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Indian soul yearning for Zion
Rami Tal
Published: 12.05.12, 17:10
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20 Talkbacks for this article
1. More would convert to Judaism if Israel was self respecting.
Chaim ,   Israel   (05.12.12)
Bnei Menashe are among many people, around the world, who admire Judaism. Judaism isn't the problem. The problem is the self abnegating attitude of Israel's government. More wold convert to Judaism if Israel acted with strong self respect. Everybody wants to join a winner.
2. The article brought tears to my eyes
Eli ,   Jerusalem   (05.12.12)
When Jews want to return to the land of Israel or when honest garei tsedek wish to come home we must do everything in our power to help them. From this small group will grow beautiful wonderful Jews and Israelis. Mr Freund is to be commended and so are anyone in the government who can help him make this aliyah a reality. They are a credit to themselves ans our people
3. "Our Father still lives."
Jerry ,   The Netherlands   (05.12.12)
4. fire the rabbis. bring all these people to israel
ralph   (05.12.12)
5. To: Rami TAL
Armand ,   Los Angeles, USA   (05.12.12)
Thank you RAMI TAL for this beautiful journalistic work, it brought tears of joy to my heart. To: Mr Freund GOD BLESS YOU and all your dear ones. To; Bnei Menashe I love you as a Jew, I love you as just a Human, I love you for your perseverance and honest souls! To: The Israeli Government, BRING THEM BACK NOW!
6. They are not jews!
Phoenix ,   Israel   (05.12.12)
They are not jews or half jews or Quarter Jews. That's it! Non Jews expecting to leave the third world calling them selves jews.
7. Not Jewish? But there is no Jewish race.
(05.13.12)
Hitler was wrong, Judaism is not biological. Don't listen to Hitler when you want to know what a Jew is. Hitler was not a rabbi or an authority on Halacha. You can convert to Judaism an be a 100% full Jew no matter your color or race. Judaism is in the mind, not your blood.
8. to #7
natan ,   australia   (05.13.12)
Actually Judaism is neither mind or body, but the soul. I'm struck by a seemingly real genuiness about these people and as long as they go through a proper conversion as even they recognise they have to, its a beautiful thing.
9. How gullible can we be?
Yair ,   Jerusalem   (05.13.12)
This is total nonsense. They have appropriated the name "Bnei-Menashe" for themselves and we just accept that? They are Mizo tribesmen from Eastern India. They were pagans until about 100 years ago when they were baptized by Presbyterian Scottish missionaries. Since that time, in the spirit of Presbyterian Christianity, everything there is named "Israel Bakery", "Menasse Laundromat", etc. A minority then broke off, denied the New Testament and took a fancy to Judaism. So what? I'll tell you: Gullible men with long beards, dreamy ideas and smicha dropped by and poof, a new minority in Israel is born.
10. LET THEM IN!
Jew ,   Eretz Israel   (05.13.12)
This article brought tears to my eyes too.
11. Nr 7 - I see there are many misunderstandings here
Alexander ,   Tel Aviv, Israel   (05.13.12)
You are correct: Jews are no race. But, Jews are an ethnic national group of people. When we speak of "races" we speak of White people, Black people and Asians - and the Native Americans of North and South America are descendants of Asians. The "races" are divided into ethnic groups that have ethnic characteristics such as quite typical ethnic features, hair, eye and skin color and a common bloodline, ancestry and very similar genetics, and on top of that, a shared history, a language, an alphabet and a religion. Jews are therefore an ethnic group of people just like Italians, Spaniards, Greeks, Poles, Russians, Germans, Danes, Swedes, Englishmen, Irishmen, Turks, Kurds, Arabs, Armenians, Azeris, Iranians, Japanese, Koreans and Chinese are examples of ethnic groups. Most ethnic groups have what we would call "racial" characteristics. This is no ideological or political reference, merely a factual statement - neither good nor bad, but simply is. Ethnic groups have besides their culture, history, language and alphabet, usually a common or similar outward appearance and similar genetics - albeit it is true that no ethnic group - Jews, Arabs, Kurds, Turks, Iranians, Chinese, Koreans, and European nationalities/ethnic groups are entirely homogenous - some of them are more and some are less homogenous. Jews are usually white (again, nothing political or ideological about it), usually dark haired (not always, but mostly) and have features and an outward physical appearance where they fit in in the Middle East, the Mediterranean and Southern Europe. These Mediterranean/Mid Eastern traits are typical among the vast majority of Ashkenazim and Sephardim (both in genetics and outward appearance). The Jewish identity is BOTH ethnic and religious. I doubt Bnei Menashe have the ethnic part of the Jewish identity but they do have the religious part. While I admire their love for Israel I have my reservations for letting them into Israel and like nr 6 said - they are not Jews. I wish them no harm, but they are no Jews.
12. Israel desperately needs
Josh   (05.13.12)
new citizens. Bring them all -- Jews not Jews. Israel could absorb any single one.
