Last week the Jewish world celebrated Tu B’Shvat, the annual “New Year for the Trees,” and Shavei Israel’s communities joined in the fun by holding parties, planting trees and eating plenty of fruits and nuts. From Portugal to Poland, Bogota to Beit Shemesh, “Lost” and...
Last week, Portugal made an historic decision to offer dual citizenship to the descendants of Sephardi Jews who were exiled or compelled to embrace Catholicism as Anousim (or Marranos) during the terrible years of the Inquisition over 500 years ago. Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund...
The Internet has been all abuzz in the past few weeks with video about Shavei Israel. We wanted to share a few of those links with you. First, a group of Bnei Menashe who made aliyah earlier this year paid their first visit to the...
In 2012, the Spanish government approved a draft bill offering citizenship to the descendants of Sephardi Jews who were exiled or compelled to embrace Catholicism as Anousim (or Marranos) during the terrible years of the Inquisition over 500 years ago. Last week, Portugal followed suit....
What makes a successful Jewish event? When all the participants say they want to do another one…as soon as possible. That was the clear takeaway from Shavei Israel’s first ever “Teen Shabbaton” held in Warsaw, Poland, at the end of last year. As a result,...
Today (January 27, 2015) is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Held annually since 2006, the date commemorates the liberation by Soviet troops of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in 1945. Events all over the world mark the day, including in Italy, where Shavei Israel’s emissary to the...
New on the Shavei Israel website: a video documenting the November 2014 aliyah of a group of Bnei Menashe. The 5-minute video includes moving footage of the Bnei Menashe as they head towards the arrival hall at Ben-Gurion Airport, as well as a meeting with...
Who are the Subbotnik Jews? A new video produced by Shavei Israel describes the fascinating history of this special Jewish community that lives primarily in southern Russia and Siberia, along with a smaller group who have made aliyah to Israel and reside in the town...
Shavei Israel has opened a special after-school study program for Bnei Menashe youngsters who have settled with their families in the town of Upper Nazareth. The program is called Moadonit Miriam, in honor of Shavei Israel chairman Michael Freund’s maternal grandmother, Miriam Rosenthal. Fifteen to...
In 2010, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, who is best known for the English and Hebrew translations of the Talmud that bear his name, established a now annual event: The Global Day of Jewish Learning. This year, Shavei Israel’s emissary to Portugal, Rabbi Elisha Salas, joined the...
