One of Shavei Israel’s primary goals is to assist descendants of Jews, including lost tribes and hidden Jewish communities, to reconnect with their roots. Our work encompasses a wide variety of groups from diverse backgrounds, ranging from the Bnei Anousim in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Latin America; to hidden Jews in Poland; to Subbotnik Jews of Russia, Kaifeng Jews in China, Bnei Menashe in India, and more.
Shavei Israel established the Ma’ani Center with the aim of preserving, promoting and disseminating the unique heritage and culture of the various communities. We are grateful for the guidance, encouragement and support of Israel’s Ministry of Culture towards achieving this aim.
The Ma’ani center is located in Jerusalem at 3 Am VeOlamo Street, next to Shavei Israel’s head offices.
The center hosts lectures, exhibitions, and cultural events, and is home to a rich archive of documents, photos and music. Shavei staff frequently give lectures to schools and other groups, both in person or via Zoom as circumstances dictate.
The lectures highlight the history, traditions and heritage of these diverse communities, with an emphasis on characteristics such as language, dress, song, poetry and culinary elements.
The Ma’ani center has also organized mobile exhibitions in different localities in Israel explaining the culture of specific lost or hidden communities.
We believe that the Jewish people are One Nation with Many Faces and that it is our responsibility to ensure that the precious traditions of the past continue to be passed down to future generations.
The Spanish island of Mallorca maintained a lasting and notable Jewish community dating back to the second century. Flourishing and accepted during both Muslim governance and following the Christian “reconquest” in 1229, Mallorca’s Jewish pop...
05 March, 2024
We recently shared a beautiful rendition of the traditional prayer for the IDF soldiers by Bnei Menashe children from the Khovevei Tzion community in Aizawl, Mizoram. Here are some behind the scenes images including of the siddur (prayer book) used b...
28 February, 2024
Of the 162 Bnei Menashe families evacuated from their homes from the border communities of Sderot and Kiryat Shemoneh, a number of them have been in various hotels in Jerusalem and other cities, trying to find a semblance of normal in this extremely challengin...
27 February, 2024
Bnei Menashe children sing a heartfelt and beautifully produced rendition of the traditional prayer for the IDF soldiers. Featuring children from the Khovevei Tzion community in Aizawl, Mizoram. Prayer for Members of the Israel Defense Force He Who blessed our...
21 February, 2024