13. to Phoenix, Israel
Ruth ,   Bangalore   (05.13.12)
third world calling themselves jews.. you should be ashamed of yourself to comment such an indecent line about a certain people who you never met and whose places you've never traveled before. well you must be considering yourself a first world but you speak like a third class people. oh btw, i too belong to your so called "third world" community, and i want to make aliyah to Israel because you know why? who would want to live in a third world? would you?? last but not the least, we don't claim ourselves as Jews, We are Jewish descendants, I don't give a damn about what you believe, but I for sure give a damn about what we believe and what we believe is We are Jews because we know it. you don't know our history and tradition but we know and G-d knows, that is "DAYENU" for us! Peace out!!
14. a clarification
Rami Tal ,   Israel   (05.15.12)
Although I avoid responding to comments, believing that I should give the right of the last word to the readers, I'll make an exception in this case. My story did not take a position in the issue of B'nei Menashe's origin. I'm not a geneticist, nor an anthroplogist or a historian. I tried to give a concise description of the contrary attitudes. But, and this must have been reflected in my story, I was truly moved by their commitment, devotion and - yes' love - to Judaism, the Jewish People and the State of Israel. And I think that they have earned honestly the right to make Aliyah, convert to Judaism according to the Halakha, and be absorbed in Israel, as a part of the great Zionist endeavor of "Kibbutz Galuyot". As for Mr. "Phoenix" suspicions that they are 3rd world citizens aspiring to improve their life - my impression (maybe superficial, but very strong indeed) was that after years and years of preserving devoutly the Mitzvoth, learning Hebrew and Judaism, remaining steadfast in their desire to Make Aliyah even in the face of all difficulties and obstacles - these people should be given the right to unite with those whom they sincerely consider as their brethren, namely us, Israeli Jews.
15. 14 Rami,you convinced me...
ORA ,   JERUSALEM   (05.16.12)
if the conversion will be a100% Halachik .
16. Stop this propaganda!
Yair ,   Jerusalem   (05.20.12)
Rami, if by your own admission, you are "neither a historian nor an anthropologist nor a geneticist" - then why are you writing this article? You are basing your opinion purely on YOUR emotions. How can it be "kibbuts galuyot" if these people have zero historical ties to the Jewish people? This is a post-Christian group which took a fancy to Judaism. If we let every group into Israel based on that- we might as well pack our bags and leave, because we will be inundated with literally millions. A group that has NO CREDIBLE historical ties to the Jewish people and NO GENETIC ties whatsoever should never be allowed access- no matter how hard they learn how to shokkel or how big the kippa's they knit. There are plenty of real Jews out there, our flesh and blood whom we should bring here and spend our tax-money on, rather than do a historical injustice to the Jewish people by bringing in this third world tribe.
17. 16 Yair Every single person....
ORA ,   JERUSALEM   (05.20.12)
[not a group]that believe in G-D,and commit himself to follow the Tora laws may convert to Judaism by an orthodox Rabbi.
18. Ora- we are being had
Yair ,   Jerusalem   (05.20.12)
Ora- that is exactly the root of the problem. These people are brought here as a group. The claim that they are treated as individuals carries no weight. They are selling us a lie: that they are descendants of the tribe of Menasshe. There is no historical basis for that claim. And no genetic basis either. The state of Israel cannot allow all sorts of globe-trotting missionary-rabbis to convert entire tribes "on an individual basis" and cause serious demographic change. We are a nation, an ethnicity, and any person who abuses the religious aspect in order to destroy the national aspect (or visa versa), is an enemy of Judaism.
19. To Yair by the way Ehnicity?, were you put the Falashas???
(12.23.12)
20. G-d's Promise
Mark David ,   Occupied Chicago, US   (01.24.13)
Before our very eyes, G-d 's promise is coming true. From all over the world, remnants of Jewish people are waking up, returning to being Jewish and are coming back home to Israel. Not just in India, but here in US and Canada, central America, and in south America people are returning to being Jewish, hearing the call of their ancestors to return home. Return to being Jewish. Return to our G-d. Only a fool is blind to seeing this great return back to being Jewish. My wife came from the remote mountains of Colombia, in south America. Her family left Spain 500 yrs ago. They ended up fleeing the Spanish Inquisition and moved all the way to Colombia. They lived there for 500 yrs. Each generation lost more of their Jewishness till it was almost all gone. But G-d has His promise to keep. Her mother lit one candle in secret every Friday nite, but knew not why. Both her parents owned very old gold star of David jewelry but knew not why. They had names of bible Jews but knee not why. Her parents had a Jewish bible in Spanish. In Colombia, where the people are 99% catholic, the family said they were not catholic. When asked what they are, they said "we don't know." My wife's mother made many of the Jewish foods, but didn't know they were Jewish. With an unseen hand of G-d her 2 daughters have both married Jewish Americans and gone through conversion class. This is the process of Jews returning home. Returning back to to being Jews and being who they are and were. This is all part of G-d promise and His plan being fulfilled. Read Torah, its coming true before our very eyes. Who ate we to doubt G-d's promise and His plan. Jews all over the world, from the four corners of the earth, are returning home. Rejoice and celebrate, our long exile is ending and Israel is rising like the phoenix reborn. Our children will lead the way home with much celebration, tears of joy and love for our fellow Jews come back home!!
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