From Bahia, Brazil, to Judaism
Five years ago, Yehuda and Chana Honorato, from Bahia, Brazil, sent their children all the way to Israel to study at Yemin Orde for high school.
This was not only a major undertaking for the couple, but they were not even Jewish. Yet. But they were determined to become so. And sending their children was a major step in their process.
Yehuda speaks of his father that, as long as he can remember, he would speak about Judaism. However, their family was not actually connected to any Jewish community. However, they wanted to live as Jews; so Yehuda and his father started to study Torah.
Their enthusiasm was contagious and eventually more people in their community began to join them. They would celebrate all of the Jewish holidays, eventually purchasing a Torah scroll, which is quite an expensive prospect. They even set up a Jewish cemetery in Bahia to accommodate their small but growing community, not knowing if or when they’d ever be able to get to Israel themselves.
But five years ago they sent their sons, Rafael and Gustavo, to high school in Israel for Portuguese speakers. Then two years ago the boys completed their own conversion to Judaism at Shavei Israel’s Machon Miriam conversion institute.
Last year their parents were finally able to join them in Israel, first as tourists. And last week Yehuda and Chana completed their own conversion at Machon Miriam.
