What do the Chinese people as a whole know of the small Chinese Jewish community in Kaifeng? Not much, says Aaron Wood, who was born in Beijing, grew up entirely oblivious of Jews and Judaism, and yet today lives as an observant Jew in the...
The Subbotnik Jewish community in Beit Shemesh held a pre-Shavuot party in anticipation of the holiday that celebrates Matan Torah - the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people from Mount Sinai. The event included cheesecake and a Shavuot quiz. We have pictures....
In 2012, Daniel Limor was invited to a royal audience with an African village king – a member of the Igbo tribe, the second largest ethnic group in Nigeria. The king was wearing a robe with a Star of David on it. So begins the...
El ser humano fue dotado de un libre albedr?o que es enteramente libre. No hay nada que lo detenga de llegar a ser el m?s bajo de los viles asesinos ni nada que le impida alcanzar el mayor nivel de espiritualidad y grandeza humana. De no ser as?, nadie podr?a ser condenado por sus acciones malas ni ensalzado por las buenas. No ser?amos m?s que robots si cada acci?n buena fuese recompensada inmediatamente y cada acci?n mala fuese castigada instant?neamente.
Incluso hay opiniones rab?nicas que afirman que el ser humano puede afectar negativamente a otro ser humano con su libre albedr?o, si lo utiliz? para el mal. D-s interviene en algunos aspectos para que el hombre no se coma vivo a su semejante. Sin embargo, dej? a la humanidad con una amplia gama de libertad en su andar por la espiritualidad. Esto es como un padre que decide no intervenir en los pleitos infantiles. Entiende que lo mejor para ellos es que se arreglen solos. Claro, siempre hay excepciones y al padre le conviene usar su materia gris para decidir si debe intervenir en alg?n caso espec?fico. Si no, estar?a criando gente sin criterio. Eso es como aquel padre que le ense?a a su hijo usar una bicicleta: Lo mantiene equilibrado un rato, pero debe soltar finalmente. No es l?gico que siga sujetando el asiento del ni?o mientras el joven pedalea por toda la ciudad.Cuando soltar?, el ni?o se caer?, se raspar?, pero finalmente aprender? montar una bicicleta.
Esther Surikova was worried. The barbeque and bonfire she’d planned for the Subbotnik Jewish community of Beit Shemesh last Wednesday night conflicted with another event for Jews who have immigrated to Israel from Russia – a party to mark “Victory Day” – the 70th anniversary...
As the banquet hall in San Salvador filled up, it was not clear who was more excited – the 250 Bnei Anousim who had come from all over El Salvador to celebrate Shabbat together, or their guest speakers for the weekend, Shavei Israel Chairman Michael...
Forth-five new immigrant families from Manipur India have moved to the ancient city of Safed in the Upper Galilee. They left the Kfar Hasidim absorption center, where they first landed after making aliyah, several months ago. A team led by Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund...
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,...
