Guwahati, Apr 27: The arrival of nearly 250 members of the B’nei Menashe community from Manipur and Mizoram in Tel Aviv last week marks the latest phase of a migration that has been quietly unfolding for years.
The group is part of a relocation programme approved by the Israeli cabinet last November, signalling a fresh push to bring members of the community to Israel.
Drawn largely from Mizo and Kuki tribal groups, the B’nei Menashe believe they are descendants of the biblical tribe of Manasseh—one of the “Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.” The belief, which began to take shape in the early 1950s, has since driven a steady movement out of Northeast India.
Over the decades, sections of the community—once predominantly Christian—have adopted Jewish practices, strengthening their claim to a shared ancestry. In the 1970s, visiting Israeli researchers pointed to similarities between local traditions and Judaic customs, further reinforcing that identity.
At the same time, studies have offered a more complex picture. Genetic research has found no clear evidence linking the community directly to Middle Eastern populations, while anthropologists have suggested that the B’nei Menashe identity evolved in the mid-20th century, shaped by belief, revival, and external contact rather than a continuous ancient lineage. For the community, however, oral traditions and faith remain central to their sense of origin.
Migration picked up pace in the early 2000s. Organisations such as Shavei Israel have since facilitated the relocation of around 4,000 B’nei Menashe. Larger groups moved in 2006 and 2007, followed by smaller batches in the years after.
Yet the process remains complex. The B’nei Menashe are not automatically recognised as Jewish under Israeli law, meaning each relocation requires specific government approval. Many also undergo formal religious conversion after arrival.
Around 7,000 members of the community continue to live in Manipur and Mizoram, while thousands have already settled in towns across northern Israel, including Nof HaGalil and Kiryat Yam.
For many, the move is seen as a return to an ancestral homeland. But it also means leaving behind familiar surroundings and family networks in India.
The latest batch underscores that the migration is ongoing rather than episodic—shaped by a mix of belief, policy decisions, and long-held aspirations.
Even after decades, the journey of the B’nei Menashe continues to straddle two worlds—one they have known for generations, and another they are still in the process of calling home.
