Abstract
The 4500 strong Bnei Menashe community who immigrated to Israel from India are characterized by low levels of education and income among other socio-economic factors covering all areas of life. The data in this chapter was gathered in 15 semi-structured interviews conducted with individuals from the Bnei Menashe immigrant community in Israel as we sought to uncover their information needs and the constraints on their capability to be informed through information and communication technologies (ICTs). Findings reveal that individuals from the Bnei Menashe community only partially succeed in realizing their capability to be informed through ICTs. This is due to low levels of digital literacy as well as unique socio-cultural constraints.
Some of the data and analysis presented in this chapter was previously published as Shomron, B., & Schejter A. (2019). ‘He too will become a nation and he too will become great’: The Information Needs of the ‘Bnei Menashe’ Immigrant Community in Israel as Capability. International Communication Gazette, 82(4), 384–403. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048518820459
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
- 1.
The latter were evacuated in 2005 when Israel pulled out its citizens from the Gaza Strip in what is known as the “disengagement plan.”
References
Avineri, S., Orgad, L., & Rubinstein, A. (2009). Managing Global Migration: A Strategy for Immigration Policy in Israel. Metzilah Center. https://www.idc.ac.il/publications/files/508.pdf [in Hebrew]
Birnbaum, E. (2007). Brothers from Missouri and Manipur, Southeast India. Daat. http://www.daat.ac.il/he-il/kehilot/yehudi-olami/bney-menashe2.html [in Hebrew]
Corbin, J. M., & Strauss, A. (1990). Grounded Theory Research: Procedures, Canons, and Evaluative Criteria. Qualitative sociology, 13(1), 3–21. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00988593
Dor-Nahum, E. (2016, February 8). The Bnei Menashe Tribe in Tiberias: ‘Incredible knowledge of Judaism’. Mynet HaEmek. https://emek.mynet.co.il/local_news/article/m_226230 [in Hebrew]
Faraj, Y. (2021, October 14). ‘Starting a new life’: 250 Immigrants of the Bnei Menashe Community Landed in Israel. Davar. https://www.davar1.co.il/339278/ [in Hebrew]
Friedland, L., Napoli, P., Ognyanova, K., Weil, C., & Wilson III, E. J. (2012). Review of the Literature Regarding Critical Information Needs of the American Public. Unpublished manuscript submitted to The Federal Communication. http://transition.fcc.gov/bureaus/ocbo/Final_literature_Review.pdf
Government Decree. (2013, October 9). Granting an Entry Visa to Israel for a Group for the Purpose of a Conversion Procedure. [in Hebrew]
Hesmondhalgh, D. (2018). Television, Quality of Life and the Value of Culture. In D. Freedman & V. Goblot (Eds.), A Future for Public Service Television (pp. 151–156). Goldsmiths Press.
Kedem-Tahar, E. (2007). The Tribe of Menashe—First Steps as an Organized Immigration to Israel: Absorption or Rejection? Nativ, 20(6), 66–71. [in Hebrew]
Kelle, U. (2007). The Development of Categories: Different Approaches in Grounded Theory. In A. Bryant & K. Charmaz (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Grounded Theory (pp. 191–213). Sage Publications.
Koch-Davidovits, P. (2010). The Immigration of the Bnei Menashe and Their Absorption. Information and Research Center. http://www.knesset.gov.il/mmm/data/pdf/m02776.pdf [in Hebrew]
Maltz, J. (2015, February 19). How a Former Netanyahu Aide Is Boosting Israel’s Jewish Majority, One ‘lost tribe’ at a Time. Haaretz. https://www.haaretz.com/how-one-man-is-pumping-up-israel-s-jewish-majority-1.5308899
Maltz, J. (2021, May 30). Israel Bars Large Group of Immigrants from India after Discovering High Rate of COVID among Them. Haaretz. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-in-rare-move-israel-bars-entry-for-indian-immigrants-over-covid-19-infections-1.9858607
Mizrahi, E. (2021, June 1). In the Shadow of the Corona: Bnei Menashe Immigrated to Israel. Kol Hazman. http://www.kolhazman.co.il/451829 [in Hebrew]
Ritchie, J., Lewis, J., Nicholls, C. M., & Ormston, R. (2013). Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers. Sage Publications.
Rofe-Ofir, S. (2015, December 30). From India to the IDF: The Soldier Who Did Everything to Serve in a Combat Unit. Ynet. https://xnet.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4745865,00.html [in Hebrew]
Rubinstein, A. (2006). Interim Report of the Advisory Committee for the Study of an Immigration Policy for the State of Israel. http://amnonrubinstein.com/images/stories/other/hagira.doc [in Hebrew]
Sen, A. (1999). Democracy as a Universal Value. Journal of Democracy, 10(3), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.1999.0055
Shomron, B., & Schejter, A. (2019). ‘He too will become a nation and he too will become great’: The Information Needs of the ‘Bnei Menashe’ Immigrant Community in Israel as Capability. International Communication Gazette, 82(4), 384–403. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048518820459
Weil, S. (1997). Double Conversion among the ‘Children of Menasseh’. In S. Ratha (Ed.), Contemporary Society: Tribal Studies (pp. 84–102). Concept Publishing Company.
Weil, S. (2004). Lost Israelites from the Indo-Burmese Borderlands: Re-traditionalisation and Conversion Among the Shinlung or Bene Menasseh. Anthropologist, 6(3), 219–233.
Yarkechy, D. (2016, May 22). Without a Bid, for NIS 8 Million: 712 Menashe People Will Immigrate from India and Convert. Walla. https://news.walla.co.il/item/2963435 [in Hebrew]
Yaron, L. (2016, March 10). Israel to Boost the Immigration of the Bnei Menashe Community from India: 700 Immigrants Will Arrive in 2016. Haaretz. http://www.haaretz.co.il/news/education/.premium-1.2878607 [in Hebrew]
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Schejter, A.M. et al. (2023). The Bnei Menashe Immigrant Community. In: Digital Capabilities. Palgrave Studies in Digital Inequalities. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22930-5_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-22930-5_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-22929-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-22930-5
eBook Packages: Literature, Cultural and Media StudiesLiterature, Cultural and Media Studies (R0)