South Florida synagogues celebrate Hispanic culture

South Florida synagogues are celebrating Hispanic culture and have provided services that include songs and prayers in Spanish.

At Congregation L’Dor Va-Dor in Boynton Beach, its High Holiday services have featured musician Alberto Zilberstein, a Jew from Cuba, performing the Kol Nidrei [All Vows] on the viola over the years.

During the synagogue’s Yom Kippur services this year, which take place from Sept. 15-16 at Santaluces Community High School in Lantana, Zilberstein will be joined by his sister, a concert pianist who moved to Miami from Cuba earlier this year. She will also play other music during the service.

Rabbi Barry Silver, the synagogue’s spiritual leader, will also sing a song in Spanish with Zilberstein and his sister’s accompaniment.

“I will also share a message about the fact that there are Jews all over the world, and many of them to our south who speak Spanish who are now arriving in America,” Silver said.

As a Spanish speaker, Silver has often traveled to Central and South America to perform weddings and celebrate Shabbat in Spanish. He noted the synagogue also celebrates Hispanic culture, as it has had Shabbat services that featured music and prayers readings in Spanish.

Silver explained that the synagogue’s support and celebration of Hispanic culture is what its Cosmic Judaism approach is all about.

“To incorporate different cultures is really exciting, and it’s very interesting for Jews to learn about Jews from other countries,” Silver said.

Zilberstein, who is a member of the congregation and lives in Deerfield, left Cuba and made aliyah (immigration to Israel) in 2012. In 2015, he moved to South Florida to study at Lynn University in Boca Raton on a scholarship. He expressed his excitement in performing with his sister for the holiday services.

“Playing in the High Holidays is always very meaningful to me, and in this case, I’m going to be able to play with my sister, so that’s double meaningful,” he said. “I haven’t played with her in years, and we used to play very often.”

Tickets are now on sale for the High Holiday services, which begin on Sept. 6. Visit https://www.ldorvador.org/ or contact Silver at barryboca@aol.com for more information. Services will also be viewed online.

Beth Torah Benny Rok Campus in North Miami Beach will also once again offer High Holiday services in Spanish as it has done for almost 20 years. The services will be in-person for members only and also virtual to the general public.

Rabbi Mario Rojzman, who was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, said Beth Torah has also conducted life cycle events in Spanish.

“Part of our success is that from Friday nights to Saturday mornings, we offer services only in English, but for life cycle events, we follow the needs of people who speak Spanish in a different timeline,” Rojzman said. “For example, if you want a bar mitzvah in Spanish, you can do it on Monday or Thursday.”

Rojzman estimates that 30 percent of the synagogue’s members come from Spanish speaking countries, and that half of its board is Latin.

Since the pandemic began, the synagogue has conducted a virtual class on Thursdays with a Jewish community in Buenos Aires.

Visit btbrc.org/ for more information.

Temple Emanu-El, 1701 Washington Ave. in Miami Beach, will offer Shabbat con pasión Friday night services in Spanish and with Latin rhythm from Aug. 20 to Oct. 8. Services begin at 6 p.m. Musicians and tacos oneg will be featured.

Rabbi Marc Philippe of Temple Emanu-El said, “We want to celebrate the rich linguistic heritage of our community by offering Shabbat services in Spanish.”

“The traditional prayers will still be in Hebrew, but people will be able to enjoy the beauty of the Spanish language throughout the service,” Philippe continued.

Visit https://www.tesobe.org/ for more information.

Rabbi Moishe Kievman of Chabad Chayil in Miami said that 50 precent of people that come to its daily services are Spanish speaking, and that they come from all over South and Central America.

" think we have a healthy mix of people from all over the world,” Kievman said. “We’re a melting pot of Jews from all over, and no matter where someone is from, everyone feels at home.”

Kievman said the Chabad center tries to cater to everyone’s needs. He noted the synagogue has sidur prayer books as well as chumashim in Spanish. He also mentioned it offers some classes in Spanish.

Visit chabadchayil.org for more information.