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...
Karate Judaism is a Jewish movement that recognizes only the Bible as a source for legal authority. Tracing its origins to Baghdad in the 8th century CE, today, there only are an estimated 30,000–50,000 Karaites left, most living in Israel, with smaller communities in Turkey,...
[caption id="attachment_12255" align="alignleft" width="300"] Synagogue in Surabaya, Indonesia before it was destroyed[/caption] The surprising history of Jews in Indonesia returned to the news recently with the disclosure that the last remaining synagogue in the world’s largest Muslim country was destroyed in early 2013. According to a...
Over the past weeks, we’ve introduced you to some of the far-flung Jewish communities we profile on the Shavei Israel website but with whom we are not actively involved. This week we turn your attention to the Caribbean and the small community on the...
The Shavei Israel website is a great place to research the many fascinating Jewish communities that can be found in the farthest corners of the globe. We write about all kinds of Jewish groups, not only those with whom we are actively involved. In this...
Shavei Israel’s mission is to reach out to “lost” and “hidden” Jews around the world. From Poland to Peru, Barcelona to Brazil, Shavei Israel helps descendants of Jews reconnect with the people and State of Israel. In addition to these groups, there are a number...
Could a lost Jewish tribe be at the roots of Afghanistan’s Taliban? Some researchers say yes, and it’s just one of the fascinating – and perhaps inflammatory – stories we include in the “Other Communities” section of the Shavei Israel website, dedicated to Jewish groups...
Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund visited the Bene Israel community in Mumbai in June 2012. Here is a selection of pictures. [nggallery id=149]...
[caption id="attachment_9203" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Only pre-war synagogue that is still open in Vilna"][/caption] Vilna was one of the most famous Jewish cities in pre-World War II Europe, known around the world for its Torah institutions and scholars, especially the fabled Vilna Gaon. Before the war, the city...
