JEREMIAH THANGKANG LHUNGDIM

Born on January 1, 1951, in the historic village of Gelmuol, Churachandpur, Manipur, India, Jeremiah married Bathya Lhungdim in 1975, the eldest daughter of David Jamkhosem Lhungdim, the Chief of Gelmol Village. He embraced Christianity at the age of ten and graduated from college in 1972, having completed the Guwahati board examination.

 

He possessed a profound yearning to uncover the authentic religion, prompting him to engage closely with David Jamkhosem Lhungdim. While working as a Sunday school teacher for the Evangelical Christian Association, he attended the Shabbatical congregation, which does not eat non-kosher animals and sees Jesus as the promised Messiah. His marital connection to Bathya, the daughter of David Jamkhosem, incited the ire of his church members, resulting in his exclusion from their community; yet, he continued to participate actively in David Jamkhosem's Shabbatical congregation in Old Gelmol hamlet.

​

The year 1976 represented a pivotal time for Jeremiah Lhungdim's life, as T. Daniel returned from Mumbai with a Sefer Torah, tefillin, tzitzit, and Jewish literature, signifying the revival of Judaism among the Bnei Menashe in Northeast India. It is essential to acknowledge that before T. Daniel's return from Mumbai, all individuals continued to observe the Shabbat as a day of rest while maintaining their belief in Jesus as the Messiah. As Judaism disseminated, the Shabbatical congregation bifurcated into two factions: those who retained their belief in Jesus and continued to worship alongside Ginzamung Suantak and his associates, and those embracing Judaism, renounced Jesus and followed Judaism with T. Daniel and his associates, thereby instituting the authentic practice of Judaism among the Bnei Menashe; at that time, approximately thirty families had accepted Judaism.

​

Jeremiah Lhungdim significantly contributed to the inception of Judaism in Manipur among the Bnei Menashe. He held the position of secretary to the town commissioner in Churachandpur from 1976 to 1980 and served as vice president from 1981 to 1986. The synagogue founded by Daniel Lhungdim relocated to Phunglen House in New Lamka in 1978. When T. Daniel faced financial difficulties that hindered his leadership, he entrusted the Sefer Torah to UJNEI (United Jews of North East India). The synagogue was relocated from the Phunglen house to Moshe Isaac's residence in Salem Veng, where he held the positions of vice president and treasurer in 1978.

 

Subsequently, due to accommodation challenges and internal discord within the community, the synagogue was moved to Mr. Leuneh Lhungdim's residence in D. Phailen, and once more, at Moshe Isaac's request, it was transferred back to his residence in Salem Veng. Recognizing the challenges confronting the community, he strongly advocated for acquiring a site for the synagogue. As Vice President of the Town Commissioner, he successfully convinced the President, Mr. Dongjakai Gangte, to provide government Khash land to the community adjacent to the Sub Divisional Office. In 1980, the construction of the synagogue was finalized, and the community transitioned to the newly designated synagogue.

 

Subsequently, due to the increasing population of Judaism adherents, the synagogue was relocated to two sites: one in D. Phailen, the residence of Jeremiah Lhungdim, and the other at Beith Shalom synagogue in B. Vengnom Tuibuong in 1986 (the plot was contributed by Shemuel Sumthang Haokip in 1977).

 

Jeremiah Lhungdim and his family immigrated to Israel on October 8, 1999, to the ancestral homeland, with divine mercy, and he currently resides in Kharsina Kiryat Arba.