Community Magazine October 2009

Select Styles For Little Girls Sizes 12 & Up! Brooklyn: 4617 18th Ave, 718.853.5021 Long Island: 392 Central Ave, 516.569.7468 Great Selection of Flats New Now Carrying Memoi Hosiery Happy Holidays!!! Chol Ha'moed Sukkot: 5 Towns Location - OPEN • Brooklyn Location - CLOSED 32 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE Afghanistan recorded hearing older tribesmen state explicitly that they observed Judaism until the Muslim conquest. Unfortunately, all these tribes today consider themselves Moslems, pray in accordance with Moslem tradition, and make pilgrimages to Mecca. American Indians? Rabbi Menashe Ben Yisrael (1604-1657), in his book Mikveh Yisrael, brings dozens of proofs to an ancient Jewish presence in parts of the American continent. One piece of evidence is the report of a monument with a Hebrew inscription that was unearthed by the early European settlers in the 16 th century. He shows how many of the Indian tribal customs resemble and seemingly originate from Jewish law, and that some tribes even practiced circumcision. There are reports that the Indians were familiar with the story of creation and the great flood in the time of Noah. Rabbi Menashe thus deduces that the Indians were definitely influenced by a Jewish presence in that part of the world. He also cites many eyewitness accounts from early settlers on the American continents, of large beautiful colonies inhabited by white, non-pagan people living in peaceful isolation. According to these reports, the inhabitants all appeared well dressed with beards, and their powerful sentries barred any outsiders from entering their territory. There can be no doubt, Rabbi Menashe concludes, that these people belong to the ten tribes and they have lived in isolation from the civilized world for centuries on the American continent. Eventually, as more European settlers arrived, these groups moved onward to another place in order to once again live in isolation and obscurity. There are other speculations from various writers and historians regarding nations or parts of nations that may have originated from the ten lost tribes. Some say that the Jews of Yemen, or several groups of Yemenites Jews, descend from one of the lost tribes. Others speculate that the Ethiopian Jews originate from these tribes (and some claim that they came to Ethiopia during the time of Shelomo Hamelech). Other theories point to tribes in India, China and Japan who, until recently, observed many Jewish customs and quite likely originate from the ten lost tribes. Regardless of whether these groups are actually remnants of the lost tribes or if they were simply influenced by a Jewish presence, the Jewish belief remains strong that the full glory of the ten lost tribes continues to be hidden by Hashem in an unknown land, where they are fully committed to Torah tradition. This belief is coupled with the sincere hope and prayer that the world shall soon see the return of all segments of the Nation of Israel with the coming of Mashiah speedily in our days. 1 Endnotes The information citied within this article has been taken 1. from the following sefarim: Mikveh Yisrael by Rabbi Menashe ben Yisrael Shenem Assar Shivte Yisrael by Rabbi Moshe Weinstock Sippur David Hareuveni Or Hadash Besion by Rabbi Avraham Zonenson Next Issue: Tehiyat Hametim (Resurrection of the Dead)