Sara Rachel Kadosh da Fonseca, Oziane Pinheiro Braga and Jefferson Higino are here together with dozens of young Brazilian Jews for a ten-day visit in which they will travel around the country, see the Land and its sites and spend a Shabbat in Jerusalem.
“Bnai Anousim” is the Hebrew term for people whose ancestors were forcibly converted to Catholicism during the time of the Inquisition. Historians have often referred to them as "crypto-Jews" or by the derogatory label "Marranos."
"I was 13 years old when my parents revealed to me that we are essentially Jews," Jefferson Higino, now age 24, said. "They told me that our ancestors arrived in Brazil from Europe, after being forced to convert to Catholicism and then being persecuted by the Inquisition."
"Ever since my childhood, we always celebrated the Jewish holidays," Oziane Braga, also 24, says. "My mother always lit candles on Friday night and never mixed meat and milk together, and when I asked her why, she shrugged her shoulders and said, 'this is what my grandmother taught me."
"Furthermore," Braga added, "I remember how my parents would never let us go to sleep at night without first reciting the verse of 'Shema Yisrael' (Hear O Israel)."
"We are delighted that Sara, Oziane and Jefferson were able to make the long journey here, to visit the land of their forefathers for the very first time," said Michael Freund, Chairman of Shavei Israel (www.shavei.org), a Jerusalem-based group that assists "lost Jews" seeking to return to the Jewish people.
"And I am grateful to Mr. Michael Steinhardt, the prominent American Jewish philanthropist and founder of Birthright, for supporting our efforts to bring Bnai Anousim to Israel on the Birthright program," he said.
Taglit-Birthright gives young Diaspora Jews the opportunity to visit the Jewish state for free, with the aim of strengthening their Jewish identity.
The three Bnai Anousim taking part in the trip all hail from the town of Recife, in northern Brazil. There they attend classes and other activities at "Beit Aryeh," Shavei Israel's local outreach center which opened last year and is headed by Rabbi Avraham Amitai.
"Brazil is home to one of the largest concentrations of Bnai Anousim in the world," Freund said. "The Bnai Anousim are our brothers and sisters, and it is time for the State of Israel and the Jewish people to reach out to them and help them to return."
Visiting Israel, Jefferson Higino said, "is a great opportunity for me to get to know the country up close, and to be together with my people. I have a lot of Jewish pride, and I am ready to fight for my people – the people of Israel," he said.
For more information, contact "office@shavei.org".
Sarah Rachel Kadosh returns to her roots in a trip to Israel.
“Bnai Anousim” is the Hebrew term for people whose ancestors were forcibly converted to Catholicism during the time of the Inquisition. Historians have often referred to them as "crypto-Jews" or by the derogatory label "Marranos."
"I was 13 years old when my parents revealed to me that we are essentially Jews," Jefferson Higino, now age 24, said. "They told me that our ancestors arrived in Brazil from Europe, after being forced to convert to Catholicism and then being persecuted by the Inquisition."
"Ever since my childhood, we always celebrated the Jewish holidays," Oziane Braga, also 24, says. "My mother always lit candles on Friday night and never mixed meat and milk together, and when I asked her why, she shrugged her shoulders and said, 'this is what my grandmother taught me."
Ozian Pinheiro and her father. Ozian joined the Taglit-Birthright trip in her search for her heritage.
"Furthermore," Braga added, "I remember how my parents would never let us go to sleep at night without first reciting the verse of 'Shema Yisrael' (Hear O Israel)."
"We are delighted that Sara, Oziane and Jefferson were able to make the long journey here, to visit the land of their forefathers for the very first time," said Michael Freund, Chairman of Shavei Israel (www.shavei.org), a Jerusalem-based group that assists "lost Jews" seeking to return to the Jewish people.
"And I am grateful to Mr. Michael Steinhardt, the prominent American Jewish philanthropist and founder of Birthright, for supporting our efforts to bring Bnai Anousim to Israel on the Birthright program," he said.
Taglit-Birthright gives young Diaspora Jews the opportunity to visit the Jewish state for free, with the aim of strengthening their Jewish identity.
The three Bnai Anousim taking part in the trip all hail from the town of Recife, in northern Brazil. There they attend classes and other activities at "Beit Aryeh," Shavei Israel's local outreach center which opened last year and is headed by Rabbi Avraham Amitai.
"Brazil is home to one of the largest concentrations of Bnai Anousim in the world," Freund said. "The Bnai Anousim are our brothers and sisters, and it is time for the State of Israel and the Jewish people to reach out to them and help them to return."
Visiting Israel, Jefferson Higino said, "is a great opportunity for me to get to know the country up close, and to be together with my people. I have a lot of Jewish pride, and I am ready to fight for my people – the people of Israel," he said.
For more information, contact "office@shavei.org".