The Blessing of Miriam Comes to Ma'oz Tzur: Residents Exult
(November 29, 2024) Finally there is an abundance of water at Kibbutz Ma'oz Tzur. Ever since last Sukkot when about four families moved into Ma'oz Tsur, the 200-acre property had nothing, not even a name. These were desperate people whose lives and homes had been destroyed in the valley where the Meitei supremacists carried out their ugly and atrocious ethnic cleansing, hunting down members of the Kuki (of which the B'nei Menashe belong to) tribe like animals. There were harrowing stories of families who spent days in the jungle with children, infants with nothing to eat except for wild berries and jungle herbs, until finally, they found relative safety in Lamka and Kanggui where the Kukis resides and are a majority. Ma'oz Tzur is situated in Lamka, about a 10 minute drive from the town. It is situated in an area called Suongpi (great rock, in Kuki) on a property owned by Lalam Hangshing, who also serves as the chairman of the apex B'nei Menashe body, BMC(I). He made it available to the displaced B'nei Menashe who fled the Imphal valley in the wake of the violence that began on 3rd May 2023. It started to take shape when more desperate families with nowhere to go started to join and their number doubled by December 2023. It was Hannukah when it was decided to give it a name and turn it into B'nei Menashe Jewish village with the blessings and approval of Lalam, the BMC chairman and Hillel, chairman of Degel Menashe. Thus was born Kibbutz Ma'oz Tzur, keeping in the spirit of Hannukah and Jewish resilience.
Kibbutz Ma'oz Tzur had electricity soon after its establishment but water was, relatively, not a priority since there were several monsoon-fed streams and rivulets running into it. However, they had to be fetched by containers and carried to the houses which was on a higher level. This meant that a lot of time had to be invested in it with children often participating and helping out at the cost of their study hours. Something had to be done. The executive director of Degel Menashe, Isaac Thangjom, visited and surveyed Kibbutz Ma'oz Tzur in early April this year with a team consisting of residents and followed the largest rivulet, upstream, from the east to the higher reaches in the west. A source was found where there was a pool of water with a steady stream of water, even during the driest month which fell during the visit. The pre-monsoons had not begun yet. It was determined that it must be perennial and hence a dependable source. Plans were afoot to lay a pipe which will bring water to the settlement.
Funds had to be raised to buy the pipes and it has never been an easy job. The task to do that fell on Jessica, wife of the executive director, who began to reach out to donors, especially members of the community in Israel. Because of the monsoon rain in the region, work could not begin until after it had ceased. So it was put on a stand-by until the last drops of rain fell in the last week of October. The drive began in early November and the response was overwhelming. The funds were dispatched by the third week of November. Procurement and fitting began. Our newsletter was told that all the residents of Kibbutz Ma'oz Tzur, regardless of age, took part in the project under the leadership of elders Reuven and Yitzhak. Laying of the 2.5 kilometer long pipe was completed in two days! One resident even said the water is gushing with great pressure. Now, that being the first phase, there is a need to prepare for the future and management will be a key factor. There are plans to build a kind of a reservoir in the vicinity of the settlement. And more importantly, a kind of a catchment will have to be devised at the source of the water to ensure there will be enough water even during the driest of months. Besides domestic purposes, the availability of water will promote agriculture, children will have more time for their studies and for others myriad of convenience to be more productive. Elder Reuven says, "We have plenty of water now, more than we need but we must plan how this can make our livelihood grow. It is a moment of joy and a beginning of new possibilities".
Degel Menashe wishes to thank all our donors!
Below are file photos of how residents used to fetch water at Kibbutz Ma'oz Tzur:
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