A ‘Lost’ Tribe of Israel Returns Home

Bnei Menashe in Adloyada of Purim in Carmiel, Israel by Jusmine via Wikipedia

By Rabbi Allen S. Maller

Most people have heard of the ‘ten lost tribes of Israel’. In reality they were never lost; they were just submerged among the much larger non Jewish population in the places where they lived, or they moved to distant lands, and over the course of centuries became detached from the main body of the Jewish People; and were forgotten. The well known Marano Jews, who are the descendants of Jews forced to convert into the Catholic Church in 15^th century Spain and Portugal, are a good example of a submerged Jewish population. The Jewish communities in India and China are a good example of remote Jewish communities, who in the 12^th  and 13^th century became detached from the body of Israel and were forgotten. Today the Jews of India and China are remembered primarily because, unlike Jews in Europe and the Middle East, the Jews in India and China never were subject to Anti-Semitism or any form of religious oppression.

Now, a new group of  ‘lost’ Indian Jews, who are descendants of the tribe of Menashe, one of the ten tribes exiled from the Land of Israel in 721 BCE by the conquering Assyrian Empire, are returning home. In March 2005, Israeli Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar officially backed the Bnei Menashe’s claim to be Jewish. That announcement led to a wave of immigration from India to Israel; and about 1,700 of the 7,200-strong Bnei Menashe community arrived in Israel. But the flow stopped in 2007, when Israel stopped giving visas to the Bnei Menashe due to objections from some ultra-Orthodox Rabbis.

Israel’s decision to reverse that policy now will pave the way for all the remaining Bnei Menashe members to migrate. A source close to the prime minister’s office gave two reasons for the change in Israeli policy.  Some of the donors to Shavei Israel, an organization that seeks to repatriate  ‘lost’ Jewish communities, are also donors to Netanyahu, and several fundamentalist Christian groups that support Netanyahu also pressured him strongly because they believe that the return of the remnants of the ten lost tribes is a necessary part of the coming Messianic Age.

The Bnei Menashe Indian Jewish community says it is one of the ten lost tribes of Israel who were exiled when Assyrians invaded the northern kingdom of Israel in the 8^th century BCE. According to its oral tradition, the tribe travelled through Persia, Afghanistan, Tibet, China and on to India, where it eventually settled in the north-eastern states of Manipur and Mizoram.

When the new group of 53 Bnei Moshe landed in Tel Aviv there were emotional scenes at Ben Gurion airport as the newcomers were greeted by relatives who had moved to Israel during the first wave of immigration. Several hundred more Bnei Menashe members are due to arrive in the coming weeks, said Michael Freund, a spokesman for the Shavei Israel group which helped organize the journey for the Bnei Menashe members. “The members of this tribe have never forgotten where they came from. and we are excited to be able to help them come back,”

Freund, a passionate religious Zionist from New York, immigrated to Israel in 1995 and was employed as deputy communications director for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his first term. In 1997 Freund discovered one of the many letters sent by the Bnei Menashe on a desk in the prime minister’s office. “The letter, hand-written and in a faded orange envelope, looked like it had been through a washing machine. At first, I thought the whole thing was nuts,” he said. But he was intrigued enough to visit the tribe in India. “When I met them and saw the similarities between their customs and beliefs and the biblical Israelites, I was convinced that these are indeed descendants of the lost tribes” Freund said.

Ethiopian Jews are another remote community that returned to Israel a generation ago after a separation of over 2,000 years. The amazing 1991 rescue of 15,000 Ethiopian Jews in an airlift lasting less than 48 hours stirred and inspired people for several weeks. Subsequently, the difficult problems the newcomers faced (similar to those of the 900,000 Russian Jews who immigrated in the 1970′s and 1980′s) occupied the Jewish media. Now both are taken for granted. The miracle has become routine.

But if you had told the Jews of Ethiopia two generations ago that they would someday all fly to Israel in a giant silver bird, they could only conceive of this as a Messianic miracle.  If you had told Russian Jews a generation ago that the Soviet regime would collapse, and the Soviet Empire disintegrate; while hundreds of thousands of Russian Jews would emigrate to Israel, they would have conceived it only as a Messianic dream. In our own generation therefore we have seen the dramatic fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “I will bring your offspring from the East (India) and gather you from the (European) West. To the North (Russia) I will say ‘give them up’ and to the South (Ethiopia) ‘do not hold them’.  Bring my sons from far away, my daughters from the end of the earth.” (Isaiah 43:5-6) Truly amazing things are happening in our generation if we would only open our eyes.

