While the Russian Jewish community in Panama is tiny, Lipsman expects it to be the next incoming wave, attracted by a warm climate and stable economy. “Unlike Florida, there are no hurricanes, and I’ve never been happier,” said his father Jacob Lipsman, who runs an air conditioner installation firm after arriving in Panama a month after his son.

“I thought it was going to be jungles, but it’s booming in construction. I was pleasantly surprised,” said RAJEon participant Angelina Fridman, 26. “I didn’t realize there were so many Jewish people here, and they’ve been here for decades.”

Dubbing the trip a success, Rabbi Ibragimov is mulling other exotic Jewish locations for his group, possibly including Cuba, Uganda and South Africa. “This trip was a test run, we make the itinerary, and we have our connections in these countries, and we reach out to them. It’s like an extended family.”