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I met with a fascinating woman named Sarah, from of the color of her skin, and how she has fought for
a family of Greek and Turkish Jews. Born and raised her brother to be allowed to make Aliyah to rejoin the
in Cairo, her family spoke Arabic, French, and Ladino family. She is still advocating for the Israeli govern-
and dreamed of one day immigrating to the State of ment to allow him and his family to come home.
Israel. When tensions began to rise for Jews in Cairo
in the 1950s, her family escaped Egypt for France and When I was a small child, my grandfather, a Holo-
ultimately immigrated to America. Eventually, with caust survivor, impressed upon me the importance
her husband and children, she made Aliyah and was of recording and retelling stories. He taught me that
one of the first families to settle in Gush Etzion. the narratives we tell ourselves define who we are
and what we value, and guide us as we chart a path
I was connected to Shlomit, who grew up in Kolasib, for the future.
India, as part of the Bnei Menashe tribe. She traces her
family lineage back to her ancient people and told me As a storyteller, my life in Israel has opened up my
how she discovered her faith in Judaism and longed to eyes, helping me see our people and our homeland
live in Israel with all her soul. She walked me through with a wider focus. Jewish history is vast and com-
her Aliyah and conversion process and her family cus- plicated. Over thousands of years of exile, we were
toms, foods, and cultures. I marveled at how her family scattered to the farthest corners of the world, far from
history finally led her home. our land and from each other. It is awe-inspiring to
witness the herculean efforts of so many of our broth-
I became friends with an amazing young woman ers and sisters who are fighting to rejoin our people
named Chaya, from Puebla, Mexico. For generations, and come home at last.
her mother’s family was believed to have descended
from Jews in Valencia, Spain, as it was their family sur- The future of our nation and the Land of Israel will
name. Though they never formally identified as Jews, be built by the narratives we tell of the past, present,
they always kept the tenets of the Jewish faith; kashrut, and future. The more we learn about each other and
tzniut, Shabbat, and more. Through an incredible jour- the more we dedicate ourselves to building unity and
ney of discovery, most of her family has now officially taking an active part in the ingathering of the exiles,
converted to Judaism through the Israeli Rabbanut the closer we will come to our final redemption. May
and made Aliyah, building families and serving in the we see it soon!
IDF. I was recently honored to have been invited to her
wedding here in Israel! Shira Lankin Sheps, MSW, is a writer, photographer, and clini-
cally trained therapist. She is the creator and publisher of The
I was introduced to Sewalem, who was born to a Layers Project Magazine, an online magazine that explores
Jewish mother and Christian father in a small Ethio- in-depth insights into the challenges and triumphs of the
pian village called Wegera. Sewalem, her mother and lives of Jewish women. She is the author of "Layers: Personal
some of her siblings were able to make Aliyah from Narratives of Struggle, Resilience, and Growth From Jewish
Addis Ababa when she was a little girl. She explained Women" published by Toby Press in 2021. She facilitates The
what it was like to go on a plane for the first time, Layers Writing Workshops, and has written with hundreds of
and to leave almost everything she knew behind – women over the years, helping them explore their personal
food, culture, and even her elder brother. She told me narratives, discover meaning in their struggles, and share their
about the racism she has experienced in Israel because stories in a safe and healthy way. (PHOTOS: COURTESY)

Chaya Sewalem
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