Internalizing the meaning of this expedition to meet a lost tribe

SAJAL, MANIPUR - Another Shavei Israel Beit Shalom visit, this time in Sajal, Sadar Hills, Manipur. As usual, dozens of people wait outside to greet us, and as we disembark our group starts to sing: Hevenu Shalom Aleichem [We bring peace upon you]. My group is so cute: everything we give the Bnei Menashe "is from Israel": balloons "from Israel," chocolates "from Israel," embroidery with passages from the Tanach "from Israel."

Once inside the Beit Shalom synagogue, the usual routine takes over and everyone sings and dances, men at the front and women behind the mehitza [separation]. Even though we've done this a few times now, instead of getting tired of the routine, the group seems to be absorbing more information, and the contact with the Bnei Menashe becomes more informed, more intimate. I'm seeing more and more of our group taking longer talks with the Bnei Menashe, talking to them from a base of deeper understanding. I'm not surprised at this, as you cannot help but learn on this trip.

A 'Jewish' ghetto in a Christian village

KANGPOPKI, Manipur - We visit the Beit Shalom Synagogue set up by the Shavei Israel organization at the Bnei Menashe compound in Kangpopki. As our bus pulls up to the top of the street dozens of kippa-wearing Bnei Menashe come out to greet us. Our group gets off the bus and a big celebration starts on the street, as we all greet each other. They are waving small Israeli flags, each one of them extends both hands to us and shake our hands saying Salom Salom [they can't pronounce the Sh in Shalom so well; which means they also pray to Hasem not Hashem].

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