VIDEO: Bnei Menashe immigrants arrive at Ben-Gurion Airport
Bnei Menashe and American yeshiva student at Ben-Gurion Airport
New on the Shavei Israel website: a video documenting the November 2014 aliyah of a group of Bnei Menashe. The 5-minute video includes moving footage of the Bnei Menashe as they head towards the arrival hall at Ben-Gurion Airport where they are met by a group of students from the Kol Ami pre-army seminary and Yeshivat Ashreinu for overseas students spending a year in Israel. (You can read more here.) Member of Knesset Nissan Slomiansky gives an emotional welcome to the group and receives a certificate of appreciation from the Bnei Menashe for his help in ensuring Shavei Israel can continue its work in facilitating additional flights from India for the nearly 7,000 Bnei Menashe still waiting to make aliyah.
“I came here to say thank you for all of the thousands of years you stayed firm in your beliefs,” Slomianksy tells the group. “I wish you success in your absorption and we will do our best to help you as much as possible. And a big well done to the Shavei Israel organization.”
Maybe the high point of the video is a Bnei Menashe veteran in Israel who is seeing her younger sister for the first time…in 22 years!
You can watch it on our YouTube channel and below.