Devastating earthquake in Manipur: the Bnei Menashe need your help
Bnei Menashe in Manipur after the earthquake
When the ground began to shake at 4:35 AM on Monday, January 4 in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, some of the 700 Bnei Menashe anxiously awaiting word on their impending aliyah might have seen that as a sign – a signal that the date they would be flying to Israel to start their new life in the Holy Land could come none too soon.
In the meantime, however, the Bnei Menashe community is picking up the pieces from a massive 6.8 magnitude earthquake that affected many of the regions where the Bnei Menashe live – not just Manipur but Assam and Nagaland were all impacted. It was the most destructive quake in the last 65 years in a region that has seen 20 major tremors over the course of a century.
Shavei Israel’s coordinator for the Bnei Menashe Tzvi Khaute is originally from Manipur. Now based in Jerusalem, he was back in India the morning of the quake, helping to prepare the next group of new immigrants whom Shavei Israel hopes to bring to Israel in the coming year.
“The earthquake struck early in the morning and the buildings shook violently,” Khaute says. Nine people died, but “thank G-d no one among the Bnei Menashe was injured or killed. There is, however, extensive damage from the quake.” In this video posted on Facebook, you can see the Touthang family’s home, which very nearly collapsed and is no longer livable. It’s a miracle no one was injured.
Aviel Thouthang tells us that he was unprepared for this sudden change in his family’s circumstances. “As the head of my family in the village of Saikul, I do the best I can to look after my wife and children by earning a daily wage. The earthquake has left my family with great damages and it’s really hard for me to move on in such a time.”
The Times of India reports that 518 private homes and government buildings were damaged. Among them: the airport at Imphal (see picture at the right), which is where the Bnei Menashe are due to begin their long journey home to Israel.
The Bnei Menashe claim descent from one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. Over the last decade, Shavei Israel has helped 3,000 Bnei Menashe make aliyah. There are 7,000 Bnei Menashe still in India, including the 700 who are waiting for final permission from the Israeli government on their imminent departure. That makes the earthquake’s timing all the more devastating: just as they were getting set to pack their bags, some 50 Bnei Menashe families have been forced out of their damaged homes and are now living in cramped quarters with family and friends.
To aid these families – and the community as a whole – in the aftermath of this natural disaster, we have launched an emergency appeal to raise funds. We have set a goal of $50,000 to cover basic necessities such as food and medicines, to buy items such as clothing and furnishing, and to repair structural damage.
So far, we’ve raised nearly $5,000 out of the total, with 35 more days to go in the campaign. Can you help? Let the Manipur quake serve as a sign for you as well to visit our Jewcer page today. Together, we can make life just a bit easier for all of the affected Bnei Menashe.
Aviel Thouthang and his family will be among the first recipients of your assistance. As he begins the taxing process of rebuilding his home, he is nevertheless optimistic. “I say to myself gamzu le tova, everything G-d does for me is for my own good…even this earthquake. By keeping faith in Hashem, my worries begin to slow down and I realize that, even during the hardest times, G-d is with me.”
The Bnei Menashe are anxiously awaiting their reunion with the Jewish people in Israel. Your donation will help the Bnei Menashe overcome this unexpected and challenging time.