Behind every story are the personalities that make them happen. The story of the Shavei Israel visitor center in Belmonte, Portugal is no exception. The personality behind it is Ytzjak López de Oliveira. Ytzjak López de Oliveira is in charge of Casa Anusim, the Shavei Israel...
The Chazon Ish community in Santiago, Chile held a marathon day of Torah study and preparation before Chanukah. The all-day program included activities and learning for all ages, including the laws of Chanukah with Gil Kalinka; study of the weekly Torah portion with Rabbi Latapiat and...
Fifteen Jewish families in Guatemala City with nowhere else to go came together to build the Shaar Hashamaim Bnei Anousim (Converso) community. Among the community’s founding members is Gerardo Flores and his wife, Aury de Flores. But they are more than just figureheads. The couple, married...
The Beit Toldot community is located in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador and consists of approximately 10 families who decided to reconnect with their Jewish roots under the supervision of Rabbi Shimon Yehoshua, Shavei Israel's emissary in Colombia. The recent Shabbat was very special for...
This week, El Salvador community celebrated a very special event - the birth of a baby girl. The baby's name is Débora Margalit bat Yoseph and Ruth, and we're happy to share some photos taken at the party organized by her family. Rabbi Elisha Salas,...
Dani Limor, head of the "Mapping Jewish communities around the world" project of Israel's Diaspora Affairs Ministry, traveled to South America recently where he visited with a number of Shavei Israel communities. The purpose of his visit to El Salvador and Colombia was to get acquainted...
Rabbi Shimon Yehoshua, Shavei Israel's emissary in Colombia where he works with some 11 local communities of Bnei Anousim, recently accepted the invitation of another Jewish community in neighbouring Ecuador to visit and assist them with preparation for their formal conversion to Judaism. Ecuador has several...
Rabbi Elisha Salas continues his outreach work as the Shavei Israel emissary in South America: usually based in El Salvador, once a month he travels to neighboring countries. This week, besides his usual activities in San Salvador, such as teaching Hebrew to adults and organizing...
The Education Committee in our El Salvador Jewish community expanded its activities by appointing its members, Asher and Abigail, to teach in a local Talmud Torah and organize activities for children. The current schedule for the Talmud Torah pupils is very busy and intensive. Besides Shabbat...
This month our communities in El Salvador received special visitors, sent by OTS Amiel Bakehila, which is sponsored by Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. The organization, which aims to empower Jewish communities around the world and to strengthen their connection to the Jewish state, has...