Sending matza to India’s Bnei Menashe
At Shavei's Bnei Menashe center in India
Passover with the Bnei Menashe is shaping up to be particularly memorable this year, thanks to Shavei Israel. We are sending 60 kilograms of matza to India for use in the 41 communal Passover seders that will be taking place in the northeastern part of the country.
Shavei Israel emissaries Yohanan Phaltual and Lyion Fanai will be leading group seders in the capital cities of Manipur and Mizoram. In other cities, some of the 60 Shavei Israel-trained “Fellows” will be in charge. This is the second year these Shavei Fellows are able to take the lead. The Fellows will also run other activities during the week of Passover, including a Bible Quiz, debates on Jewish law, and an essay contest.
Another activity being organized is a dramatic presentation about the nature of freedom – a key message of the Passover story. The irony is not lost for the Bnei Menashe in India who have been waiting patiently for permission to make aliyah to Israel. But with recent developments in the Knesset – see our story here – “next year in Jerusalem” may be that much closer.
Shavei Israel‘s matza distribution will reach even farther this year, to the Bnei Menashe living in Myanmar (Burma) along the Indian border, and the neighboring Indian states of Nagaland and Assam. These far-flung communities are quite distant from the main Bnei Menashe centers in Manipur and Mizoram and they have not had the same opportunities to learn and practice Judaism. Ten Shavei Israel Fellows will be heading out into the countryside to help them prepare for the holiday.
60 kilograms of matza is an important start, but it’s not nearly enough for the more than 7,200 Bnei Menashe who will be celebrating the holiday in India. Your donation of just $45 will buy matza for an entire Bnei Menashe family to last the holiday week. Please visit the Support Us page on our website or link to our Facebook cause here.
With your help, the Bnei Menashe will receive a significant taste of freedom this year.