Shavei Israel
Roots - the Shavei Israel Newsletter
June 2010
About us
Shavei Israel
Shavei Israel (www.shavei.org) reaches out and assists "lost Jews" seeking to return to the Jewish people. These include the Bnei Menashe of India, the Bnei Anousim of Spain, Portugal & South America, the "Hidden Jews" of Poland and others.

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Return the lost Jews to the nation of Israel -
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Help support Kaifeng Jews in Israel - click here to donate

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You can make a real difference this summer!
Bnei Menashe Girl on Bike
Help a Bnei Menashe child attend camp in Israel this summer

As the school year nears an end, children across Israel are gearing up for summer vacation, looking forward to spending two months enjoying some much-deserved sun and fun.

Among them are some 80 youngsters from the Bnei Menashe community in Kiryat Arba, all of whom have made aliyah from India to Israel in recent years.

Many of these great kids come from families without the financial means to send them to camp. They face the dire prospect of enduring a long, boring summer spent indoors, while their parents are busy at work.

So Shavei Israel is turning to you for help. For just $100, you can send a Bnei Menashe youth to a subsidized summer camp for three weeks run by the local municipality.

2 Bnei Menashe Boys at Summer CampOur goal is to raise a total of $8,000 so that all 80 Bnei Menashe children in Kiryat Arba can go to camp.

By clicking here now and making your donation, you can make a real difference in these children's lives.

Your help will enable us to brighten the summer of a young Bnei Menashe child, and give him or her a taste of the outdoor fun that every child deserves, so
please give generously


Featured cause: "Return the lost Jews to the nation of Israel" 

Shavei Israel has set up a number of "causes" which allow you to donate directly through Facebook. This month, we are featuring the cause "Return the lost Jews to the nation of Israel."

So far, this cause has 830 members and has raised $172. But that's not enough to reach our goals. Please visit our Facebook page and add your name and support to this important Cause.

Dina Samte at the keyboard
Dina Samte at Piano
Shavei profile: Dina Samte - music overcomes all obstacles

When Dina Samte sings, it's hard to believe she's only 17. Her expressive voice and expertise at the keyboard suggest a professional with years of training and performance experience. Even more remarkable is that not only is Dina entirely self-taught, but she was also born blind.

Dina Samte is a member of Bnei Menashe, a group living in northeastern India which is descended from a Lost Tribe of Israel. She made aliyah in 2007 along with 230 other members of the community. Now living near Jerusalem, Dina credits Shavei Israel, which facilitated the process for her and her family, with "taking us in her wings like an eagle."

Dina was born in Churachandpur, a rural village in Manipur with limited facilities for teaching the blind. "I received no formal education," she says. But her aptitude for music became quickly apparent. Her father bought her a small keyboard when she was just 9 years old. "I learned by myself without any help," she says proudly.

As she grew older, Dina became "a big star in her community," says Tzvi Khaute, Shavei Israel's community coordinator for the Bnei Menashe in Israel and India. "Everyone knew her. She was invited to perform at weddings and celebrations." Dina even produced several discs which were sold in local Indian shops.

From the beginning, Dina's music has focused on "the yearning of the Bnei Menashe for Zion and their love for the Land of Israel," she explains. Please click here to read the rest of this article.


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On the Shavei Israel YouTube site, you can see a specially-prepared video of Dina and her life in Israel. Dina has also been covered in the Israeli press. Here's a story in Hebrew. And another in English.

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This month in social media

Here's some of what we posted on the Shavei Facebook site this month:
  • A special Israel TV documentary on Shavei's work with the Jews of Kaifeng - aired on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.
  • New Shavei profile of Daniela Malec, a hidden Jew from Poland who's rediscovered her roots and moved to Israel. The complete story will be in next month's newsletter.
  • In Cochin, India, Michael Freund reports on the restoration of a 400-year-old synagogue.
  • Significant coverage of Shavei's new Polish-language guide to Shavuot. From Arutz 7, JTA, The Jerusalem Post and Makor Rishon.
  • Does it matter how many Jews there are in the world? Michael Freund says yes in an article in Conversations magazine.
  • Coverage of Shavei Israel's ongoing "Discover the Treasure Within" program for Bnei Menashe women in Kiryat Arba.
  • The restoration of the White Stork Synagogue in Poland - presided over by Shavei Israel emissary Rabbi Yitzhak Rapoport.
  • Michael Freund is interviewed for the Jerusalem Educators Technology Seminar - video on our YouTube site.