 A total of 1,700 Bnei Menashe moved to Israel, mainly settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip (until the disengagement in 2005).In 2013 Freund learned of a large groups of Latin Americans from Christian families who were converting to orthodox Judaism, thousands or tens of thousands of whom wanted to immigrate to Israel.Freund began working with Israeli authorities and with the Latin American converts, and the first, small group of converts moved to Israel in June 2015.