MICHAEL FREUND: THE “BNEI MENASHE” A LOST TRIBE OF JEWS IN INDIA COMING TO ISRAEL
Here comes another lost tribe
by Michael Freund The Jerusalem Post June 23, 2011
http://www.michaelfreund.org/9808/another-lost-tribe
Thousands of kilometers to the east, in the furthest reaches of northeastern
India, a long-lost community continues to nourish its age-old dream of
returning to its ancient homeland, the land of Israel.
The Bnei Menashe, or “sons of Manasseh,” are descendants of one of the 10
lost tribes of Israel, which were exiled by the Assyrian empire more than 27
centuries ago. The community, which numbers 7,232 people, resides primarily
in the Indian states of Mizoram and Manipur, along the border with Burma and
Bangladesh.
Despite generations of wandering, the Bnei Menashe never forgot who they
were, where they had come from, or where they aspired to return.
Three times a day, every day, they turn in silent prayer toward Jerusalem,
pleading with the Creator to put an end to their long exile and bring them
home to Zion.
That dream is now poised, at last, to become a reality.
This past Monday, an extraordinary meeting of the Ministerial Committee on
Immigration and Absorption took place in the Prime Minister’s Office. At the
top of the agenda was the issue of the Bnei Menashe.
AS CHAIRMAN of Shavei Israel, an organization that has been assisting the
community for over a decade, I had lobbied intensively for much of the past
year for the committee to address the issue.
Testifying before the assembled ministers and bureaucrats, I spoke of the
1,700 Bnei Menashe who have already made aliya, and of the success they have
had in integrating into Israeli society.
Approximately 96 percent of Bnei Menashe immigrants are employed, supporting
themselves and their families and contributing to the state and its economy.
A mere 4% – less than half the national average – are reliant on social
welfare to make ends meet.
Nearly all young Bnei Menashe men are drafted into the army, with a majority
serving in combat units. Some 50 Bnei Menashe are currently in uniform, and
recently the first Bnei Menashe officer was commissioned.
I pointed out that a growing number of Bnei Menashe youth are pursuing
higher education at Israeli colleges and universities in fields ranging from
computer science to social work, and that several have also received
rabbinical ordination after years of study in yeshiva.
And rest assured, I told the ministers, the Bnei Menashe are our lost
brethren. In March 2005, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar recognized them
as Zera Yisrael, or the “seed of Israel,” and said they should be brought to
the Jewish state.
He also ruled that because they were cut off from their people for
millennia, the Bnei Menashe are required to undergo conversion to remove any
doubt about their personal status. All those who have made aliya have
already gone through this process.
Put simply, I said, the Bnei Menashe are a blessing to the Jewish people and
to the State of Israel, and they strengthen us no less than we do them.
Nonetheless, the government of Ehud Olmert inexplicably froze their aliya in
2007, dividing families and stifling the flow of this talented and highly
motivated immigration.
So I turned to the members of the committee and made a simple yet forceful
plea: It is time for Israel to let the remaining Bnei Menashe come home.
And then a miracle took place. After deliberating the matter, the
ministerial committee, headed by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman,
formally decided to draft a government resolution and bring it to the
cabinet for approval no later than the end of July.
The resolution will permit all the remaining Bnei Menashe in India to make
aliya, and will finally bring an end to their years of waiting and
uncertainty.
Both the foreign minister and Absorption Minister Sofa Landver said they
were behind the measure.
This means we are just one month away from an historic turning point, one
that will restore 7,232 precious souls to the Jewish people.
But there are obstacles that may still stand in the way.
The Treasury is likely to object, not wanting to spend a shekel more than it
deems necessary. And then there are the naysayers and post-Zionists who have
lost sight of Israel’s mission to serve as the homeland for all Jews.
We cannot allow them to prevail.
There is simply no good reason for this aliya to be stymied. The Bnei
Menashe are part of the extended Jewish family. They are committed Zionists
who observe the Torah and its commandments, and who are reaching out across
the centuries to reconnect with our people. We need to extend a welcoming
hand back, and bring them to Jerusalem.
I urge all people of faith and goodwill, Jew and Christian alike, to pray
for this undertaking to succeed. Write the premier, contact MKs, and tell
them in no uncertain terms: Bring the lost tribe of Bnei Menashe home now!
This past Monday, as I listened to the committee approve its decision, I
truly felt as if I was standing on the banks of the Red Sea, watching the
waters begin to part.
Soon enough, I am sure, the Bnei Menashe will cross the sea, reuniting with
the Land and people of Israel after a remarkable journey.
Just as the prophets foretold, Manasseh’s children are at last coming back.
And all one can say is: Thank God.
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