Cuban Jewish leaders meet with Alan Gross

For the second time this year, Alan Gross was allowed a meeting with leaders of Cuba’s Jewish community.

Leaders of Cuba’s Jewish community, carrying traditional honey cake, met for two hours with jailed American subcontractor Alan Gross on the eve of Rosh Hashana.

Adele Dworin, president of the Hebrew Community of Cuba, and David Prinstein, vice president of the Patronato of the Jewish Community of Cuba, met with Gross Wednesday in a small conference room, Dworin said in an email sent to The Miami Herald.

As host, Gross offered the typical Hebrew salutation “L’Chaim” (To Life), Dworin said.

Gross, 62, has been jailed in Havana for the past 22 months and was convicted in May of crimes against the state for trying to distribute satellite equipment to link with the Internet. The equipment was paid for by a USAID-funded democracy-building program, and Gross has said it was intended for Jewish groups on the island. Cuba has taken the position that such equipment is subversive and could be used by government opponents.

It is the second time that the Jewish leaders have been allowed to visit Gross in jail. The first time, a much shorter visit in April, the Cuban government allowed them to bring him traditional Passover food.

Their visit comes on the heels of the Cuban government’s refusal to allow former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to visit Gross during a trip to the island in September. Richardson had hoped to win Gross’ release on humanitarian grounds. Gross’ attorney has said his client’s health is deteriorating. The Maryland man’s mother and a daughter also have cancer.

Dworin said Gross referred to the health of his loved ones “and received from us, the promise to have them present in our prayers for a prompt recovery.’’ She said Gross described his own physical state as “good.’’

Richardson said he had been invited to Cuba to negotiate Gross’ release, but a Cuban Foreign Ministry official denied that. Josefina Vidal, head of North American affairs, told the Associated Press that Cuba had decided against even letting Richardson visit the prisoner after he described Gross as a “hostage’’ of the Cuban government.

Gross’ family had expressed hope that the Cubans might release him by the Jewish High Holy Days.

Dworin said Gross received her and Prinstein in a room where there was coffee, water and juices and the three shared honey cake baked by some of the women in her congregation.

“He was dressed in a blue guayabera and was very grateful for the fact that members of the Cuban Jewish community had come to celebrate with him the coming of the New Year 5772,’’ Dworin said in her email.

She described the meeting as a “very emotional encounter’’ and said it ended with the words “Shalom and Shana Tova” (Peace and Good Year).