Shavei Israel sponsors Purim celebrations and a pre-Passover training seminar for Bnei Menashe of Myanmar (Burma)
In front of Ohel Michael in Myanmar
Last month, we reported on Simeon Hatlang, one of Shavei Israel’s two Bnei Menashe Fellows in Myanmar (Burma), and his six-month stay in India for intensive training in Hebrew and Judaism. Hatlang returned to Myanmar just prior to the Purim holiday last month where he jumped straight into programming holiday activities for his community.
Hatlang and senior Shavei Fellow, Yona Kipgen, put together a festive Purim program; it was the first time the holiday was celebrated at the new Ohel Michael Synagogue, named after Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund. Ohel Michael is located in the small hilly village of Tualmu in Myanmar’s Chin state. The plot for the synagogue was donated by the village chief, who is also a Bnei Menashe. Purim festivities included the traditional Megillah reading and a communal meal.
But Hatlang and Kipgen had no time to breathe – immediately after Purim, they traveled back across the border into India, this time with a group of 22 Bnei Menashe from Myanmar, for a special one-week pre-Passover training seminar from March 12-19.
Held in conjunction with the Moreshet Menashe community in the bustling town of Moreh, the program was supervised by Samuel Baite, the Shavei Fellow in Moreh and led by Shavei Fellow Yehoshua Touthang who traveled from Churachandpur for the seminar.
Touthang is also certified as a mohel (ritual circumciser) ,and during the week in Moreh, nine of the Myanmar Bnei Menashe underwent a brit mila at an emotional ceremony attended by the entire community.
Topics covered as part of the learning included specific Passover essentials (how to make dishes and utensils kosher for Passover, leading the Seder and baking matzah) as well as general subjects such as Hebrew, prayer, basic Judaism and the laws of family purity.
The Bnei Menashe group returned to Myanmar prior to the holiday to celebrate Passover together with the rest of their community in Tualmu – also for the first time in the beautiful Ohel Michael synagogue.
Here are some photos of both the Purim celebrations in Myanmar and the Passover training seminar in Moreh.