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After decades in the Amazon, Brazilian rescuer finds his way to Judaism in Israel at

image sourced from original article at https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/byyappnygx

Wilson Miranda Filho once spent days navigating the Amazon River and trekking through dense jungle to deliver medicine and vaccines to isolated Indigenous communities in northern Brazil. A former military search-and-rescue serviceman and longtime jungle guide, he devoted decades to humanitarian work in remote regions with no roads or electricity.

During those years, an unexpected encounter with Jewish teachings sparked a profound spiritual shift. Studying largely on his own, he began traveling long distances to pray with a Jewish community in São Paulo and eventually decided that if he was serious about conversion, he needed to move to Israel. His first attempt in 2013 was short-lived, but he continued learning and observing Jewish practice from afar.

Years later, he returned to Israel with renewed determination and joined a conversion program in Efrat. Now known as Micha, the 62-year-old spends his days studying Torah, praying at sunrise, and preparing for a formal conversion process he knows will take time. Teachers describe him as deeply sincere and driven by searching questions, while he says he has already fulfilled his dream of living in the Land of Israel and building his life among the Jewish people.

Original article source: https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/byyappnygx
Source Id: 2026-05-1177139738

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