Hillel Halkin

"Lives of the children of Manasia" published in 2022 and written by author Hillel Halkin, already known for his book "Across the river Sabbat: in search of a lost tribe of Israel" published in 2002 , tells the story of the "Kuki-mizo" people and the mystery surrounding their origins.

Hillel Halkin, is a NY-born writer and translator of Hebrew and Yiddish literature who focuses on Jewish culture and politics.

This novel takes us to discover the "B'nei Menashe, a very ancient Jewish community, gather the Mizo (the Mizo people migrated from China around 750 AD and remained in western Myanmar. They then slowly began to migrate to present-day Mizoram during the fourth decade of the 16th century) and the Kuki (the first reference to the word Kuki can be dated to 1777 CE, when it first appeared in British records).
The number of Bnei Menashe is less than 9,000, and several thousand have emigrated to Israel, the land they have claimed since 1970.

The objective of this book is to understand the questionable veracity of their belonging to the Jewish religion. Could they have been the ancestral line of one of the so-called "lost" ten tribes, namely the biblical tribe of Manasseh?

The author relies on the fact that in the 1970s, hundreds of people residing in northeast India, Mizoran and Manipur, renounced their native religion, Christianity, in order to embrace Judaism.

This people of Tibeto-Burman stock, native of Mizoran and Manipur, had migrated to the tropical forests of the foothills of the Himalayas, self-managed in complete autarky in the past: they were hunter-gatherers, under the protection of their God "Manasia/Manmasi". The British colonization of India compelled them to abandon their customs, and made them subject to their governmental laws, and converted them to Christianity.

Paradoxically, their Kukimizo religion eradicated, was "renewed" into a religion that combined the old biblical laws with that of the New Testament.
This then spread widely, until attributing "Manasia/Manmasi" to "Menashe" - the son of Joseph in Genesis -
That is to say that they had "restored" the ancestral religion of yesteryear.
The mystery remains intact today: could it be that these "Manasia/Manmasi" were the descendants of the ancient Israelites exiled by the Assyrians between 722 and 734 BC?

The association "Manasia/Manmasi" and "Menashe" arose around 1940, before expressing itself publicly around 1950: The visualization of a "bridge" connected them, from the northeast of India to Israel, meaning that the Kukimiso people would regain - had to regain - the sacred land of their ancestors in Israel.

1960 affirmed their conviction, supported by the inserruction in 1966, which opposed the Kukimiso to the army of India. Which generates the scattering of multiple preachers, sects of all kinds, come to prophesy the "true" religion to follow. It was a confused quest, more obscure than ever before, through which people rushed, to find the door to their salvation.
Small groups have formed everywhere, taking advantage of the windfall, to appropriate these poor troubled souls. Christianity was gradually, for these peoples in deep spiritual search, repudiated in favor of Judaism, before emigrating to Israel, converted.

Thus, between 2017 and 2019, dozens of immigrants converted to B'nei Menashe in Israel were interviewed in their native languages, Kuki and Mizo.
This book legitimizes their prayers to make known to the world the claim that they are an integral part of Israel.

Many feel truncated by Christianity insofar as it does not respect the doctrines taught by the divine will. They feel betrayed. It is at the origin of the shism which then fractured those followers of Christianity and those of Judaism.

We follow them, follow various communities, at their expense, and constantly question ourselves. After many painful restarts, successive moves, banishments from their own homes...they then decide to unite. Many will learn Hebrew! This in order to convert with dignity, before being "admitted" to the Holy Land.
From this crucial moment in their lives, they will not deviate from their objective: they have finally reached their path!. They gave all they had to seek the true religion: "Manmasi" and "Menashe" of the Bible, thus, spawned a new tribe in Israel.

This exemplary book in the quest for God with unshakeable faith, which demonstrates with what fervor they worked together, all driven by the spiritual hunger to reconnect with the true God in their eyes.

Twelve absolutely fantastic life journeys underpin this remarkable book for its historical rigor and the quality of the transcribed accounts.

