Operation Menashe begins this week! Next aliyah flight lands Thursday
Bnei Menashe on the plane to Israel earlier in 2013
The Bnei Menashe are coming home – and soon. As we reported in October, the Government of Israel unanimously passed a resolution allowing Shavei Israel to bring 899 Bnei Menashe from India to Israel. This comes on top of the previous round of Indian aliyah in 2012 and 2013, where we brought 274 Bnei Menashe back to Zion.
The first flight of this latest group of Bnei Menashe lands this Thursday. Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund flew to India this week to accompany the 40 Bnei Menashe men, women and children, all from the Indian state of Mizoram, on their emotional journey. He’ll be sending us pictures and video from New Delhi where the Bnei Menashe are staying for a few days, while the Israeli government processes the final paperwork in preparation for their flight on December 26. UPDATE: Pictures are below – check out the gallery.
This new aliyah represents a 300% increase in the number of Bnei Menashe who, with Shavei Israel’s help, will immigrate to Israel in the coming 15 months. The Bnei Menashe are descendants of the tribe of Manasseh, one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel who were exiled by the Assyrian empire nearly three millennia ago. You can read more about the community’s background, learn about activities which Shavei Israel has sponsored over the last decade, and read profiles of Bnei Menashe like Harel Kingbol, Meir Phaltual and Azriel Hmar, all of whom are preparing for a new life in Israel. You can also subscribe to our weekly email newsletter so you’ll never miss a breaking story – like this week’s historic flight.
As the Bnei Menashe await their boarding call in New Delhi, we’d like to remind you of some of some critical numbers regarding their aliyah and why we need your help now more than ever.
Airfare from Mizoram to Israel, with transit via Delhi, is approximately $1,200 per person. An additional $1,800 per immigrant is required to assist with absorption costs once the Bnei Menashe arrive in Israel. That means for all 899 new immigrants, we need to raise more than $2.7 million.
As you scroll through our photo gallery from New Delhi (here’s one from last year), please pause a moment to look carefully at the faces of the Bnei Menashe as they await the last leg of their 2,700-year-old return to their homeland. It’s not hard to be captivated by their enthusiasm, their curiosity and commitment. All of us at Shavei Israel have worked tirelessly to get them to this point. We owe it to the Bnei Menashe to ensure that their aliyah is a highly successful one.
Your generous donation will make that possible. Please visit our Support page or contact us directly about how you can get involved.
UPDATE: Here are a few pictures from New Delhi sent to us by Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund just minutes ago:
Bnei Menashe boy in New Delhi preparing for aliyah
Michael Freund with two Bnei Menashe boys in New Delhi
Praying mincha (the afternoon service) in a New Delhi park
We also have video from New Delhi. Here’s one of the Bnei Menashe walking through the park you see above singing about their upcoming aliyah. And another of the group indoors, prior to heading out to the airport.