China´s ‘lost Jews’ discover their faith

By Michael Freund

Passover is upon us, the holiday that celebrates the festival of freedom and connects Jews around the world to their roots and to each other. Israel Returns is celebrating the holidays in our centers around the world. In Kaifeng, China, a Jewish community of almost 1,000 people live and thrive. The Kaifeng community is one with a rich and ancient heritage, much of it unfamiliar to most of the outside world, but it has somehow managed to survive throughout the centuries. As part of a pre-Passover visit to Kaifeng, Israel Returns helped organize a communal Passover seder for close to 100 community members of the local Kaifeng Jewish community. With great pride, we helped teach them about the meaning of Passover and the deep connection it holds in the hearts of all Jews. The seder is not just about eating and drinking, or telling the story of the Exodus, or even about reuniting with loved ones. It is the festival of freedom and of liberation, the festival which connects us all together and gives us the same point of origin. The seder defines us as who we are, no matter where in the world we may be.

That is the idea that stands behind all of the work that Israel Returns does.We aim to reunite all parts of the people of Israel, for we all belong to the same nation, the same soul split into different parts. When one part is in trouble the other parts feel it. It is for this reason that we go out to the far flung corners of the earth and connect with our brothers and sisters and help them reconnect with these same Jewish ideals and heritage that we share.

We are now preparing for the exciting possibility of renewed aliyah (immigration to Israel) from Kaifeng in the coming months, and hopefully during Passover, we will see a rise in the spirit of redemption and many of the Kaifeng Jews will feel a stronger connection to their Jewish heritage and the land of Israel. Please help with our outreach efforts to all of the Jewish communities around the world, so that we may accomplish together the final ingathering of all of Israel’s exiles. May you be blessed with all the blessings of Israel and a happy and meaningful Passover.

Sincerely,

Michael Freund
Founder and Chairman of Israel Returns

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