(30 September) Our Newsletter has learnt that some 270 B'nei Menashe from Manipur will be leaving for Israel on the 14th October. Although no official announcement has been made, the prospective immigrants have all been informed by Shavei Israel, a private Jerusalem based organization that has been put in charge of B'nei Menashe aliya.
The group of immigrants is comprised of the last of the 722 men, women and children who were on the 2015-16 list of candidates for aliya approved by Shavei Israel and the Rabbinate. With their arrival in Israel, all B'nei Menashe approved for aliya will have made it. This leaves over 5,000 B'nei Menashe still waiting for their turn. Upon being informed of their upcoming aliya, the heads of all families involved were summoned to Shavei Israel office in Churachandpur. There they were made to pay a fee of Rupees 500 per person to have their photos taken and required to sign an oath of loyalty to Shavei Israel. In this oath, those of them who had signed the petition last February asking the Israeli government to put an end to Shavei's monopoly on B'nei Menashe aliya were made to declare that their names were put on the petition without their knowledge. No room was left for doubt that whoever refused to sign such a statement would be struck from the aliya list. Virtually all of the petition signers complied with this ultimatum. "Even though my family knew this was not true, we signed anyway because we were afraid to lose our chance for the aliya," we were told by a B'nei Menashe who asked to remain anonymous. "I would like to state clearly that I stand by my beliefs and I, like everyone else I know whose name was on the petition, signed it willingly and with full consent."
One sign of the imminent aliya was the departure from Israel for Manipur on the 29th September of Tzvi Khaute, Shavei Israel's Coordinator for B'nei Menashe affairs. Khaute was sent from Israel to make the final arrangement and supervise the proceedings.
According to informed sources, the immigrants will spend a period of time in an absorption centre in Israel where they will undergo formal conversion to Judaism, after which they will be given housing in the northern city of Nof HaGalil (Upper Nazareth). In this, they will join the two previous groups from the 2015-16 list who are now living in Nof HaGalil, too.
(30 September) Apart from the Sukkot that they build, eat and sometimes sleep, the Bnei Menashe in Israel have another holiday tradition, a gala Sukkot football tournament going back 10 years or more. The traditional tournament was skipped last year due to the covid19 epidemic but renewed during this Hol HaMoed.
The crowd at Afula.
The tournament, a two-day event, was held at the Northern city of Afula. About a thousand Bnei Menashe from all over the country-Beit El, Kiryat Arba, Sderot, Nitzan, Acco, Ma'a lot, Kiryat Shmona, Nesher, Migdal HaEmek, Beit Shean, Tiberias and Tzfat- attended the event. In addition there were dozens of other spectators, including many residents and India Persaud, a social media celebrity.
14 teams competed in the tournament. The players, all from Bnei Menashe, came from many different communities and teams that were formed especially for the event. During the year, most simply play with friends or neighborhood groups.
Match in progress.
The tournaments were held at the Afula Illit Stadium. Each team resulted in the elimination of the losing team in which the winner goes to the next stage. On the second day, with four teams left, semi-finals and the final took place, pitting FC Yehuda, a team comprised of young northerners against Los Asesinos FC, with a heavy contingent from the town of Beit El in Samaria.
The match was a "hardplayed" one, FC Yehuda scored first and led 1-0 at the end of the first half and in the second half Los Asesinos' Moshe Rey equalized it. The game then went into a two 7 minute overtime toward the end of which, Rey scored again, granting a win to Los Asesinos. As a consolation prize, however, Menakhem Haokip was voted the games' most valuable player. Los Asesinos' Moshe Wertheimer from Beit El, son of a Kuki mother and an Ashkenazi father, was voted the best goal keeper.
From the left: Moshe Rei, top scorer, Menakhem Haokip, best player and Moshe Wertheimer, best goal keeper.
Between games, many old Bnei Menashe friends and families that did not see each other all year, spent their time socializing and catching up on one another. Bnei Menashe operated stalls served a variety of home made food to the crowd, including specialties such as dumplings, chowmein, buhchhiar, aloo subzi and more.
"This is my first exposure to the Bnei Menashe community" we were told by India Persaud ,"The people were wonderful and the children adorable. I am sure it won't be the last time".
