Making aliyah: Meet Nathaniel Haokip
Nathaniel Haokip (second from left) with family
Nathaniel (Ngamkholun) Haokip, 55, recently made aliyah from Manipur with his wife and three of his five children. But a serious illness almost took him from this world before he would be able to see the day he dreamed about for so long. Even before that, keeping a Jewish lifestyle was a challenge in rural India. He tells his story here.
Nathaniel (second from left in the picture) had been serving as the “Chief” of Sijang village, which is home to a community of 15 Bnei Menashe families. “Initially we used to live in a different village called Loibol,” he explains. “But my family and I were forced to leave because we follow the Jewish faith. We moved from one village to another until, in 1994, with G-d’s help, I managed to buy a small acre of land in the Churachandpur hills area, not too far from the main ‘Beith Shalom’ Shavei Israel center there. Finally, we were able to settle down and practice Judaism peacefully with no one to oppress us for doing so. All 15 families are members of the village synagogue, ‘Shivat Tzion.’
“Last June Shavei Israel selected my family to make aliyah this year. But as the time to leave approached, I came down with a serious ailment and needed to be hospitalized. Eventually, the doctors advised me to have an operation. At first I hesitated – with aliyah just around the corner, I was afraid I might miss the chance to go, after waiting patiently for so long. However my condition was critical – I was between life and death. I had no choice but to agree to the surgery.
“My caretakers at the hospital thought I was almost at the end of my days and were already in tears. But with my great hope and faith in Hashem (G-d) the operation was successful and I am now back to normal. My recovery was like a miracle, for they never thought I would make it. But I did! And then I was able to make aliyah with my family!”
As she listened to her husband’s story, Shira Haokip recalled a personal pledge she had made while still in India: “As soon as I set my foot on the ground of Israel, I will cry my heart out!”
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Leah’s story was written with the help of Ruth Haokip, a Shavei Israel “Fellow” from Manipur who also moved to Israel with her family during the recent Bnei Menashe aliyah.