A book that I enjoyed very much. Astonishing confessions, which ring true, where these people reveal all their lives, the events that have marked their daily lives, their challenges and successes, their ways of recovering from hardships, and above all, above all, the image of exceptional mutual aid. ! It also allows them to finance the many trips they have to make! An edifying community cooperation, typically Hebrew, which allows them to adhere to a collective project.

Bright and uplifting! I was transported to a culture far removed from our materialistic contingencies.

Read this book! He will test your spiritual foundations.

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« Lives of the children of Manasia » publié en 2022 et écrit par l’auteur Hillel Halkin, déjà connu pour son livre « Across the river Sabbat: in search of a lost tribe of Israel » publié en 2002, raconte l’histoire du peuple « Kuki-mizo » et le mystère entourant leurs origines.
Hillel Halkin, est un écrivain et traducteur de littérature hébraïque et yiddish né à New York qui se concentre sur la culture et la politique juives.
Ce roman nous emmène à la découverte des « B’nei Menashe, une très ancienne communauté juive, rassemble les Mizo (le peuple Mizo a émigré de Chine vers 750 après JC et est resté dans l’ouest du Myanmar. Ils ont ensuite lentement commencé à migrer vers le Mizoram actuel au cours de la quatrième décennie du 16ème siècle) et le Kuki (la première référence au mot Kuki peut être datée de 1777 CE, quand il est apparu pour la première fois dans les archives britanniques). Le nombre de Bnei Menashe est inférieur à 9 000, et plusieurs milliers ont émigré en Israël, la terre qu’ils revendiquent depuis 1970.
L’objectif de ce livre est de comprendre la véracité discutable de leur appartenance à la religion juive. Auraient-ils pu être la lignée ancestrale de l’une des dix tribus dites « perdues », à savoir la tribu biblique de Manassé ?
L’auteur s’appuie sur le fait que dans les années 1970, des centaines de personnes résidant dans le nord-est de l’Inde, le Mizoran et le Manipur, ont renoncé à leur religion natale, le christianisme, pour embrasser le judaïsme.
Ce peuple de souche tibéto-birmane, originaire du Mizoran et du Manipur, avait migré vers les forêts tropicales des contreforts de l’Himalaya, autogéré en autarcie complète dans le passé : ils étaient chasseurs-cueilleurs, sous la protection de leur dieu « Manasia/Manmasi ». La colonisation britannique de l’Inde les obligea à abandonner leurs coutumes, les soumit à leurs lois gouvernementales et les convertit au christianisme.
Paradoxalement, leur religion Kukimizo éradiquée, a été « renouvelée » en une religion qui combinait les anciennes lois bibliques avec celle du Nouveau Testament. Cela s’est ensuite largement répandu, jusqu’à attribuer « Manasia / Manmasi » à « Menashe » - le fils de Joseph dans la Genèse - C’est-à-dire qu’ils avaient « restauré » la religion ancestrale d’antan. Le mystère reste intact aujourd’hui : se pourrait-il que ces « Manasia/Manmasi » soient les descendants des anciens Israélites exilés par les Assyriens entre 722 et 734 av. J.-C. ?
L’association « Manasia/Manmasi » et « Menashe » naît vers 1940, avant de s’exprimer publiquement vers 1950 : la visualisation d’un « pont » les relie, du nord-est de l’Inde à Israël, signifiant que le peuple Kukimiso retrouvera – devait regagner – la terre sacrée de ses ancêtres en Israël.
1960 affirment leur conviction, soutenue par l’inserruction en 1966, qui oppose les Kukimiso à l’armée de l’Inde. Ce qui génère la dispersion de multiples prédicateurs, sectes en tout genre, viennent prophétiser la « vraie » religion à suivre. C’était une quête confuse, plus obscure que jamais, à travers laquelle les gens se précipitaient, pour trouver la porte de leur salut. De petits groupes se sont formés partout, profitant de l’aubaine, pour s’approprier ces pauvres âmes troublées. Le christianisme a été progressivement répudié, car ces peuples en profonde recherche spirituelle, en faveur du judaïsme, avant d’émigrer en Israël, convertis.
Ainsi, entre 2017 et 2019, des dizaines d’immigrants convertis au B’nei Menashe en Israël ont été interrogés dans leurs langues maternelles, le kuki et le mizo. Ce livre légitime leurs prières pour faire connaître au monde l’affirmation qu’ils font partie intégrante d’Israël.
Beaucoup se sentent tronqués par le christianisme dans la mesure où il ne respecte pas les doctrines enseignées par la volonté divine. Ils se sentent trahis. Elle est à l’origine du shisme qui a ensuite fracturé ces adeptes du christianisme et ceux du judaïsme.
Nous les suivons, suivons diverses communautés, à leurs dépens, et nous nous remettons constamment en question. Après de nombreux redémarrages douloureux, des déménagements successifs, des bannissements de chez eux... Ils décident alors de s’unir. Beaucoup apprendront l’hébreu ! Ceci afin de se convertir dignement, avant d’être « admis » en Terre Sainte. De ce moment crucial de leur vie, ils ne dévieront pas de leur objectif : ils ont enfin atteint leur chemin ! Ils ont donné tout ce qu’ils avaient pour chercher la vraie religion: « Manmasi » et « Menashe » de la Bible, ainsi, ont engendré une nouvelle tribu en Israël.

