We have breaking news from India. Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund sent this picture and a text update on Sunday night.  

I am at the airport in New Dehli together with a group of 53 Bnei Menashe - descendants of a Lost Tribe of Israel - who are making aliyah after 27 centuries in exile, preparing to board the flight to Tel Aviv. As Isaiah (43:5) foretold: "Do not be afraid, because I am with you. I will bring your descendants from the east...."

UPDATE: As of Monday, this first group of Bnei Menashe have landed in Israel! Watch next week's newsletter and visit our Facebook page for the full details.

Ilana Shaporker

In 2000, Indian-born Ilana Shaporker was living in a convent in France, studying to become a nun. And she was slowly dying - both spiritually and physically. Something was calling her towards Judaism and towards Israel. Eleven years later, she would find her way home. And yet, at that point, she had never even met a Jew before.

"I wasn't comfortable with being a nun," she says. "Whenever we would have classes on the Torah or Bible, I would argue with the priests and lecturers. I would stand up and ask questions and they would get angry. They would say 'this is the faith' and that's it."