Our Goals

Shavei Israel – literally, ‘Israel returns’ - is the starting point for anyone with Jewish roots or ancestry yearning to return to the Jewish people.

* Comprised of a team of academics, educators and rabbinical figures, Shavei Israel reaches out to “lost Jews” and assists them in coming to terms with their heritage and identity in a spirit of tolerance and understanding.

* Shavei Israel was founded by Michael Freund and has the support of different rabbinical authorities in Israel and the United States of America

* Shavei Israel extends a helping hand to all members of our extended Jewish family and to all who seek to rediscover or renew their link with the people of Israel.

The activities of Shavei Israel focus on:

• Descendants of Anousim (crypto-Jews in Spain, Portugal, South America and elsewhere);

• Descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel (such as the Bnei Menashe of India);

• Subbotniks (descendants from a group from Russia who has converted to Judaism);

• Kaifeng Jews (descendants from an assimilated Chinese community);

• Hidden Jews from Poland (descendants from Jews adopted by catholic families during the Second World War or
Jews that hid their Judaism during the communist era);

• Jews from the Amazon (descendants from assimilated Moroccan Jews that arrived to the area for commerce);

• Inca Jews (Peruvian community from the Inca area of Peru that decided to convert and join Judaism);

• San Nicandro (Italian community who decided to convert to Judaism, today most of them live in Israel. Nonetheless, there is still a women's community in San Nicandro - Italy)

•  Descendants of assimilated Jews, who wish to rekindle their connection to Judaism and the Jewish people;

• Anyone touched by the spark of Judaism who is sincerely considering conversion and requires assistance along the way. Shavei Israel's aim is to ensure that anyone wishing to return to the Jewish people be able to do so.

The need for Shavei Israel today:

The Jewish people are currently facing a demographic and spiritual crisis of unprecedented proportions. Our numbers are shrinking, Jewish commitment is waning, and more and more young people are leaving the fold. And yet, simultaneously, an extraordinary awakening is also taking place. From northeastern India to southern Spain, from the coast of Portugal to the shores of Brazil, countless numbers of people are trying to make sense of their Jewish ancestry, wrestling with profound questions of history, identity and self. Many are literally knocking on our collective door, looking for a way to enter. This presents the Jewish people with a tremendous opportunity to reinforce its ranks and reinvigorate its spirit by extending a courteous hand to all those who wish to return. Shavei Israel is the only Jewish organization today that is actively reaching out to “lost Jews” in an effort to facilitate their return. We are not merely a research team. We approach each case on a human level, lending guidance and understanding in tracing Jewish roots, exploring Jewish history and evaluating options for returning to the Jewish people.

The How-To’s of "Return"

Returning to the Jewish people does not and should not involve coercion or compulsion. It is a deeply personal decision and can not be imposed from the outside. It may result from a desire to recover a lost heritage, or from an intense need to understand various inherited customs and family traditions. But whatever the source, Shavei Israel supports, guides and provides assistance for these personal journeys however varied they may be. Shavei Israel opens the door to all who have decided that Judaism and a return to the Jewish people are central to their fate and their identity. Shavei Israel does not proselytize nor does it support any form of missionary activity. Shavei Israel responds to personal expressions of desire to return to Judaism.

We believe the Jewish People is a family with links that never vanish completely; our endeavor is to strengthen the links wherever they may have been weakened by history, distance or social parameters.

Our work is in complete accordance with Jewish Law and under the ongoing supervision of the Chief Rabbinate of the State of Israel.