By: ICEJ News

Aliyah

During the Feast of Tabernacles in September, the annual Israeli Guest Night featured several presentations aimed at letting our Jewish friends know more about the work and ministry of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. In one segment, ICEJ Media Director David Parsons gave a brief review of our aliyah efforts and introduced our latest partner in helping Jews come home to Israel, Michael Freund of Shavei Israel.

Since 1990, the Christian Embassy has assisted more than 115,000 Jews in making the journey home to Israel. Most have come from the former Soviet Union, but we have also helped with the return of Ethiopian Jewry, the ‘quiet aliyah’ from nations like Cuba, Yemen and Iran, as well as new waves of Jewish immigration from the West. The newest aliyah operation may be the most unique of all – the return of the Bnei Menashe from northeast India after 2,700 years of exile.

Freund shared with the Feast audience about his determined efforts in recent years to re-open the door to Israel for the Bnei Menashe. This allowed 274 members of the community, who trace their ancestry back to the Israelite tribe of Manasseh, to come home last January. They arrived on flights sponsored by the Christian Embassy.

The Feast audience was then introduced to Hanoch and Miriam Haokip, a Bnei Menashe couple who arrived in January. They have now completed their Hebrew language classes and moved into an apartment in Akko, in northern Israel. Hanoch is a computer instructor and although young at only 27 years of age, he has shown real leadership skills and was appointed ‘mayor’ of the Bnei Menashe families in Akko.

“It is my first Sukkot in Israel and I never dreamed I would be here on this stage with so many Christians and Jews at this holiday”, Hanoch told the Feast crowd. “Thank you for all you have done for us.”

When asked how their two small children are adjusting to the new surroundings, Miriam assured, “they have settled in very fast. They make friends easy.”

“The kids are better at it than us grownups”, added Hanoch with a smile.

There are now 2,000 Bnei Menashe living in Israel, and they are known for their close family bonds, strong work ethic and deep loyalty to the Jewish nation.

The challenge is to help bring home the remaining 7,000 members of the Bnei Menashe tribe still living in India and patiently waiting to end 27 centuries of exile. Several hundred Bnei Menashe are expected to arrive by December and the ICEJ has committed to funding their flights.

Please partner with us in making this prophetic return happen! The Lord promised through the prophet Isaiah that, “I will bring your descendants from the east…” (Isaiah 43:5)

You can sponsor the flight for one Bnei Menashe for US $1200. With your help, their dreams of being reunited with the Jewish people in the Land of Israel will come true!