Personal Stories

Shavei Israel is proud and excited to have appointed a new director-general, Edith Blaustein! While she may be the new director, Edith is not new to Shavei at all. In fact, Edith has been working hard in many aspects of Shavei Israel over the last...

As part of our  Maani Center programming, with the help and advice of Shaar Binyamin and our dear friend Federico Pipman, representative of Mama Mía 360, this week there was a special personal stories panel called "Tales of Bnei Anousim." We had, as special guests,...

Yaakov, 45, immigrated to Israel about 3 years ago from Colombia because he decided he wanted to convert after attending Torah lessons and praying in the Magen Abraham Jewish community in Cali, Colombia. He contacted Shavei Israel, which, among other things, helps all those who...

Sometimes teachers really connect with a particular subject matter, or specific population. And sometimes a teacher connects with both, in a remarkable way, that makes all the difference for their students. Meet Dalia Netzer, a wonderful, dedicated - and beloved - Hebrew teacher, who has...

We wrote about the Bissato family, Yehoshua, 45, Chana, 36, and their daughter Leah, 10, when they arrived in Israel from Caxias do Sul, Brazil. The former pastors' unusual path actually led them away from the teachings they grew up on and onto a path towards...

Around the time of the holiday of Shavuot, we felt it is the perfect time to celebrate those who convert to Judaism. The Anaya family, from Colombia, made incredible efforts to be part of the Jewish people and are so happy to be living their...

Everyone at Shavei Israel rejoiced as longtime Shavei employee, Chaya, married our most recent addition, Eliav, earlier this week. But the celebration was more than just that of a wedding, and more than just that of the joy shared by coworkers. This love story has been...

This week, after five long years and many battles, we were blessed at last to bring our friend Eliav, from Cuba, before the Conversion Court in Jerusalem. Happily, he passed the test with flying colors! Eliav's ancestors were Spanish Jews who were forcibly converted to Catholicism,...

We're excited that past Shavei Israel emissary Eldad (Artem) Fedorchuk will be reprising his role as emissary for the Subbotnik Jews in Russia!   The Subbotniks were peasants in southern Russia who embraced Jewish practice and converted to Judaism more than 200 years ago under the Czarist...

[caption id="attachment_149114" align="alignleft" width="141"] Ronit Treatman[/caption] Author Ronit Treatman grew up in Venezuela, only to discover, decades later, that many of the Catholic families she grew up with are actually descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jewish communities forced to convert during the Inquisition. Ronit, who lives in...