Hundreds of Bnei Menashe, who claim descent from a lost tribe of Israel, have registered to take part in classes at a Jewish outreach center opened recently in northeastern India. Launched by the Jerusalem-based Amishav organization, the center is located in the city of Aizawl, capital of the Indian state of Mizoram, and it offers a variety of daily classes in subjects such as Hebrew language, Jewish history, prayer, and Jewish laws.



Amishav Director Michael Freund says that some 350 people signed up in the center’s first week of operation, and that the numbers are expected to grow. “The Bnei Menashe are hungry for Jewish knowledge, and our goal is to reach out to them and facilitate their return to the Jewish people,” he said. Due to space limitations, however, the center was able to accept just 50 of the applicants for the first set of classes. Amishav plans to dispatch two Israeli teachers to India in the coming weeks to supplement the center's staff, enabling enrollment to increase significantly. "We want to ensure that everyone interested in learning more about Judaism and Jewish life has the opportunity to do so," he said.



In the past decade, Amishav has brought 700 Bnei Menashe members to Israel, all of whom have undergone formal conversion by the Chief Rabbinate.