7 Chinese Jews rejoin the Jewish people
The 7 Kaifeng Jewish men with Michael Freund and Rabbi Menachem Weinberg
As he stood before the Jerusalem Rabbinical Court answering the final question before completing a crucial last step on the road towards his long awaited conversion to Judaism, Tony Liang was thrown a curveball.
“What’s the blessing on an eggroll?” the rabbinic judge asked the young man from Kaifeng, China. Tony looked perplexed.
It turns out that the Chinese, at least those in remote Kaifeng, don’t eat eggrolls; it’s a western variation on Asian food. The judge opened his laptop, did a Google search for “eggroll,” and showed Tony the picture. Tony immediately got the blessing right. The judges instructed him to cover his eyes and recite Shema Israel. As he did so, Tony came one giant leap closer to the dream he’s nurtured since childhood: to live a fully Jewish life in the Land of Israel.
Tony Liang is one of seven descendants of the Kaifeng Jewish community who have been studying Judaism and Hebrew in Israel for the past two and a half years with Shavei Israel’s help. We previously wrote about one of Tony’s friends, Yaakov Wang, when the group was studying at Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu. And we profiled Yecholia (Jin Jin), a Chinese Jewish woman, here.
Jews have lived in Kaifeng, once one of the capitals of Imperial China, for over a thousand years, arriving originally as merchants from Persia or Iraq plying their trade along the fabled Silk Route. The community numbered as many as 5,000 at its peak in the Middle Ages, but has since dwindled to just several hundred descendants. The last synagogue closed 150 years ago, but the community has expressed a keen interest in deepening its Jewish knowledge and commitment.
For most of their time in Israel, the seven Chinese men have been studying at Yeshivat HaMivtar, part of Rabbi Shlomo Riskin’s Ohr Torah Institutions in Efrat, under the supervision of Rabbi Menachem Weinberg. Rabbi Weinberg deemed the men to be ready for their “interviews” at the Beit Din (Rabbinical Court) this past Thursday and “they passed with flying colors,” reports Rabbi Weinberg.
Accompanying the Chinese contingent was Shavei Israel Chairman Michael Freund who also attended the Beit Din to provide them with moral support and encouragement, as well as to speak on their behalf before the Rabbinical Court in support of their quest to undergo conversion.
Their next and final steps will be brit mila (circumcision) and mikve (immersion in a ritual bath). By early next year, they will have formally returned to the Jewish people.
During their time in Efrat, the Chinese men were “adopted” by local families and integrated well into the fabric of Israeli life. The benefit goes both ways. On Sunday night, Rabbi Weinberg threw a Hanukah candle lighting party and the men from Kaifeng cooked up some fabulous Chinese food – we have a scrumptious picture here.
Tony – who has taken on the Hebrew first name “Hoshea” – and his friends are getting ready to leave the yeshiva now. Some will go to the army, others to learn more Heberw in ulpan. And two want to open their own Chinese restaurant in Israel.
The only question is will they serve eggrolls? Whatever they choose, it’s clear Hoshea (Tony) Liang will never be stumped by Chinese food again!
We have photos from the Beit Din here.