For the past 10 years, more than 7,000 Bnei Menashe still living in India have been praying using a siddur (prayer book) that Shavei Israel produced especially for the community. This one-of-a-kind siddur has the Hebrew prayers spelled out phonetically in the Bnei Menashe languages...
Shavei Israel is currently helping to support the building and renovation of two Bnei Menashe synagogues in the Indian state of Manipur. In the village of Patlen, the Bnei Menashe community is building its first ever synagogue. In the town of Churachandpur, Beit Shalom –...
[caption id="attachment_7338" align="alignleft" width="173" caption="Sonia Manlun with her baby"][/caption] Sonia Manlun is at a crossroads. She is one of three Bnei Menashe studying to become a social worker in Israel. But she may need to take on a job cleaning houses at night just to make...
Each month, Shavei Israel sponsors Rosh Chodesh celebrations for the Bnei Menashe in Israel. This month, Cheshvan on the Jewish calendar, the event took place in the town of Kangpokpi, which has a large Bnei Menashe synagogue with over 550 members. Here are some pictures. [nggallery...
Each Rosh Chodesh (the first day of the new month on the Jewish calendar), Shavei Israel “Fellows” serving in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur lead special programs for the Bnei Menashe. The programs rotate among the 37 synagogues in different towns and villages across...
At the beginning of October, the Bnei Menashe celebrated the bat mitzvah of Mikhal Chochong Guite in the village of Kohima of Nagaland state. Here are some pictures. More information can be found here. [nggallery id=94] A comienzos de octubre, la comunidad de Bnei Menashé festejó el...
[caption id="attachment_7182" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Mikhal Chochong Guite at her bat mitzvah"][/caption] At the beginning of October, the Bnei Menashe in the village of Kohima, in the Indian state of Nagaland, celebrated the bat mitzvah of Mikhal Chochong Guite. Shavei Israel’s emissary to India, Yochanan Phaltual, attended...
[caption id="attachment_7147" align="alignleft" width="278" caption="The Bnei Menashe live in northeastern India and just across the border in Myanmar as shown here"][/caption] The Bnei Menashe in Myanmar (Burma) are getting their first ever synagogue. The Bnei Menashe (or “sons of Menasseh”) claim descent from one of...
We are now in the midst of the holiday of Sukkot and, all over the world, Jews are commemorating the days when the Israelites dwelled in temporary “booths” during their sojourn from Egypt to the Promised Land. One of the most heartwarming stories of a...
As part of Shavei Israel's symposium for Bnei Menashe women in India last week, we held a special "Cafe Dilemma" to explore Jewish issues in a fun and stimulating setting. Here are some pictures. [nggallery id=87] Como parte del seminario de Shavei Israel para mujeres de Bnei...