Rabbi Maller’s web site is: rabbimaller.com

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“Life of Pi” author asked to apologize for terming India “horrible”

Kolkata in the 80s by MC via Flickr

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Indo-Americans have asked for immediate public apology from “Life of Pi” author Yann Martel for reportedly labeling India as “a horrible place”.

Man Booker Prize winner Canadian writer Martel (Manners of Dying), who spent one year in India writing “Life of Pi”, in a recent interview to Indian media, reportedly stated, “India is a horrible place”.

“Life of Pi”, fantasy-adventure about a boy from Pondicherry (India) who survives 227 days after shipwreck, has been adopted by Oscar winner Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) for the big screen, which is releasing on November 21.

Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that terming such culturally, religiously and philosophically rich country like India was highly illogical and irrational.

Zed, who is Chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, pointed out that one of the world’s largest economies, India gave the world four major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism, ancient Indus Valley Civilization, Mahatma Gandhi, Sanskrit, Taj Mahal, yoga, oldest existing scripture Rig-Veda, etc. Where else could one find such a religiously diverse, multi-ethnic and multi-lingual society living together?

India did face issues of poverty, corruption, healthcare, literacy, etc., but such a broad generalization of a country of over 1.2 billion as “horrible” was highly disturbing for its hard-working populace, Rajan Zed argued.

Zed also hoped that Lee would handle the Pi’s spirituality exploration and holistic edge with cultural sensitivity in the upcoming movie in this India-influenced story.

Rajan Zed further said that more world filmmakers should explore many finer and deeper things India offered. Planet’s most multidimensional country, fast growing economy, emerging world power, largest democracy, etc.; India has snowcapped mountains, palm-fringed and sun-washed beaches, glorious temples, colorful festivals, rich philosophy and spirituality, abundant historical sites, wildlife safaris, recharging treks, historic trade routes, cultural wealth, etc.

Filmed in India, Canada and Taiwan, “Life of Pi” is based on awards-winning best-selling novel of the same name which is an adventure tale about 16-years old Pi Patel stranded on a lifeboat with a hyena, orangutan, an injured zebra, and a hungry Bengal tiger in Pacific Ocean on his voyage from India to Canada. Film stars newcomer Suraj Sharma as Pi, besides Filmfare Award winner Irrfan Khan (Life in a Metro) and National Award winner Tabu (Chandni Bar).

Oscar nominated M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense), Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men), Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen); and Dean Georgaris (What Happens in Vegas) reportedly dropped this project after preliminary exploration in the past. Keith Robinson adapted it into a play and toured England.

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Poll shows India worst place to be a woman

Young woman from Tamil Nadu near Mahabalipuram, India Français : Jeune femme du Tamil Nadu près de Mahâballipuram, Inde (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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India is the worst place to be a woman among the world’s biggest economies and ranks even lower than Saudi Arabia, according to a global poll of experts released by Trust Law, a Thomson Reuters Foundation service, on Wednesday.

It declared Canada the best place to be a woman, while even Indonesia, South Africa, Mexico and Turkey fared better than India. “Infanticide, child marriage and slavery make India the worst”, the poll concluded.

“In India, women and girls continue to be sold as chattels, married off as young as 10, burned alive as a result of dowry-related disputes and young girls exploited and abused as domestic slave labour,” one of those polled was quoted as saying.

The Gender Inequality Index has also reportedly ranked India among the worst places for women.

India ranked at 141 among 165 countries analyzed by Newsweek magazine in the treatment of women, which was published in September.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, argued that although India was on track to become a global power, but her new power and prosperity had remained evasive for many, especially women. Despite economic miracle, women in India continued to face inequalities in opportunities which blocked them from fully participating in the growth process. It was blight on a country, which prided herself on having joined the league of hottest growth economies.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed: We needed to empower our women in India; provide them better treatment under the law, better access to health-education-politics, and more opportunities for workplace participation; and open up more economic potentials for them.

