United States, following the Spanish-American War. The Beth Shalom congregation was established in 1904.^[1]

The synagogue originally opened its doors in 1953 and was among the largest Jewish houses of worship in Havana. The temple's soaring Romanesque features fused European and Moorish-Spanish elements made it a unique, hybrid Modernist style.^[1]

By the 1980s, however, shifting political tides had led to a significant decrease in the Jewish population. In 1981, the state acquired a large portion of the building to establish the Bertolt Brecht Cultural Center.^[5] The much smaller Jewish population resulted in a lack of upkeep. In 1999 the building received extensive renovations with support from benefactors like the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and under the guidance of Shmuel Szteinhendler.^[6]

With the relaxation of religious restrictions in Cuba, Temple Beth Shalom led a revival of public Jewish expression. The temple continues to be a presence which sustains the Cuban Jewish community. The building also houses a library of Jewish and Hebrew books.^{[7][8][9][10]}

Temple Beth Shalom's history and current life make it a site of pilgrimage for Jewish visitors from across the globe.^[4] Visitors to the synagogue have included Steven Spielberg, Sean Penn, Fidel Castro and Raul Castro.^[1]

As of 2017^[update], the congregation does not have a rabbi, there are no rabbis residing in Cuba.^[11][12]

See also

• Cuba portal
• Judaism portal

• History of the Jews in Cuba
• List of synagogues in Cuba