Weekend program in Italy brings together Jews and Bnei Anousim
Recently, I attended a very special weekend program
in the Italian port city of Trani aimed at strengthening Jewish life in Italy's
south. The gathering, hosted at the 13th-century Scolanova synagogue, was
an initiative of Shavei Israel and was coordinated by Italian Rabbi Mino Bahbout
and Avraham Zecchillo, the head of Trani's Jewish community. It brought together
dozens of local Jews and Bnei Anousim (people whose Jewish ancestors were
compelled to convert to Catholicism centuries ago), many of whom are now seeking
to return to their roots. The weekend included festive prayer sessions,
Divrei Torah and joyful meals full of Sabbath songs and kosher Italian
food. It is very exciting to see the revival of Jewish life that is
taking place in southern Italy, and with your support we can enable the smaller
Jewish communities of Italy's south to continue to grow and
develop. Michael Freund Chairman, Shavei Israel P.S. - for pictures of the weekend, please visit our new Facebook page. |
Shavei Israel publishes guide to Chanukah for Poland's "Hidden Jews"
Just in time for Chanukah, Shavei Israel has released a new,
first-of-its-kind Polish-language guide to the holiday entitled "Lights for
Polish Jewry." It is being circulated free of charge to thousands of "hidden
Jews" throughout Poland.
In recent years,
many young Poles have begun to discover - or rediscover - their Jewish roots,
which were often hidden from them by their parents or grandparents because of
the persecution they endured under Nazism and Communism. They are hungry for
Jewish knowledge and information - as a result, there is a growing need for
Polish-language materials on Jewish history and
tradition.
The new book contains the history, laws and customs of
this very special festival, as well as a sampling of traditional songs and
recipes. Its publication is part
of Shavei Israel's ongoing efforts to reach out to the "hidden Jews" of Poland
and assist them as they reconnect with their
heritage. |
This month in social media
Here's some of what we posted on the new Shavei Facebook site this month: - The tragic death of Bnei Menashe community leader Shimon Gin
- 5 new photo albums with pictures from the Bnei Menashe community.
- Pictures from the sixth annual Maccabiah in Manipur India
- A new CBN documentary on the recent aliyah to Israel of Jews from the Bnei Menashe and Kaifeng communities.
- A moving note from Tzadok Yacobi of India's Bnei Ephraim on his first week in Israel.
- Michael Freund responds to Meir Sheetrit on Kol Israel radio.
- Israeli TV news clip on the Kaifeng Jews in Israel
- Links and pictures to the 4-page spread that Israeli newspaper Haaretz did on Shavei Israel.
- Natan Sharansky on Jewish assimilation.
You can find us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jerusalem-Israel/Shavei-Israel/We have dozens of videos of "lost" Jewish
communities on our YouTube site. Visit us at http://www.youtube.com/user/ShaveiIsrael |