Quoting scriptures, Rajan Zed pointed out that ancient Manusmriti said: “Where women are revered, there the gods are pleased; where they are not, no rite will yield any fruit.” Number of Rig-Veda (oldest existing scripture of Hinduism) hymns were said to be composed by women, and Aditi, who was sometimes referred as “mother of the gods”, found mention in Rig-Veda as a goddess.

TrustLaw reportedly asked aid professionals, academics, health workers, policymakers, journalists and development specialists with expertise in gender issues to rank the 19 countries of the G20 in terms of the overall best and worst to be a woman.

TrustLaw is a core program of Thomson Reuters Foundation, a registered charity in the United States and United Kingdom established in 1982. David W. Binet and Monique Villa are Trustees Chairman and CEO respectively of the London headquartered Foundation.

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Swami Vivekananda’s encounter with Prof. Max Muller

Swami Vivekananda, 1893 via Wikipedia

Author: Ranjana Banerjee

This year India is celebrating 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda and with great regards to the superhuman among all the religious personality this article is dedicated to him.

While in England during his second visit in the year 1896 Swami Vivekananda was introduced with Professors Max Muller and Paul Deussen, the two great authorities on Indian Philosophy in foreign land as also the renowned philosophers of that time.

Friedrich Max Müller (1823-1900), Sanskrit scholar and philologist, was a pioneer in the fields of Vedic studies, comparative philosophy, comparative mythology and comparative religion. Müller was born on 6 December 1823 in Dessau, Germany, to the popular lyric poet Willhelm Müller and his wife Adelheid, the eldest daughter of Präsident von Basedow, the prime minister of the Anhalt-Dessau duchy.

Prof. Max Mueller, had written an article on Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa in a magazine named ‘Nineteenth Century’. After reading that Swamiji was desirous of meeting Max Mueller from the beginning. As luck would have it, Swamiji’s ambition was fulfilled.

Prof. Max Muller was desirous of writing a biography of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. But he lacked the necessary material for it. Swamiji have him the required material as a result of which he was able to write the biography of Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa. Both great men were highly pleased at meeting each other. Prof. Max Mueller was greatly impressed by Swamiji’s method of propagation of Vedanta. Swamiji was also impressed by Prof. Max Mueller’s knowledge of ancient India, Indian literature and philosophy. During the course of their conversation Swamiji asked him, ‘when are you coming to India? Indians would, no doubt, feel elated by the visits of a great man who has discussed about ancient Indian knowledge with utmost devotion.’

Hearing this there came a glow over the face of this old man. With tears in his eyes he said, ‘Most probably, after coming to India I would not be able to return back. You people will have to perform my last rites.’

Despite heavy rain and storm Prof. Max Mueller went over to the station to see off Swamiji. Unable to bear the pains taken by an old man Swamiji asked him, ‘Why are you taking so much pains?’

At this Prof. Max Mueller answered, ‘Opportunity to meet the most worthy disciple of Sri Ramakrishna won’t come time and again.’

This meeting culminated in a strong friendship between the two. Though they never met again, they communicated with each other through letters.

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Indo-Americans critical of India’s failure at curbing frequent stampedes

Evening view of Har-ki-Pauri, Haridwar. This is an older photograph as it shows the old Ganga Temple... via Wikipedia

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Indo-Americans are critical of frequent occurrences of deadly stampedes at religious gatherings in India.

Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that although India was on track to become a global power but it had yet to come up with a foolproof plan to manage large crowds.

Zed, who is Chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, was expressing grief over the loss of lives at November eight stampede tragedy at centenary celebrations involving Mahayagya in Haridwar (Uttarakhand) on Ganga bank reportedly claiming 20 lives and injuries to about 60 people in an estimated gathering of up to two million.

India failed or refused to learn lessons from the previous stampedes as these continued to happen. It was blight on a country, which prided herself on having joined the league of hottest growth economies, Rajan Zed pointed out.

According to reports, about 1,000 lives have been lost at stampedes at religious gatherings in India during the last decade. Last such melee was around Sabarimala (Kerala) shrine in January last, killing over 104 pilgrims and injuring many others. Other such tragedies happened in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra during the past decade.

Suffocation and panic were reportedly some of the causes of tragedy. A magisterial probe has reportedly been ordered into the mishap and the five-day event, which began November six, has been curtailed. Haridwar is among India’s most popular pilgrim destinations.