India Persaud with the winning team, Los Asesinos.
(30 September) Our Newsletter has learnt, two members of the Bnei Menashe Committee on Food Relief, an ad-hoc group created to distribute food to needy Bnei Menashe families in Mizoram effected by the Delta wave of the covid19 epidemic, received identical letters. The two are Asaf Renthlei and Leah Renthei (they are not related), both prominent members of the community. The letters were signed by Shmuel Khiangte, chairman of the Khovevei Tzion Synagogue, Aizawl and Azriel Pachuau, the synagogue's secretary. They read as follows:
In accordance with the decision of the Shevet Menashe Khovevei Tzion Executive Member Committee, pursuant to our knowledge, duly substantiated by adequate proof, that your actions—the creation of a separate body which is liable to create division, and deliberation regarding a separate minyan—are detrimental to the Community, we hereby submit this letter of notice to you.
We are deeply concerned that you have not only established a separate group, but even formed an Executive body. In accordance with our Constitution, Article sub (1), “If a member of Shevet Menashe (Khovevei Tzion Community) were to engage in anything that is opposition or conflict that is detrimental to the community, or if their actions are demonstrably detrimental to the community, the Executive Committee retain the right to
take any necessary action, and may even go to the extent of revoking their membership.” It is in accordance with this clause that the Executive Committee has decided to act with regard to you, and bids you faithfully continue your engagement with the separate group you have established. Nevertheless, since we want to give you the liberty to make your own choice in this matter, in the event that you decide to remain a member of Khovevei Tzion, we request that you submit a letter in your own hand to the Community leadership (O.B), detailing your disavowal of any further engagement with any other body/group and that you will henceforth guard yourself against any involvement with any activities that are detrimental to the community.
Furthermore, we seek to inform you that if, within three days of receipt of this letter, you do not exercise your choice in this matter, and neither do we receive any response on your part, your membership in Khovevei Tzion will be effectively terminated.
Issued and signed on behalf of the Shevet Menashe Khovevei Tzion Executive Members.
Mizo original of the letter sent to Asaf and Leah.
"The letter was absurd, say Asaf, "In the first place, no separate body was established. What was set up was an temporary committee to distribute food that Shavei Israel had been offered an opportunity to participate in and had declined. It was clear that the ad-hoc committee had no other function than food relief and was in no way intended to set up a separate communal institution. Beyond that, I would like to ask Shmuel Khiangte and Azriel Pachuau what exactly was detrimental to the community in giving free food, with no strings attached to hungry members. If Khiangte and Pachuau think this is harmful to the Bnei Menashe of Mizoram, they have a very strange notion of wherein the community's welfare lies. Moreover, the timing of the eve of Rosh HaShana, a day on which Jews ask God for compassion on His creatures, was appalling; it speaks volumes on Shavei Israel's thoughts and intentions."
Such a demand for a writ of self-accusation would be fitting for the Spanish Inquisition or a modern totalitarianism regime. The charges to which Leah and Asaf were asked to confess were patently ridiculous
Both Leah and Asaf responded to this ultimatum by asking its issuers to clarify exactly what their wrongdoing was. Neither received a reply.
Khovevei Tzion is Aizawl's largest synagogue and Shavei Israel's official place of worship. Already in the past the synagogue has sought to exert total control over the lives and action of its members. New members wishing to join the congregation were asked to sign a loyalty oath in which they pledged total subservience to Shavei Israel. The language of the oath was:
I, the undersigned , have after careful thought and consideration, have my own accord decided to apply for membership in the Khovevei Tzion Community, Aizawl, Mizoram. I also submit myself in obedience to Shavei Israel Organisation, and I swear to remain true to this pledge.
In addition, I vow to refrain from any action or activities, in opposition to Khovevei Tzion and Shavei Israel Organisation. In the event that I break my vow, I promise beforehand and with clear conscience, to gladly accept any necessary disciplinary action taken against me by Khovevei Tzion Community and Shavei Israel Organisation.
Mizo original of the loyalty oath Khovevei Tzion members are made to sign.
"It is obvious" says Leah Renthlei,, '' that Shavei Israel considers loyalty to it is more important than loyalty to Judaism and Judaism's commandment to help one's fellow Jew in need. It's very sad."
