Shavei brings stories of lost and hidden Jews to North America
Laura Ben David, Shavei’s director of marketing and new media, visited North American Jewish communities as part of her volunteer work for OTS Amiel Bakehila under the sponsorship of Israel’s Ministry of the Diaspora. Laura used this opportunity to tell the story of lost and hidden Jews all over the world and speak about the work Shavei Israel does to reconnect them with their heritage.
This time Laura’s program included several locations. Among them, in West Hartford she spoke with 60 kids from the Congregation Beth Israel school, plus staff and some parents; at the Federation she gave a ‘lunch and learn’ program with members of the Jewish Federation of West Hartford. All were excited to learn about the Bnei Menashe in India, their history and the current situation of the community, as well as some of the other communities that Shavei Israel works with.
In Buffalo, Laura spent Shabbat with the Kehillat Ohr Tzion community where she spoke after services to an enthusiastic crowd. She also spoke at a ‘young professionals’ event in the city where they were amazed to discuss the similarities between how Jewish Family Services in Buffalo helps to settle refugees from other countries and how Shavei Israel helps the Bnei Menashe who we bring on Aliyah to Israel.