Margaret Alva and Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri are Governor and Chief Minister of Uttarakhand state, while Pratibha Devisingh Patil and Manmohan Singh are President and Prime Minister of India respectively.

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Hindus urge India & Tamil Nadu govts. to help preserve deteriorating temple art

A portion of a ruined Pallava palace in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, built around the 7th century A.D. via Wikipedia

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Hindus have expressed concern at the continuing deterioration of temple murals/inscriptions/carvings in Tamil Nadu and adjoining areas.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that both India and Tamil Nadu governments should urgently come up with a joint project to preserve these priceless masterpieces of religious art for coming generations.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out that these pieces of religious art, some dating back to 7^th century CE in the Pallava period, were parts of our rich heritage, provide valuable insights into our past, and should be passed on to our children and grand-children intact.

Exposure to sun, vulnerability to nature, water-seepage, fungus, vandalism, smoke, and plain ignorance and carelessness, etc., had caused havoc to these valuable and important symbols of our religion/culture. It was the moral duty of state and national governments to immediate take steps to prevent further damage to our rich heritage, Rajan Zed stressed.

Hinduism is oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

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Yogi based in Mumbai claims to have solutions for health problems of Hollywood celebrities

Bhagavad Gita, a 19th century manuscript via Wikipedia

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A yogi based in Mumbai (India) has claimed that he could cure Hollywood celebrities, even those with terminal illnesses, without any drugs or fees.

Vir Balahara, who is reverently known as “Virjee”, is not your ordinary yogi. He retired as Director General of Income Tax of India. Atheist most of his earlier life, he found inner-light when he was around 40 and started exploring it further. After his about 23 years of self-exploration, he felt ready to take his mission and “new awareness” globally to help the sick.

Balahra has studied health issues of Hollywood celebrities and says that he can treat drug-alcohol-smoking addictions, emotional and physical breakdowns, weight and diet related problems, ageing related complaints, etc.; and can help them achieve their anti-ageing and fitness goals. He does not charge any fees for his treatment as he believes in “selfless action” advocated by ancient Sanskrit scripture Bhagavad-Gita.

”Virjee” has thrown an open invitation to Hollywood celebrities to visit him in Mumbai and promises that they will return to Hollywood healthy and vibrant. Although his technique is complex, but in simpler terms it seems to be based around pranayam (exercising control over the process of breathing). He feels that some hidden force is leading him by holding his hand. At 63, he runs about 15 kilometers a day and calls it “meditation par excellence” and claims that he has more “strength, stamina, positivity and enthusiasm” now than he had when he was 40 when his inner journey began.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, applauded Balahara for his selfless project to bring happiness back on the faces of sick. It was highly commendable that somebody like Balahara was willing to share his wisdom gathered after grueling hours of meditation and self-exploration for over two decades and without any mercantile greed, Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, added.

“It was mostly journey within”, Balahara tells about his “new awareness” experience. Although the exploration continues, but he feels that it is time now to bless others with the energy and transfer some of his light to them. His treatment changes the participant as a whole—physically, mentally, and spiritually. Why is he focusing on Hollywood celebrities—because they bring smile on the faces of the people worldwide, he wants to bring smile back on their faces.

Balahara says that healthy and lively is our normal state and we usually get sick when we interfere with the functioning of our body by consuming allopathic drugs and wrong breathing and food habits. He claims that death (barring accidental cases) does not come until we give up and ask for it.

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Women of India outdo men in philanthropy

HI! From India by orange tuesday / Chris

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Women of India have outperformed Indian men in philanthropy.

Latest list of Forbes Asia of “48 Heroes of Philanthropy” contains only four Indians and all of them are women.

These philanthropic heroes are: Anu Aga (67, Director of Thermax; Thermax donates 1% of its profits to charity), Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (56, Chairman of Biocon; contributed $10 million to Bangalore Cancer Center, donates $2 million annually towards health insurance of villagers, committed $3 million to Hyderabad Business School); Kiran Nadar (58, wife of HCL Technologies cofounder Shiv Nadar; opened an Art Museum), and Rohini Nilekani (50, Infosys investor; donated $40 million over the years).

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged each Indian to take a vow of undertaking at least one charitable project during this year for less fortunate members of the community.

Quoting scriptures, Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, said that charity was a duty, which should be undertaken with sympathy and modesty. He advised Hindus to focus on inner search, stay pure, explore the vast wisdom of scriptures, make spirituality more attractive to youth and children, stay away from the greed, and always keep God in your life.

