Israel under attack: A first-person account – Michael Freund visits the Bnei Menashe of Sderot
Michael Freund with the Bnei Menashe in Sderot: David Longdim, Eliezer Dongel, Ezra Touthang, Enosh Lhouvum, Bedan Kipgen, Shlomo Dongel, Gershon Toboy, and Yossi Longdim
Last week, as Palestinian rockets rained down on Israel, Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund made his way south to the city of Sderot – the small beleaguered community that has borne the brunt of the rockets that have been fired from the Gaza Strip.
His goal was to visit a courageous group of Bnei Menashe immigrants from India who settled there in recent years, in order to provide them with moral support during this very difficult time for the Jewish state. Of the 1,700 Bnei Menashe currently living in Israel, 82 are in Sderot: 16 families and five singles.
Michael filed the following first-hand report:
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As I drove to the designated meeting place – an apartment building in the center of town – I could not help but notice that the streets were eerily quiet, even deserted. After parking my car, I quickly learned why: a few minutes previously, a Qassam rocket fired from Gaza had landed just across the street. An ambulance and security officers were already on the scene, examining the area and scouring it for damage.
Despite the tense atmosphere around them, the Bnei Menashe are a hardy and resilient bunch, and I am proud to say that they have braved the wave of missiles with an impressive combination of faith and resolve.
As we sat discussing the situation, there were two loud explosions, one right after the other, followed by the menacing sounds of windows shaking from the force of the blasts. It sounded far too close for comfort.
Despite the intensity of the moment, the Bnei Menashe did not even flinch. “It’s OK,” one of them assured me. “Please continue.”
Surprised by his equanimity and that of the group, I asked them how they dealt with the reality of living under attack from Gaza.
- Across the street from the apartment building where Michael met the Bnei Menashe, a Palestinian rocket landed about five minutes before he arrived. The ambulance and police are still in the area.
“We have gotten used to it,” David Lhungdim, who immigrated to Israel from the northeastern Indian state of Manipur in 2007, told me. “It is more difficult for the children, but we are not afraid because this is our Land.”
Indeed, David, who has devoted himself to religious studies and is a budding young Bnei Menashe scholar, waved off any talk of despair. “We dreamed of coming to Israel so that we could live a full Jewish life here and observe the commandments,” he declared, adding that, “after more than 2,700 years of exile, we know that with G-d’s help, we will prevail.”
“And the renewal of the Bnei Menashe aliyah is something that gives us great joy, even in the midst of the missiles,” piped in Yossi Lhungdim, one of the others present. He was referring to the recent Israeli government resolution enabling the resumption of immigration from India. Shavei Israel will be bringing the first group of 275 Bnei Menashe immigrants in the coming months.
“We are excited that our relatives will soon be here with us, as we have waited so long to be reunited with them,” he said.
Just then, we heard another loud explosion outside. This time, it sounded even closer than the previous ones. In an adjacent room, I saw two young Bnei Menashe children, a boy and a girl. They briefly looked up from the cartoon they were watching on television, unsure of what to make of the booming noise, a hint of fear visible in their eyes. But just as quickly, they turned their attention back to the animated figures on the screen in front of them.
After saying goodbye, I drove back towards Tel Aviv, with my thoughts wrapped up in the miracle of Jewish perseverance.
The Bnei Menashe of Sderot, like the rest of the people of Israel at this terribly trying time, are standing tall; refusing to yield to fear. Though many have been in the country for only five years, the Bnei Menashe of Sderot with whom I visited that day have learned to adapt, never losing sight – even amidst the gloom! – of what makes Israel unique. With a spirit such as that, we are truly indestructible.