Some 300 El Salvadorian descendants of Spanish conversos observe the laws of Judaism and dream of living in Israel. "I wanted to connect with the Creator and I found the Jewish commandments the best way to do that," says a community leader. The newspaper Israel...
As unbelievable as it sounds, for some members of the Subbotnik Jewish community living in Beit Shemesh, a day trip to Jerusalem organized last week by Shavei Israel included their first ever visit to the Western Wall. First time or not, a stop at the...
For today’s young Polish Jews, who are rediscovering and reclaiming their Jewish roots in unprecedented numbers, a trip to Israel is often the foundation stone upon which their Jewish futures are built. Shavei Israel has been offering select groups of Polish “Hidden” Jews an educational,...
"I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’m Jewish. I need proof. I need your help. I’m begging you. Please point me in the right direction.” Genie Milgrom receives hundreds of emails like this one every year. Milgrom, president of the Society...
Two weeks ago, we shared with you a video of a group of American students on the Kivunim gap year program who visited the infamous Steri Palace in Palermo. Shavei Israel’s emissary Rabbi Pinhas Punturello made the visit happen and shot the video of the...
The New Jersey News reports on two couples who last year participated in a 15-day Jewish Heritage Tour of Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar. One of the participants presents her account of their introduction to the fascinating story of the Crypto Jews of Portugal. The group...
Thirty Polish Jews who survived the Holocaust as children recently traveled from Kraków, Poland, to Israel for a special week-long visit to the Jewish state organized by Shavei Israel and funded by money raised from the inaugural Ride of the Living that was supported by...
This year, Jews in Poland have an added reason to celebrate Israel Independence Day: the first ever booklet in Polish on Yom Ha’atzmaut has been published by Shavei Israel. The booklet was a real team effort. The idea came from Shavei Israel’s emissary to Krakow,...
The distance between the village of Kaleymo in Myanmar (Burma) and the northeastern Indian border town of Moreh is a mere 70 miles. But here, in the foothills of the Himalayas, the trip takes no less than a full day. That didn’t stop Emunah Hanvung...
Kivunim is a gap year program that brings pre-college American Jews to Jewish communities around the world to learn about their roots. The latest Kivunim cohort found themselves recently in Palermo where they met with Shavei Israel’s emissary to the Bnei Anousim in Sicily and...
