Subbotniks

A spontaneous visit to our Jerusalem offices by ten people representing two Norwegian interest groups turned into an interesting lecture about Lost and Hidden Jews, and a real learning experience.  Arvid Bjerga, who set up Shavei Israel’s Norwegian branch almost three years ago, was present in...

We're excited that past Shavei Israel emissary Eldad (Artem) Fedorchuk will be reprising his role as emissary for the Subbotnik Jews in Russia!   The Subbotniks were peasants in southern Russia who embraced Jewish practice and converted to Judaism more than 200 years ago under the Czarist...

Shavei Israel’s Deputy Director-General of Administration, Edith Blaustein, gave a special lecture about the Lost Tribes, and other groups with historical affinity for Judaism and the Jewish people plus Shavei Israel’s activities with and for these special communities. Equally special was the audience for the lecture:...

Until the end of the 1980s, life in many Russian settlements, such as the village of Vysoky, Voronezh Oblast, implied the need to use brick stoves to heat buildings and cook food. A Russian stove is designed to retain heat for long periods of time...

As all Jews all over the world, Shavei Israel's communities in different parts of the world celebrated Sukkot and Simchat Torah, ending the cycle of Jewish holidays of the month of Tishrei. As a final part of our review, we're happy to share some pictures...

In anticipation of Rosh Hashanah, Shavei Israel provided its communities in different parts of the world with nice gifts that helped them to get ready for the holiday. Among them Polish Jews of Lodz, Gdansk and Wroclaw who received brand new machzorim (prayer books) for...

Anna Lazarevna Bocharnikova, one of the community leaders of Vysoki, Russia who came to Israel to make aliyah (formal immigration to Israel) almost 9 months ago, will mark July 4th, 2019 as one of the most special days in her life....

This week, a new conference on Subbotnik Jews, devoted to the history and current state of the community, took place in the Maani Center of Shavei Israel. The speaker was Dr. Velvl Chernin, and he shared with the audience historical facts and personal stories of...

Shavei Israel: Here’s the latest installment of our historical and ethnographic report about the history of Vysoki, Russia’s biggest location of the community of the Subbotnik Jews who embraced Judaism several centuries ago and continued to keep their Jewish identity during all these years in the...