B’nei Menashe Celebrate Purim Amid Hope for Aliyah Reform

(March 18) Purim was celebrated by B’nei Menashe in Israel and India this week much as elsewhere in the Jewish world: with the reading of the Megillah, the Book of Esther, in the synagogue; with Mishloach Manot, the mutual sending of gift parcels of food; with the masquerading of children and the festive dressing up of adults, and with partying and communal get-togethers. At the largest of these gatherings, held in Churachandpur’s Beit Shalom synagogue, over 300 B’nei Menashe gathered.

Here are some photographs.

Purim gathering in Churachandpur and Mishloach Manot.

Dressing up for Purim in Manipur and Mizoram.

B’nei Menashe children masquerading as soldiers, policemen, robots, paramedics, chefs, chief rabbis (that’s the late Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef in the dark blue turban), Mordecais, and lots of Queen Esthers.”