Bnei Menashe rally in Migdal HaEmek in support of the IDF
Bnei Menashe at Migdal HaEmek rally to support IDF in Gaza
As Operation Protective Edge continues in Gaza, the Bnei Menashe rallied last week to show their support for the Israel Defense Forces. 25 Bnei Menashe joined another 200 residents of Migdal HaEmek to wave Israeli flags, sing songs and recite psalms on a main street in this lower Galilee town in the north of Israel.
35 Bnei Menashe new immigrant families who had previously been living at the Kfar Hasidim absorption center moved to Migdal HaEmek with Shavei Israel’s help earlier this year.
Last week’s rally was organized with the help of Aviva Yosef, Shavei Israel’s coordinator for the Bnei Menashe in Migdal HaEmek. It was the first rally in Israel that the Bnei Menashe had ever been in, says Yosef. “The Bnei Menashe had a class scheduled at the same time, but they felt this was more important. Adults, teenagers, even the elderly came out. It was very moving for them. It gave them the feeling that they were fully part of Am Israel” (the Nation of Israel).
Bnei Menashe rally in India
(Back in India, the Bnei Menashe in India have participated in rallies to support Israel. When Naftali Frenkel, Gil-ad Shear and Eyal Shach were kidnapped in June, the Bnei Menashe gathered together – see the picture at the right.)
Although Migdal HaEmek is far from the front lines and no missiles have fallen there, its residents – like all Israelis – are connected to the fighting through their soldier sons and daughters. That’s true for the Bnei Menashe, as well: several Bnei Menashe have already been deployed to Gaza during Operation Protective Edge and seven Bnei Menashe boys will be inducted into the IDF in August. There are a total of six Bnei Menashe serving in the IDF currently and another eight were recently called up for reserve duty.
In addition, most of the Bnei Menashe in Migdal HaEmek have relatives living in the southern city of Sderot, which has received the brunt of the more than 10,000 missiles that have been fired at Israel from Gaza over the past decade.
Aviva Yosef is part of a Garin Torani, a small community of young families who moved to Migdal HaEmek to strengthen its overall religious life. Yosef’s group has taken the Bnei Menashe immigrants under its wing. “We organize classes for them, Hebrew study, activities for the kids,” Yosef explains. “On Shabbat, we will do seuda shlishit [the traditional ‘third meal’ of the Sabbath] together at my house, as well as a monthly get-together for Bnei Menashe women on Rosh Hodesh” (the first day of the Hebrew month).
The active presence of the Gan Torani in Migdal HaEmek was one of the reasons Shavei Israel chose the town as an attractive location for the Bnei Menashe after they “graduated” from Kfar Hasidim.
Yochanan Phaltual, who recently made aliyah and served for many years as Shavei Israel’s emissary to the Bnei Menashe in India adds:
As the Bnei Menashe integrate into Israeli society, to participate in this type of event is an honor to them. It gives them a sense of pride and national duty. Even though the Bnei Menashe only recently arrived, they already feel the same as those living in the line of fire. Israel is our home and at home we will always feel safe.