Shavei Profile: From "Jin Jin" to "Yecholiya" - a Chinese Jew's journey to Jerusalem
 She started life with the name "Jin Jin." Today she goes by "Yecholiya" - Hebrew for "G-d is able." And that has certainly been the case for this brave young woman, one of just a few Chinese Jews who, with Shavei Israel's help, have been able to immigrate to Israel.
Six years after making aliyah, Yecholiya is fully integrated into Israeli society: she speaks Hebrew, loves to eat shakshouka (a Middle Eastern dish), and works as the first Chinese Jewish tour guide in the Holy Land.
It's quite an accomplishment for a Jew growing up in the hinterlands of China, far from the major population centers.
To read more about Yecholiya's fascinating story, please click here.
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Chinese Jews from Kaifeng arrive in Israel 2009 - a moving documentary
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Click to view this video on the Kaifeng Jews
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The first Jews arrived in Kaifeng, one of the capitals of imperial China, over a thousand years ago, when Jewish merchants from Persia settled in the area. At its height, in the Middle Ages, Kaifeng's Jewish community numbered as many as 5,000 people, with rabbis, synagogues and various communal institutions.
But assimilation eventually began to take its toll. The last rabbi of Kaifeng died two centuries ago and, by the middle of the 19th century, the community was forced to sell the synagogue, Torah scrolls and its other remaining assets.
Today, there are between 500 and 1,000 identifiable descendants of the Jewish community. Yet in recent years an awakening has been taking place among them, as increasing numbers of young Kaifeng Jews seek to reclaim their heritage.
Click here to watch a video to learn more about the Kaifeng Jews and to discover how Shavei Israel is helping the community.
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Roots #36 - Feb. 29, 2012
We are an IRS 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
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Shavei Israel reaches out and assists Lost Tribes and "Hidden 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. We welcome your support.
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View past newsletters at our archive
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Contact us
Shavei Israel
58 King George Street, 4th floor
Jerusalem, Israel 94262
Tel: +972-2-625-6230
Fax: +972-2-625-6233
www.shavei.org
View past newsletters at our archive
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