Imphal: On December 15, 250 Indian Jews from Manipur and Mizoram arrived in Israel as part of the Bnei Menashe group. After a two-and-a-half-year wait, they became the first to arrive in the Jewish state.
The Bnei Menashe are thought to be descendants of the Manasseh tribe, one of Israel’s ten lost tribes who were deported by the Assyrian Empire some 27 centuries ago.
More than 4,000 Bnei Menashe have already made Aliyah and relocated to Israel, according to Shavei Israel statistics, a non-profit organization that supports Jewish immigration to Israel. Another 6,500 Bnei Menashe are still living in India’s northeast, hoping to return to their ancient homeland.
