B'nai Menashe

I keep up with Shavei Israel, which specifically works with Jews from the Lost Tribes and "hidden" Jews such as conversos from Spain, Portugal, and South America, Russian and other Eastern European Jews who lack proof of Jewishness (due to Communist document destruction), etc. They have also helped "rescue" groups of converts in South America, and have begun working with the Abuyudaya Jews in Uganda (which is how I first learned about the organization), who are also converts.

They help these people immigrate to Israel, integrate into Israeli life, do all the civil paperwork for citizenship, and meet all of the halachic requirements of the Chief Rabbinate for a legally-recognized Jewish identity.

As everyone probably knows, Ethiopian Jews are generally recognized as the Lost Tribe of Dan. The Tribe of Manasseh (one of Joseph's two sons) has been identified for a while now. They live in northeastern India. I've been tracking their situation for a while now, and finally there is happy news this morning.

Quote :

It's now official: the Israeli government has passed the long-awaited resolution that restarts the aliyah of the remaining 7,000 Bnei Menashe in India.

The first group of 275 Bnei Menashe (about 50 families) will arrive shortly after Hanukah, a holiday that demonstrates how, by staying true to one's beliefs and never giving up the struggle for both personal and national freedom, all obstacles can - and will - be overcome.

The Bnei Menashe aliyah has been frozen since 2007, the last time that Shavei Israel received permission to bring over a group. That flight included 230 Bnei Menashe; all told, in the last 15 years, Shavei Israel has made possible the immigration of more than 1,700 Bnei Menashe.

The Bnei Menashe, or "sons of Manasseh," are descendents of one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The return of this lost tribe to Zion, more than 2,700 years after their ancestors were exiled by the Assyrian empire, "is nothing less than a miracle of biblical and historic proportions," says Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund.

Shavei Israel has to fund the entire relocation and integration process themselves, so they're asking for donations this holiday season.

I think it's wonderful to watch the in-gathering of Jews--the Lost Tribes, the hidden/converted Jews, and converts--into Israel. It was promised, and now God is fulfilling it at last.

Thanks for sharing this amazing story! I too am fascinated by the different groups of "hidden Jews" and converts.

Can you post the link to where you found this information?

If not, that's okay.

Thanks!

Just as an FYI, I once read a book titled "Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean" which was quite amazing. It was a little hard to follow at times but overall I enjoyed it very much.

Here is a link to the book on Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Pirates-Caribbean-Swashbuckling-Freedom--/dp/0767919521/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1352410840&sr=1-1&keywords=jewish+pirates+of+the+caribbean

I got the news in my newsletter. It's a bit buried on the website, but here it is:

http://www.shavei.org/category/communities/bnei_menashe/articles-bnei_menashe/?lang=en

Thanks you so much Mychal!

I will definitely look deeper into the website to read up on things.