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Making aliyah: Meet Otkhokai Mordechai Baite

[caption id="attachment_9185" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Mordechai Baite and his family"][/caption] My name is Otkhokai Mordechai Baite, aged 67. I was born to a family of priests among the Bnei Menashe. My father was the priest and leader of our village and was responsible for all the rituals...

Making aliyah: Meet Ruth Ngaijalhing LhungdimRealizando aliá: Conozca a Ruth Ngaijalhing Lhungdim

[caption id="attachment_9181" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Ruth Lhungdim and her family"][/caption] My name is Ruth Ngaijalhing Lhungdim. I am 55-years-old and a member of the Beit Shalom Jewish Community of Churachandpur in Manipur, India. I am a widow earning a livelihood as an entrepreneur in my hometown with my younger children helping me. My sons, Amos, Reuben and Obed, who are in their early to mid-twenties, have high hopes to make aliyah, serve in the Israel Defense Forces, work and get married in Israel so they can raise decent Jewish families. My youngest child and teenager Bathya has also set her goal to make aliyah at the earliest opportunity. I am blessed that three of my children are already in Israel. My oldest son David made aliyah in 2007 thanks to Shavei Israel. He has settled in Israel with his own family and is pursuing his dream of studying Torah in a yeshiva in Sderot. My daughter Rachel, who made aliyah in the same year as her brother, is now married to an Israeli yeshiva student and is managing her own home in Jerusalem. My second daughter, Rivka, is also in Israel and lives with her brother David while she participates in a computer-based technical training course. Before her move to Israel, Rivka taught Hebrew, Israeli songs, dance and skits to our community’s children, and she took an active part in the community overall development. It is my fervent prayer and hope – and all of my children’s prayers and hope – to be able to make aliyah to Israel and thus pursue our dreams in the Promised Land. With G-d’s help, it will materialize speedily.[caption id="attachment_9181" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Rith Lhungdim y familia"][/caption] Mi nombre es Ruth Ngaijalhing Lhungdim. Tengo 55 años y soy miembro de la Comunidad Judía Beit Shalom de Churachandpur en Manipur, India. Soy viuda y trabajo como empresaria en mi pueblo,  mis hijos me ayudan. Mis hijos Amos, Reubén y Obed, quienes se encuentran en sus tempranos veinte años, desean profundamente realizar aliá, servir en el ejército israelí, trabajar y casarse en Israel para así poder criar familias judías decentes. Mi hija más pequeña, Batia, también desea realizar aliá cuanto antes. Fui bendecida y tres de mis hijos ya se encuentran en Israel. Mi hijo mayor, David, realizó aliá en el 2007 gracias a Shavei Israel. Se ha asentado en Israel con su familia y está cumpliendo su sueño de estudiar Torá en la yeshivá de Sderot.

Making aliyah: Meet Reuven ZouRealizando aliá: Conozca a Reuvén Zou

[caption id="attachment_9178" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Reuven Zou"][/caption] My name is Reuven Zou, aged 26 years old. I was born in the district of Churachandpur and have completed my B.A. degree in History. In 2000, I moved with my family to the city of Bangalore – the "Silicon Valley of India" – where I work at the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) as a system analyst. My older sister Ruthi lives in Bangalore – she works as a nurse in a government hospital – and my brother David is here too. He works in business process outsourcing. Ever since I was a kid, I've dreamed of making aliyah, but of course I haven't had the opportunity so far. So, I continue to live with that dream – praying and hoping that one day soon it will come true. For me, the Land of Israel is more than a location. It is a place to discover where I began; where I belonged; and who I truly am today. I don't want to travel to Israel but to return to Israel. I plan to serve the state of Israel in every possible way that I can, be that in the Israel Defense Forces or any other national service. If everything goes well, I am also planning to study in a yeshiva to learn the Torah and the Hebrew language. I would like to thank Michael Freund and Shavei Israel for the dedication and hard work they have invested in fulfilling the dreams of Bnei Menashe to finally return home. G-d bless! Toda raba! Am Israel chai! And see you in Israel! ------------------------------- Watch a video of Reuven Zou from his home in Bangalore. [youtube]Insert video URL or ID here[/youtube][caption id="attachment_9178" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Reuven Zou"][/caption] Mi nombre es Reuven Zou, de 26 años. Nací en el distrito de Churachandpur y terminé mi título de grado en historia. En el año 2000, me mudé junto con mi familia a la ciudad de Bangalore – el “Silicon Valley de India” – donde trabajo en el grupo bancario Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) como analista de sistemas. Mi hermana mayor, Ruthi, vive en Bangalore – trabaja como enfermera en un hospital del gobierno – y mi hermano David también se encuentra aquí. Trabaja en externalización de procesos empresariales.