Shavei Israel emissaries head to India to prepare for Bnei Menashe aliyah
Bnei Menashe students during a Hebrew class activity
In advance of the upcoming aliyah to Israel of a large group of Bnei Menashe immigrants, Shavei Israel has dispatched additional staff to India. This is the second time in 2012 that we have sent emissaries from Israel to the Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram, where most of the Bnei Menashe live, and the lessons being given during this trip are more crucial than ever: they focus on specific content the Bnei Menashe will need to more easily integrate into their new lives in Israel when the long-awaited aliyah from India resumes later this year.
The Bnei Menashe (or “sons of Menasseh”) claim descent from one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, who were sent into exile by the Assyrian Empire more than 27 centuries ago. 1,700 Bnei Menashe have immigrated to Israel, but another 7,200 remain in India. Following sustained lobbying by Shavei Israel, the Israeli cabinet is expected to give its final approval to the resumption of the aliyah which should bring the first group of Bnei Menashe to Israel in the coming months.
As with our January mission, two young Israeli graduate students have been heading up the Hebrew instruction component, while Rabbis Gurion Sela and Yehuda Gin are teaching the classes in Judaism. Shavei Israel coordinator for the Bnei Menashe, Tzvi Khaute, is accompanying the group, helping to coordinate their visits, and also providing practical instruction on community organization for the soon-to-be new immigrants. We have the first pictures from the trip here.
Of the approximately 275 Bnei Menashe who will be coming on the first wave of aliyah, all will be from the state of Manipur. The Bnei Menashe in Manipur are more urbanized and generally speak several languages – Hindi, English, and the local dialect of Kuki – so their absorption in Israel is expected to be smooth.
In other news from India, Irene Orleansky, who we wrote about previously, will be heading to visit the Bnei Menashe in September. Irene is an Israeli musician studying at Hebrew University. She has been traveling around the world making audio recordings of songs from far-flung Jewish communities. Her travels have taken her through Africa, the Far East, and now to northeastern India.
While in India, she will record one song for her own project, but will work with Shavei Israel to help us produce an entire CD of music from the Bnei Menashe. Watch this space for news on when the disc will be available for purchase.
We’ll post more pictures and updates as our latest mission to India continues throughout the month.