SUCCOT AT MA'OZ TZUR & A BOUNTIFUL AUTUMN HARVEST: A year since establishment
(October 21, 2024) It was a year ago when about 4 families moved into Ma'oz Tzur marking modest beginnings of the first and only kibbutz in India. Although it wasn't under the most pleasant of circumstances since it was established to house displaced Jewish B'nei Menashe families fleeing an ethnic-cleansing perpetuated by the majority Meitei community in the valley in India's northeast. Now, it has about a hundred residents with most taking advantage of the available land to farm to eke out a living. While it cannot be stated that they have prospered yet but it can stated with certainty that they have survived and are on the road to making progresses in improving their lives. Happily, this Succot, Operation Exodus gave out gifts, in the form of rice, lentil, cooking oil for the festival and Degel Menashe sponsored all meals, beginning with Rosh HaShanna and for Succot.
Ever since the beginning, residents have struggled to farm the land with limited success but now with grit and determination, that is changing. The autumn harvest, this year, was plentiful enough to produce a surplus. Our newsletter was informed that the surplus will be sold in the local vegetable market thereby giving the residents modest earnings. Even though progress has been made, they are still dependent. Degel Menashe still provides for their most basic needs such as grains, pulses and similar items including building shelters. Hopefully that will soon become things of the past in the near future. As things stabilize and become more organized, there will be a move towards sustainability and self-sufficiency in the form of a cooperative or similar entity. The goal is to provide residents a means of decent livelihood with dignity and at the same time, a provision to practice their faith. "I think we have succeeded up to a degree." says a resident. "We have a synagogue for our spiritual needs and fields for our worldly needs. What we need now is a school for our children".
HAPPY SUCCOT & MO'ADIM L'SIMCHA!
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