B'nai Moshe facts for kids
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 1,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Peru |
100 prospective converts |
 Israeli-occupied West Bank |
900 (est.) |
| Languages | |
| Spanish, Modern Hebrew | |
| Religion | |
| Judaism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Mestizos, Amerindians, Indigenous peoples of Peru | |
The B'nai Moshe (which means "Children of Moses" in Hebrew) are a small group of people who converted to Judaism. They originally came from Trujillo, a city in Peru, located north of the capital city Lima. Over time, some members of this community also moved to other Peruvian cities like Arequipa and Piura.
Most B'nai Moshe now live in communities in Israel, especially in places like Kfar Tapuach and Elon Moreh. They live alongside other Jewish groups, including Yemenite Jews and Russian Jews.
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Who are the "Inca Jews"?
You might hear the B'nai Moshe called "Inca Jews." This isn't their official name, but it's a popular nickname. It comes from their connection to Peru's native people. Many B'nai Moshe have ancestors who were Amerindian or mestizos. Mestizos are people with a mix of Spanish and Amerindian heritage. The name "Inca Jews" connects them to the ancient Incas, who were a famous native civilization in Peru.
How the Community Started
The B'nai Moshe community began in 1966. A man from Trujillo named Segundo Villanueva started it. He had been studying Judaism since he was twelve years old, starting in 1939. At that time, he lived in the city of Cajamarca.
Villanueva created a religious group called Israel de Dios, which means "Israel of God." This group followed Jewish practices that they read about in the Hebrew Bible. In 1967, Villanueva led 19 families from his group to settle in the Peruvian Amazon. They formed a new settlement called Hebrón near Iquitos.
In 1970, Segundo Villanueva and his brother Álvaro visited Lima. They wanted to meet with the Jewish community there. Rabbi Abraham ben Hamu, from the Sephardic synagogue, was the only Jewish leader who met with them. By 1971, most of the community returned to Trujillo. A few families stayed in the Amazon, and Álvaro moved to Lima to start a new congregation there.
Becoming Jewish and Moving to Israel
In 1980, Villanueva connected with the Israeli embassy in Lima. Through the embassy, he met David Liss, an Israeli engineer. Liss helped convince rabbis to come to Peru to formally convert the B'nai Moshe. One of these rabbis was Eliyahu Avichail. He founded an organization called Amishav, which helps find Jewish people who have been separated from their heritage.
In 1985, Villanueva also contacted the Lubavitcher Rebbe, a very important Jewish leader. The Rebbe sent Rabbi Myron Zuber to Peru. Rabbi Zuber arrived in 1988 and helped the community learn how to properly follow Jewish laws. This included observing kashrut (Jewish dietary laws) and Shabbat (the Jewish day of rest).
The Jewish community in Lima was still hesitant to fully accept the B'nai Moshe. Because of this, it was decided that the B'nai Moshe would move to Israel once they formally converted. This move is called aliyah, which means "going up" or immigrating to Israel.
In 1989, Rabbi Avichail and Rabbi Mordechai Oriah came to Peru. They joined Rabbi Jacob Krauss from Lima to form a Beit din. A Beit Din is a special Jewish court made up of rabbis. This court formally converted about 60 people from the Trujillo community in the Moche River. They also converted another 15 people from the Lima community in the Pacific Ocean.
The Beit Din formally converted about 300 community members in 1991. Almost all of them moved to Israel. Another 200 followed several years later. Around 30 B'nai Moshe moved to Lima at the same time. In 2001, another 84 people were formally converted.
See also
- History of the Jews in Peru
- Peruvian Jews in Israel
- Amazonian Jews
- Jewish ethnic divisions
- Mestizos
- Amerindians
- Incas
