Posted on 08/19/2004 7:11:00 PM PDT by missyme
A team of senior Israeli rabbis is due to rule soon on whether thousands of Indians who say they are members of one of the lost tribes of Israel can settle there.
Only 5,000 of the Benei Menashes have converted to Judaism Shlomo Amar recently led a delegation of rabbis to the north-eastern Indian states of Manipur and Mizoram where members of the Benei Menashe tribe live and practise Judaism.
At the Beith-el Synagogue in the Manipur capital, Imphal, nine men wearing knitted skull caps read silently from the Old Testament.
Four others stand on a wooden platform in the centre of the room as a young man reads from the holy book under the supervision of an elderly priest.
These people claim to be one of the lost tribes of Israel.
Recent discovery
Tongkhohao Aviel Hangshing is the leader of the Benei Menashes in Imphal.
We found that the stories, the customs and practices of the Israeli people were very similar to ours
Tongkhohao Aviel Hangshing "We are Benei Menashe, because we belong to the Menashe tribe," he says.
"Menashe is the son of Joseph, who was one of the 12 sons of Jacob. So we are the lost tribe of Israel."
Mr Hangshing says for thousands of years they did not know they were lost.
"We found out only 27 years ago," he says.
"When the Bible was translated into our language, in 1970s, we studied it.
"And we found that the stories, the customs and practices of the Israeli people were very similar to ours. So we thought that we must be one of the lost tribes."
Saturdays are observed by Jews the world over as the Sabbath, the day of rest, and the members of the Benei Menashe community meet for morning prayers at the synagogue in Imphal.
A lamb-skin scroll of the Torah, is unrolled and then rolled up again as each reader finishes his part.
Hope
There are more than 300,000 Benei Menashes in Manipur but most of them follow Christianity.
Only about 5,000 have converted to Judaism, most of them during the 1970s.
Mr Hangshing says although India has treated them quite well, they do not consider it their home.
Lucy Vaiphei (right) is hoping to join her family in Israel The recent visit by a delegation of rabbis from Israel has given new hope to the members of this community.
Caleb, a 24-year-old college student, wants to go to Israel because he says it is the land of his forefathers.
Amram is studying to be a lawyer. He says Israel is the promised land, for him and the others too.
"In Israel it will be easier for us to practise our religion."
In a chamber partitioned from the main prayer hall, about a dozen women join in the Sabbath prayers.
Lucy Vaiphei is the caretaker of the synagogue.
Her parents and six siblings have emigrated to Israel in the last few years and she is now looking forward to making the move herself.
Michael Freund, director of Amishav - an organisation that helps Jews move to Israel - says he firmly believes that Menashe is one of the lost tribes of Israel.
"We have brought over 800 of them to Israel," he says, "and the remaining people also want to emigrate".
Mr Freund says that last year the new Israeli interior minister, Avraham Poraz, suddenly declared his opposition to bringing the Benei Menashes into Israel.
"But I'm confident that if the chief rabbi issues a ruling saying that the Benei Menashes are indeed descendents of the Jewish people and should be allowed back home, then he will have no choice but to let them in."
So while the rabbis in Israel take a decision on whether or not to grant the right to emigrate to Israel to the Benei Menashes, this community here is waiting with bated breath - and praying.
Come on (maybe it's the beer talking), but whites are those people who need to get a tan at a tanning booth or a beach. Those that avoid the sun fearing they will get even darker are not "white." They all could be caucasian though. I know that Indians are caucasian...but I would not call them "white" for christsake.
I agree. :-)
I think so. LOL
I AM LEAVING FREE REPUBLIC FOREVER...
GOODBYE ALL!
Missyme......
actually....I sort of meant more progressing...not evolving as in from big bang to amino acid punch to Monica Belluci in short order.
You can read in Kings and Chronicles where they went. It was largely into the region of the old Babylonian Empire where they were deported from Assyria after the northern kingdom of israel was conquered. According to Assyrian records, the Israelite Charioteers were kept on as military support for the Assyrians as they were among the strongest of soldiers. Many legends arose out of Assyria of the exploits of those people.
Many were slaughtered; but, whole families were exported to old Babylon and then migrated over time into India, Burma, Uzbekistan, pakistan, Afghanistan, and into China.
It is a particular thorn in the side to some; but, that's the record.
Shem...wasn't he one of the Three Stooges...hummm
I have a far better than average memory,was always an A student in Sunday school and Conformation class,and aced my Bible classes in boarding school.It's the King James version and it IS in the Noah story.And it's also in Medieval Passion plays.
Since you pride yourself on knowing the Bible,WHY don't you know about this? It is,or used to be common knowledge!
Just Kidding :)
I'm back, had to get another glass of wine...
heheheheheheh.....sorry about your key-board.
Ummmmmmmmmm...nope,that isn't your FR "claim to fame". LOL
Iranians were mostly classic Aryans...from the Big Split some call it where some Caucazoids went South and East and some went North and West.
I'm way out there now...hanging from El Capitan with one hand and no rosin left.
It has been noted that their acceptance has been held up on a technicality motivated by political reasons, not because of their blood.
hehehehehehehehe.........NEVER forget that even though it isn't as good as it once was,my memory is better than almost anyone's. It's a curse,but oh well. :-p
Everyone loves my threads....
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