The Fellowship has begun aliyah flights for 1,200 members of the Bnei Menashe tribe, following a delay due to the current crisis in Israel.
Two weeks ago, staff members traveled to India, where approximately 5,800 members of the tribe live in small villages, to meet families who sustain themselves through traditional agriculture in this remote, mountainous region, which lacks modern infrastructure and technology.
This past week, our staff members returned to Israel with 232 Bnei Menashe olim—the first of many who will immigrate to their biblical homeland after many years. Some already have family members living in Israel, while others are beginning entirely new lives.
Leah, who arrived with her family, said, “To all the people who helped us—especially the Christians who support bringing Jews to Israel—I want to say this: In the eyes of God, we are all one. He is the Father of us all. We should walk hand in hand. I give my heartfelt gratitude to all of them.”
When the Assyrians conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel, ten Hebrew tribes were exiled or enslaved. These became known as the Lost Tribes. The Bnei Menashe (Children of Manasseh) are descendants of one such tribe that was exiled to the northeastern corner of India. Now, after hundreds of years—and thanks to Christian friends in the United States—they can return home.
“These were the clans of Manasseh; those numbered were 52,700” (Numbers 26:34).
