Ilan Yavor is an American-Israeli who has spent time with the Kaifeng Jewish community both in China and Israel. With the help of Shavei Israel, he found himself teaching Jewish history to 7 young Chinese Jewish men...in Chinese! He shares his fascinating story.    

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It was only after I made aliyah more than 12 years ago that I began grasping how diverse the Jewish people has become, having incorporated foreign peoples and cultures into its main body. In just over 60 years, the State of Israel has progressed from being a haven for Eastern European ideologues and refugees to being a burgeoning multi-ethnic society, the envy of nations throughout Europe and the Middle East.

But one Shabbat on the Bar Ilan University campus, I discovered that I hadn't known the half of it. For sitting in front of me was a young man whose facial features were undeniably East Asian. He spoke no Hebrew, but his English was impressive. He proudly informed me that he was a scion of a once large and prosperous Jewish community from the city of Kaifeng in eastern China.

Read more about this moving first person report.