Jewish life exists today because of the traditions passed down from parents and grandparents to children. But how does a community emerge from 30 years during which these traditions were not transmitted?

Cuba’s Jewish community is doing just that and, with the support of its friends at World ORT and United Israel Appeal Federations Canada (UIAFC), has provided the generations with a bridge for communicating the beauty and beliefs of Judaism.

In the first intergenerational event of its kind in the Cuban community, nearly 100 grandparents and grandchildren took part in the summer vacation plan last month, which featured a range of fun activities to encourage bonding and stimulate discussion and learning.

“Most of the traditions and historical knowledge is in the hands of the older generation who are, unfortunately, an unde rappreciated treasure,” said William Miller. “Although we have a strong sense of family, as a community we don’t take advantage of the knowledge our seniors have. This program saw grandparents act as teachers, for the first time, with their grandchildren.”

“We have contributed to building a bridge between seniors and younger generations,” said Mayra Levy, President of the Sephardic Centre of Cuba, whose Salomon Mitrani Jewish Senior Day Care Centre developed the plan.

Participant Juan Carrillo, 67, said: “The idea of integrating seniors with their grandchildren has been excellent.”

And Isaac Cohen, 71, and his wife, Daisy Valdes, 70, added: “All the activities were very good... they have helped us to establish more personal relationships.”

Linda Kislowicz, CEO of the UIA Federations Canada, was one of several people at the organisation who invested considerable time and effort into making the summer programme a reality. She said: “Canadian federations are very pleased to support this important programme. Intergenerational programming is a wonderful way to engage the young and the elderly together in ways that are both fun and educational for all involved.”