Amid Cuba’s ongoing power infrastructure challenges, Stan Polovets, Co-founder and Chairman of The Genesis Prize Foundation, conducted a significant diplomatic engagement in Havana earlier this month. His May 2025 visit showcased The Foundation’s commitment to strengthening Jewish life throughout Latin America while offering Polovets firsthand insight into the distinctive circumstances facing Cuban Jews.
Polovets’ visit focal point was a gathering at Beth Shalom Synagogue—known locally as El Patronato—Cuba’s largest Jewish house of worship. There, he met with Hella Askenazi, who serves as Vice President of both the synagogue and the broader Cuban Jewish community, alongside several other leaders engaged in maintaining Jewish education, youth programs, and elder care initiatives.
The meeting physically embodied the community’s daily struggles, as participants conducted their discussions primarily in darkness during one of Havana’s frequent rolling blackouts. The necessity of using cell phone illumination to navigate the conversation provided Stan Polovets with a tangible demonstration of Cuba’s current economic challenges.
“Despite immense problems caused by economic mismanagement by the Communist government – exacerbated by the U.S. embargo imposed over 60 years ago – the Jewish identity of Cuban Jews shines brightly, and quite literally, in the dark,” Polovets observed after the encounter.
During his visit, Stan Polovets noted a particularly striking contrast between Cuba’s Jewish institutional security arrangements and those found virtually everywhere else globally. “Unlike every other Jewish community I’ve visited worldwide – including in the United States – there are no guards in front of the synagogue,” he remarked, pointing to what he described as “almost no antisemitism in the country” despite the numerous socioeconomic difficulties facing Cuban society more broadly.
Polovets emphasized that religious life continues to flourish in Cuba despite material hardships, with the Jewish community maintaining its traditions in a relatively accepting social environment—a circumstance that distinguishes it from many other diaspora communities worldwide.
The timing of Stan Polovets’ Cuban engagement aligns with The Genesis Prize Foundation’s expanding focus on Latin American Jewish communities, particularly following their selection of Argentinian President Javier Milei as the 2025 Genesis Prize laureate. Polovets explained that Milei earned this recognition through his “unwavering support for the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” including commitments to relocate Argentina’s embassy to Jerusalem and pursue justice regarding terrorist attacks against Jewish targets in Argentina.
Polovets specifically praised the Cuban Jewish community’s moral courage after October 7, when they publicly contradicted their government’s position. While many Jewish organizations throughout Latin America remained silent, Cuba’s Jewish leadership released a statement declaring that justifying Hamas’ actions was “unacceptable”—a notably bold stance given their political environment.
Jewish presence in Cuba traces back to the 16th century when conversos arrived alongside Spanish explorers. The community experienced significant growth during the 20th century, reaching approximately 15,000 members before the 1959 Revolution triggered widespread emigration. Today’s substantially smaller community, less than one thousand individuals, relies heavily on international support, particularly from organizations like the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
“The Genesis Prize Foundation recognizes the incredible perseverance of Cuban Jewry,” stated Stan Polovets. “Their story is a testament to the enduring spirit of the Jewish people.” He emphasized the importance of private foundations and individual donors joining established organizations in ensuring the survival of “this resilient and unique community.”
As both a global business leader and dedicated philanthropist, Stan Polovets maintains an active commitment to strengthening Jewish identity worldwide while supporting communities facing significant challenges. His engagement with Cuba’s Jewish community exemplifies The Genesis Prize Foundation’s broader mission of fostering deeper connections between Latin American nations and Israel, particularly in honor of their 2025 laureate, President Milei.