Stressing renunciation, Rajan Zed pointed out that three opening words of ancient scripture Isha Upanishad: “tena tyaktena bhunjita” said it all—“By renouncing it {the world}, enjoy it.” Bhagavad-Gita, another ancient scripture, also promised “freedom through renunciation”.

Consumerism had resulted in neglecting spiritual values, Rajan Zed argued and quoted Bhagavad-Gita, which says: there are three gates to self-destructive hell—greed, anger, and desire. Abandon these three. A person freed from these three gates of darkness, seeks what is best and attains life’s highest goal.

Hinduism is oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Headquartered in New York (USA) and launched in 1917, Steve Forbes is its editor-in-chief.

Queen organizes Bollywood dance at Buckingham Palace

Backview Bollywood #39: Meena Kadri

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Her Majesty the Queen Elizabeth II of United Kingdom has invited Bollywood dancers for a first-ever such performance at Buckingham Palace in London, according to reports.

Fifteen minute long performance with three male and five female dancers will be held in the lavish Ballroom, where German composer-organist-conductor-pianist Felix Mendelssohn performed organ recitals for Queen Victoria. It will include seven costume changes and a romantic boy-meets-girl storyline.

The performance has been termed as “sexy and hot”. It will be held in the shadow of red-gold canopy once used in 1911 for Delhi Durbar. It will include a sequence from 1955 Filmfare Award winner “Shree 420” starring Raj Kapoor. Two Indian chefs will work with palace chefs to prepare canapés for guests.

Queen had already seen the Bollywood dancing during a visit to Bradford in the past. Besides Queen and Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, other members of royal family expected to be present include Duke and Duchess of Wessex and Prince Michael of Kent.

Seeing Queen’s interest in India’s culture, Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged her to visit a Hindu temple. Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said that traditionally Lord Shiva invented dance who first danced the cosmic tandava. Sage Bharata first codified rules of classic Indian dance in Natya-sastra treatise.

Bollywood dancing is a high energy vibrant dance performed to the Bollywood tracks and is fusion of traditional Indian dances, folk dances (including Bhangra), and western influences; popularized by Bollywood movies which usually feature about seven song-dance sequences, mostly involving two people falling in love. Bollywood dance craze is spreading across USA, Canada and Europe. It is a free dance, an expression of joy, Rajan Zed adds.

Bollywood & India celebrities missing from “International Best-Dressed List”

Backview Bollywood #37 Artwork by Bobby Solanki uploaded by Meena Kadri

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No Bollywood or other celebrity of India figured on the Vanity Fair magazine’s just released prestigious “2009 International Best-Dressed List”.

Out of the eleven (from total 53) showbiz personalities which appear on this list, six are American, and one each of British, French, Spanish, Russian, and Italian-American. People of only ten countries, out of total about 195 countries of the world, show up on the list.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has criticized the list for unevenness. So this “best dressed list” appears to be telling us that we in about 185 countries representing about 90 percent of the world population, including the continents of Asia and Africa and most populated countries like China and India, do not know how to comb our hair or how to tie a half Windsor knot with a dimple on the necktie or our wardrobes are not chic or we lack sense of style, Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, argues.

Showbiz celebrities which appear on the list include Oscar nominated American actor-producer Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Oscar winner Spanish actress Penelope Cruz (Volver), BAFTA nominated British actor-producer Daniel Craig (Casino Royale), Oscar winner American actress-producer Renee Zellweger (Cold Mountain), Oscar nominated French actress-model Catherine Deneuve (Indochine), Oscar nominated American actress Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), American musician-actress Alicia Keys (The Secret Life of Bees), American actress-television personality Kelly Ripa (The Stand-In), Oscar nominated American filmmaker-photographer Bruce Weber (Let’s Get Lost), Russian actress-model Natalia Vodianova (Probka), Italian-American director-cinematographer-writer Chiara Clemente (Three Worlds).

Besides showbiz people, this 70th annual List has politicians, wives of politicians, royalty, fashion professionals, jewelry designers, writers, banker, artist, financier, professional bullfighter, etc., including US President Barack Obama. Launched in 1913 and published from New York, Vanity Fair claims readership of 6,107,000. India reportedly makes about ten times the number of movies as compared to Hollywood.