Shavei Israel Newsletter - August 2011 - Bnei Menashe Bar Mitzvah, Itzkhak Colney, Glenn Beck

Bnei Menashe boys putting on tefillin at ceremony

Bnei Menashe bar and bat mitzvah children celebrate in Jerusalem

Six young Bnei Menashe boys and girls recently celebrated their bar and bat mitzvahs in an emotional ceremony in Israel's capital. The event was particularly moving for us at Shavei Israel - in the ten years that we have been involved with the Bnei Menashe, we have watched proudly as your help has enabled their children to grow and flourish in their new homes in the Jewish state.

1,700 Bnei Menashe currently live in Israel - so there are plenty more such celebrations to come. And soon, when the Israeli government gives the final approval for the remaining 7,232 Bnei Menashe still in India to immigrate to Israel, we will be celebrating the aliyah to the Torah of an entire community!

The recent bar and bat mitzvahs took place at the Sephardi synagogue in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City. Mordechai Tlau was one of the bar mitzvah boys. Having his bar mitzvah in the Old City, so close to the Western Wall, was just "beautiful. It felt great being in such a wonderful place," he says. His father, Peer, concurs, adding that, "even though we did not understand all the Hebrew, we were still very happy inside of our heart. Oh, how did Shavei Israel choose our son? We are so proud!"

Please continue to our website where you can read the full report on the ceremony. We have more pictures too - click here to go to the photo gallery

The Tlau family and three other Bnei Menashe parents say thank you to Shavei Israel for making these bnei mitzvot possible. Read their emotional letters on our website.

Please help us to prepare the next generation of Bnei Menashe bar and bat mitvah children to be called up to the Torah. Click here to support this important project.

Itzkhak Colney

Shavei profile: Itzkhak Colney trains to become first Bnei Menashe social worker

As with immigrant communities everywhere, the Bnei Menashe now in Israel are invariably in need of social services. These include help with finding a job, choosing a school for their children, learning a new language, and navigating the unfamiliar Israeli bureaucracy.

While there are Israeli social workers who work with the Bnei Menashe, none come from the community itself or speak its native languages of Mizo and Kuki.

That's where Itzkhak Colney comes in. Colney is currently training to become the first Bnei Menashe social worker, thanks to a scholarship from Shavei Israel. Together with his sister Esther and a third Bnei Menashe named Sonia Manlun, Itzkhak is studying at the Safed Academic College in Israel's northern Galilee.

Colney, 29, sees his role as providing support to the Bnei Menashe, both materially - in terms of navigating the myriad of government services available - as well as spiritually - mixing Jewish content into his social work outreach.

This sensitivity to the role of Jewish tradition in the absorption process is not surprising: after his initial aliyah in 2005, Colney returned to the Indian state of Mizoram to serve as a Shavei Israel emissary for a year. It was during this time, in fact, that he met his wife Diana. The couple and their two children (ages 5 and 3) now live with Diana's parents near Jerusalem.

To read the rest of Itzkhak's inspiring story, please continue to our website.

Michael Freund to appear on the Glenn Beck Program

Glenn Beck and Michael Freund in Jerusalem last month

Shavei Israel

Chairman Michael Freund will appear on the Glenn Beck Program this coming Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 10:35 EST.

Freund and Beck first met on Beck's trip to Jerusalem in July. Beck subsequently invited Freund to appear on his radio program to describe to listeners Shavei Israel's work bringing the Bnei Menashe home to Israel.

Glenn Beck is one of America's leading radio and television personalities. The Glenn Beck Program is the third highest rated radio program in America, aired on over 400 stations.

Glenn Beck is sponsoring a major event in Jerusalem on August 24, 2011 called Restoring Courage. More information is here.

The full interview will be posted following the broadcast.

Roots #18 - August 2011