NYL Cabinet + JAFI Lunch and Learn: Bnei Menashe

You are invited to a lunch and learn for NYL Cabinet chevre and alumni, Chicago JAFI leadership and JUF I&O Leadership to learn about the Jewish Agency for Israel and their Bnei Menashi initiative. The Bnei Menashe are an ethnic minority living along the Myanmar–India border who have preserved Jewish traditions for more than 2,000 years. Since the 1970s they have strengthened their connection to Israel and today practice Orthodox Judaism under the guidance of Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. While about 4,500 have already made Aliyah, nearly 6,000 remain in India—many separated from close family in Israel and facing rising ethnic violence in the region. In response, The Jewish Agency and Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration have launched a five-year initiative to bring the remaining community members to Israel, reuniting families and fulfilling a centuries-old aspiration of returning to the Jewish homeland.