Our vacation is unashamedly intended to be a bit of self indulgence, a time for us to focus on relaxation and rebalancing our lives. It’s not a time for being altruistic and thinking about the needs of others. However, as much as we try, we are intertwined with our community and can’t help but see the world through that lens. Hence, as much as I enjoy my solitude and time away, I also enjoy sharing components of our trip that might be of interest to those back home.
We spent last Shabbat in Hong Kong, a destination that has much to offer the kosher traveler. It has more kosher restaurants than Delray Beach and a long history of Jewish landowners, businessmen, and merchants making it a desirable place to visit. The main synagogue is a beautiful building over 100 years old. The land and building was donated by the Sassoon family in honor of their mother Leah. Hence the synagogue was named Ohel Leah or the Tent of Leah. It is located in an affluent and exclusive area on Hong Kong Island and had the financial backing of the Sassoon and Kadoorie families. Over the years, adjacent land was purchased by benevolent members and the land eventually became worth many millions of dollars. An exact amount I can’t give, but I do recall that around 30 years ago the trustees of the community declined an offer of 135 million US dollars for the property.
Eventually, some of the property was sold for development but they maintained the land where the synagogue building stood and renovated the structure to bring it up to modern standards. The synagogue also has an excellent kosher restaurant and grocery store. It houses a JCC and many other facilities in a relatively new and modern high rise building adjacent to the old shul.
The shul also has very sophisticated and high end security in place. They have a guard outside that questions anyone wishing to enter the premisis and another guard inside that double checks all visitors in a secure mantrap. Everybody also has to walk through a mantrap and metal detectors as an extra protection. Hong Kong is extremely safe with little if any anti-Semitism but sadly we learn from past experiences, it only takes one radical extremist to wreak havoc. Since we arrived with our nephew who is a trusted member of the community, we didn’t have to go through a third degree.
Shabbat services were nicely attended and after services an amazing catered luncheon was offered. I say amazing because it was vastly different to any kiddush I have seen in a US shul. The tables were set with freshly laundered and starched tablecloths and an abundance of staff were on hand to serve the meal. Besides the wine and challah rolls, the menu was far from the traditional food I am used to, but that was part of the attraction. It began with numerous salads that were tasty and extremely healthy. There was a kale and avocado salad, a quinoa and beetroot salad and other interesting salads with vegetables that I have never previously tasted. All foods were placed on a large lazy Susan which rotated so everyone could help themselves. They then served chicken skewers and pulled brisket ( so at least I knew that they had Jewish blood) and finally a chocolate pie topped with interesting fruit. (No, I didn’t indulge in any pie.)
The people were genuinely friendly but that may have been because we were there with our nephew who is part of the community. Unfortunately, there are many more Jewish males working abroad than Jewish females and therefore finding a Jewish girl to date proves very challenging. Thus, in shul you find many of the white males with Asian partners. Some have converted or are in the process of conversion while others are testing the waters. However, it’s a transient community, with many young adults taking a position overseas for two to five years and then returning to their home base. This also proves to be difficult for younger people trying to build families and long term friendships and many end up leaving for that reason alone. It’s also difficult for their children as either they or their friends leave the community.
Talking about the children, Hong Kong boasts a Jewish school that goes from K through 12 but as the rabbi put it, it's more of a school where Jewish kids feel at home than a strongly structured Jewish school. It is a private school in an upscale neighborhood and many wealthy Chinese or expats send their children to the school. Living in New York or Chicago that concept may seem counterintuitive but in smaller communities it’s not that unique for a Jewish school to enroll non Jewish students. I can’t answer the question if the benefits outweigh the risks as the cost of integration benefits the financial bottom line but weakens its core Jewish ethos. Also children tend to socialize with friends of their classmates which heightens the assimilation rate and mixed marriages. Nonetheless, In many smaller communities there is no other option for the school to be financially viable other than allowing an influx of non-Jewish students. This occurs in many schools including the Herzlia school in Capetown, South Africa and at the Kadimah School in Auckland, New Zealand. A number of years ago I read an article about a Jewish school in Birmingham, England which was predominantly Muslim. It’s a situation where the only other alternative would be that the Jewish students attend a church-affiliated private school. Instead of being forced to attend chapel, the children are taught Jewish values and are exposed to their own culture. The truth is that children who manage to overcome these difficulties end up stronger and more committed Jews. Children are given leadership roles at a young age and Judaism isn’t handed to them on a silver platter. They often are relied upon to play a major role in the community. They may lead B’nei Akiva youth groups or be involved in security because they realize that if they don’t do it, there is no one else to take their place. A select few become much stronger but often it’s too difficult to be singled out as different and much easier to blend into the culture surrounding them.
As we have resided in these types of communities, it is always interesting to see how other Jewish communities adapt and continue to thrive. Every community has its challenges and we in Delray Beach are fortunate that our challenges are minor in comparison. Even communities with a large and vibrant Jewish community can have major issues. I know of one community that on the surface seems ideal and is spoken of in such high regard that other communities want to emulate them. There is a plethora of Jewish schools and numerous synagogues of multiple persuasions. The community is affluent and magnanimous and seems almost perfect. There are youth groups for the ultra orthodox, the modern orthodox and the reform and all of them are bursting at the seams. There are multiple Jewish day schools and the majority of the Jewish kids go to a Jewish day school. However, below the surface all is not well. The community is in crisis primarily due to its affluence and success. This nameless community has a cocaine epidemic. The wealth is phenomenal and the disposable income leaves the children and young adults with too much time and money. There are shuls that are considered the place to go to get a Shabbos fix and numerous marriages and families are being torn apart by the crisis.
So after my visit to Hong Kong and discussing some of the issues they face, I’ve come to the realization that no community has all the answers. There is no perfect situation nor can one approach be the correct answer for every community. Each one must be sensitive and aware of its unique dynamic and facilitate a strategy that can work within those parameters. Often the correct strategy for any given community may seem strange or even be wrong for other communities.
I would love to write that I’m now going to relax at the pool but the weather is very hot and humid and the air conditioning in my room is so comfortable. Thus, I might just relax and imagine that I’m sitting by the pool and find a unique solution that works for me.