Ce livre exemplaire dans la quête de Dieu avec une foi inébranlable, qui démontre avec quelle ferveur ils ont travaillé ensemble, tous animés par la faim spirituelle de renouer avec le vrai Dieu à leurs yeux.
Douze parcours de vie absolument fantastiques sous-tendent ce livre remarquable par sa rigueur historique et la qualité des récits transcrits. A book that I enjoyed very much. Astonishing confessions, which ring true, where these people reveal all their lives, the events that have marked their daily lives, their challenges and successes, their ways of recovering from hardships, and above all, above all, the image of exceptional mutual aid. ! It also allows them to finance the many trips they have to make! An edifying community cooperation, typically Hebrew, which allows them to adhere to a collective project.

Bright and uplifting! I was transported to a culture far removed from our materialistic contingencies.

Read this book! He will test your spiritual foundations.
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I bought this book on a whim - almost as a souvenir - from the Shakespeare and Co bookstore in Paris. I read it on the flight home. It is the story of a man who is in love with a woman, and their subsequent relationship. However, it is far more than that. All the things that come with long term relationships - heartache, regret, anger, sadness, loss, love, resentment. Halkin does a wonderful job of pulling you through, wondering how it is going to end for them. I greatly enjoyed it and will probably read it again.… (more)

NO OF PAGES: 394 SUB CAT I: Lost Tribes SUB CAT II: Diaspora SUB CAT III: DESCRIPTION: Noted author and translator Halkin (Letters to an American Jewish Friend) offers a captivating tale that is part travelogue, part ethnography, part cultural treasure hunt. His trail of tantalizing clues too often leads nowhere, but readers should hang in, because the search is not in vain, and the culture Halkin describes is in itself striking. He visits the Mizo people of northeast India a people who improbably but passionately claim to be descendants of the ancient Israelite tribe of Manasseh, one of the 10 tribes of northern Israel who were exiled by the Assyrians around 720 B.C. and then lost to history. Mizo tradition says they are the "children of Manmasi" possibly a corruption of Manasseh. Their rituals include a fragment of a "red sea song" and the symbolic circumcision of a baby boy eight days after birth; their god is named Za or Ya, possibly linguistically related to the biblical Yahweh. The attempt to trace Mizo traditions is frustrated by the disintegration of what they call "the old religion" as Christianity has insinuated itself into even remote regions of Asia. The intense desire of the Mizos to be considered Jews is both comical and touching (and colored by an equally intense desire to emigrate to Israel); their internecine conflicts over theology will be sadly familiar to Jews everywhere. Halkin offers a rich portrait of an entire people suffering an identity crisis in the midst of a region filled with ethnic turmoil, and his conclusions about the origins of the Manmasi people will amaze even skeptical readers.NOTES: Purchased from the Amazon Marketplace. SUBTITLE: In Search of a Lost Tribe of Israel… (more)