Largest exodus of Benei Manashe Jews underway from Manipur; 432 have left for Israel so far this year
Called the Benei Manashe, these Jews are believed to be the descendants of the Menashe tribe, one of the ten lost tribes of Israel.
There are over 9,000 members of the Jewish community living in India’s northeastern states, half of them are in Manipur and Mizoram.
Called the Benei Manashe, these Jews are believed to be the descendants of the Menashe tribe, one of the ten lost tribes of Israel.
According to data from Shavei Israel, a body that oversees the migration of the Jews to Israel, nearly 3000 Jews have migrated to Israel and thousands more are waiting to take the flight.
The first mass emigration took place in 2006, when 213 members of the community migrated from Mizoram, followed by a second mass emigration of 233 people from Manipur in 2007.
However, the present emigration is the largest as 432 have migrated just this year — 204 in February, followed by 228 on June 10. Another 20 are expected to move on June 12.
Those migrating now are provided with a one-year temporary citizenship and are granted full citizenship after they complete basic religious education, says Aaron Vaiphei, assistant manager of Shavei Israel in Manipur.
Once the citizenship is granted, those in the 18 to 25 age group are enlisted for the three-year compulsory military service while those above 60 are provided old age pension.