Brother of fallen Bnei Menashe IDF soldier makes Aliya from India
Less than a month after IDF soldier Gideon Hanghal, a new immigrant from India, was murdered in a Palestinian terrorist attack, his brother Aharon along with his wife and children made Aliya today from the northeastern Indian state of Manipur.
Aharon Hanghal and family are the first Bnei Menashe to immigrate to Israel in 3 years
The arrival of Aharon Hanghal, 32, his wife Liora, 32, and three young children was made possible thanks to the efforts of the Shavei Israel organization, Aliya & Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, the IDF and the Foreign Ministry. After landing at Ben-Gurion Airport this afternoon, where they were greeted by Aharon’s parents and other relatives, the family went to Nof HaGalil where they will make their home. This coming Sunday, they will join the traditional Shloshim memorial ceremony, held on the 30th day after a death in Jewish tradition, for Aharon’s brother Gideon, which will take place on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem.
“We are deeply moved that just a few weeks after IDF soldier Gideon Hanghal was murdered while defending the Land of Israel, his brother Aharon and family have finally been allowed to fulfill their dream and make Aliya,” said Michael Freund, Founder of Shavei Israel. “This is the first time since October 2021 that Bnei Menashe have been able to come to Israel and we are grateful to G-d for this breakthrough. We want to thank Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, the IDF and the Foreign Ministry, and we are proud to have worked closely with them on this special initiative,” he said.
HEARTBREAKING: Indian Jewish IDF soldier, 24-year-old Geri Gideon Hanghal was tragically killed in a vicious ramming attack in Judea & Samaria.
He gave his life defending Israel—remember his name, honor his sacrifice.
pic.twitter.com/vK4pBy98Og
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) September 11, 2024
“It is the start of a New Year and now there is a new Aliya of Bnei Menashe,” Freund noted, adding, “I hope and pray that this is the first step toward bringing the 5,000 Bnei Menashe remaining in India to Israel.”
“After hearing about the death of the soldier Gideon Hanghal,” said Aliya & Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer, “I instructed the Deputy Director-General of the Ministry to look into how we could assist the Hanghals. Upon learning that his brother and family was living in India and wished to make Aliya, we worked in cooperation with the relevant authorities to advance their Aliya as quickly as possible to enable them to take part in the memorial service that will be held on Mt. Herzl. I wish to thank Interior Minister Arbel for his help and the Foreign Ministry for expediting the bureaucratic processes”.
About Gideon Hanghal
Gideon Hanghal, aged 24, was an IDF soldier in the Kfir Brigade who was murdered on September 11, 2024, by a Palestinian terrorist in a ramming attack at Givat Asaf in Judea and Samaria. Hanghal had made Aliya in 2020 thanks to Shavei Israel, in conjunction with the Ministry of Aliya & Absorption and the Jewish Agency.
About the Bnei Menashe
The Bnei Menashe, or sons of Manasseh, claim descent from one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, who were sent into exile by the Assyrian Empire more than 27 centuries ago. Their ancestors wandered through Central Asia and the Far East for centuries, before settling in what is now northeastern India, along the borders of Burma and Bangladesh. Throughout their sojourn in exile, the Bnei Menashe continued to practice Judaism just as their ancestors did, including observing the Sabbath, keeping kosher, celebrating the festivals and following the laws of family purity. They continued to nourish the dream of one day returning to the land of their ancestors, the Land of Israel.
Emotional reunion when Aharon Hanghal, brother of slain IDF soldier Gideon Hanghal, arrived on Aliyah to Israel from India with his family!
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— Shavei Israel (@shaveiisrael) October 9, 2024
Over the past two decades, Shavei Israel has brought more than 5,000 Bnei Menashe on Aliya. Another 5,000 remain in India waiting for the Israeli government to bring them home.
About Shavei Israel:
Shavei Israel is a nonprofit organization founded by Michael Freund, who immigrated to Israel from the United States with the aim of strengthening ties between the Jewish people, the State of Israel and the descendants of Jews around the world. The organization is currently active in more than a dozen countries and provides assistance to a variety of communities such as the Bnei Menashe of India, the Bnei Anousim (referred to by the derogatory term “Marranos” by historians) in Spain, Portugal and South America, the Subbotnik Jews of Russia, the Jewish community of Kaifeng in China, descendants of Jews living in Poland, and others. For more information visit: www.shavei.org.
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