Once upon a time, Hong Kong was a just a small fishing village on the edge of the South China Sea. Now? Not so much!

During the mid-19th century the British arrived in Hong Kong, turning this quiet, out-of-the-way village into a modern and colorful gem of a city. Today, Hong Kong is one of the most visited tourist spots in the entire world, an economic powerhouse, and a very culturally diverse place.

Here you’ll find a vibrant Jewish community that has formally existed since 1857. The Hong Kong Jewish community has experienced rapid growth over the last decade, and the population currently numbers between 3,000 and 4,000 people.

The first synagogue built in Hong Kong, and that still exists today, was the Ohel Leah synagogue. Ohel Leah was built in 1902, and remains the center of Jewish religious activity in Hong Kong. It is an Orthodox community, and one of the things that makes Ohel Leah unique is that its members are from over 20 countries around the world.

Ohel Leah is a full-service community with a mikveh, Va’ad Hakashrut, and Judaica store. Educational programs are offered for adults, teens, and children, as well as daily and Shabbat services. At Ohel Leah, the core values center around allegiance to halacha, respect for diversity, Torah learning, the unity of the Jewish people, Zionism and humanitarian activism.

Ohel Leah was also remodeled and restored in 1998, so that it now is a fine display of its original beauty and grandeur.

In addition to Ohel Leah, you’ll find three other synagogues in Hong Kong. Chabad of Hong Kong services the Hong Kong and Kowloon areas. As the nerve center of Chabad in China, Chabad of Hong Kong is responsible for the development of new Chabad Houses throughout the very large country. To date, there are seven active Chabad Houses within China.

The Jewish Community Center of Hong Kong offers a wide array of recreational activities for members of all ages. All of the center’s programs are designed to help members from toddlers to adults develop their Jewish identity and education.

Activities here include classes in Hebrew language, Jewish history, Jews in Asia, as well as many community-wide celebrations of Jewish Festivals. Secular activities are also held, including current affairs forums, lectures on themes of local interest, and exercise and recreational classes.

If you’re looking for something special and different within the Jewish community, you’ll find that here in Hong Kong, too. This year, Hong Kong will hold its 11th Jewish Film Festival. The event is scheduled to take place from the 13th to the 21st of November, and a full schedule of the festival’s events will be released this October.

In the meantime, you can check out the festival archives to see information from past years: www.hkjewishfilmfest.org/

Tweet This