Bnei Anousim

[caption id="attachment_149114" align="alignleft" width="141"] Ronit Treatman[/caption] Author Ronit Treatman grew up in Venezuela, only to discover, decades later, that many of the Catholic families she grew up with are actually descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jewish communities forced to convert during the Inquisition. Ronit, who lives in...

The Bissato family, Yehoshua, 45, Chana, 36, and their daughter Leah, 7, came to Israel from Caxias do Sul, Brazil, but their journey was much more than a trip on a plane. As former pastors, their bible studies actually led them away from the teachings...

Shavei Israel's work throughout Spain, Portugal, and South America has connected us with a growing number of descendants of Bnei Anousim are emerging from the shadows of history, looking to reconnect with the Jewish people and return to the faith which was so cruelly taken...

If you're looking for authentic Sephardic delicacies, look no further than internet personality 'Sally That Girl In The Kitchen.' Here she shows you how to make authentic Sephardic-Turkish Borrecas (potato and cheese hand pies). "If you’ve never had an authentic Sephardic-Turkish Borreca before, you are in for...

The Jewish holiday of Tu B’Shevat, or, literally, the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, is also called Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot, which means 'New Year for the Trees'. Tree planting, fruit eating, special ‘seders’ for the holiday and other celebrations of nature and...

"The candle was not extinguished, and will not be, as it wasn't where Judaism was threatened and Jews were in danger." It's a great pleasure to present the book ‘Three Kerchiefs’ (Shalosh Mitpachot)  by author Hana Tueg that was published this year. Hana Tueg is a...

My name is Eliav and I come from Cuba. Exactly a year ago, I was celebrating Chanukah on the island I came from. Since I began my studies of Judaism, and my search for the truth, the celebration of Chanukah has had a special meaning...

Little Moshe Muñoz, a three-year-old in Ecuador, just got his first haircut and he is very excited. It wasn't just a haircut, though. There is a special custom that many Jews have of waiting until a boy is three to cut his hair for the...

This week saw two in-person events at our Ma'ani Center after many months of mostly Zoom programs due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  The first was a tour of our new exhibit on the Kaifeng Jewish community. The tour, which was held in English, included a slide...