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Conference taveng::bagels

Title:BAGELS and other things of Jewish interest
Notice:1.0 policy, 280.0 directory, 32.0 registration
Moderator:SMURF::FENSTER
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1524
Total number of notes:18709

1379.0. "Ohel Leah in Hong Kong" by HGOVC::DAVIDCHERSON (the door goes on the right) Sun Jan 09 1994 05:12

    Just want to let everyone (that is, anyone who still participates in
    this conference...) know that I've begun an assignment here for
    Digital Consulting Asia, and that I attended Shabbat Shachrit at Ohel
    Leah synagogue.  
    
    Ohel Leah is a traditional/Orthodox-Sepahrdic synagogue which was
    established by the Sassoon family, whose origins were in Bombay.  I
    enjoyed the services very much, and found Rabbi Lopin to be a warm and
    friendly person.  
    
    Because we are the Jewish people, there is naturally an "alternative"
    minyan in the Hilton, loosely defined as "Lubavitcher", but not
    formally tied to that movement. And if you want to get a microcosmic
    view of Am Israel as a whole, Israel & Galut, you should attend Friday
    night dinner at the Jewish Social Club.  Let's just say that it
    reflects our "damut".  Of course my feeling ill didn't help things.  As
    for the food at the JSC, I found the kiddush at Ohel Leah to be a bit
    tastier...
    
    Of course there is the local Israeli "colonia", many people doing
    business in the PRC.
    
    /d.c.  
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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1379.1glad to hear they are still thereCADSYS::CADSYS::RICHARDSONMon Jan 10 1994 20:278
    We visited there when we were in Hong Kong on vacation several years
    ago - a very interesting building.  There was at that time supposed to
    be another schul on Nathan Road in Kowloon someplace, but we never
    found that one, though there is a mosque there.  It is always
    interesting to visit the local Jewish community when you are in an
    "exotic" location.
    
    /Charlotte
1379.2a *large* mosqueHGOVC::DAVIDCHERSONthe door goes on the rightTue Jan 11 1994 04:109
    >another schul on Nathan Road in Kowloon someplace, but we never
    >found that one, though there is a mosque there.
    
    Yes, it's a *large* mosque, and I came across a smaller mosque in Wan
    Chai in one of my explorations.  No other shul in Kowloon though.
    
    Hong Kong "exotic"...hmm, I don't know about that adjective.
    
    /d.c.
1379.3third minyanFLYBY::GOLDMANTue Jan 11 1994 08:065
   There is an additional break-away minyan called "Darwish".  (Mr 
   Darwish being the driving force and financial backer)  This 
   is the "frummer" group which didn't get along with the Ohel Leah 
   board and don't broadcast on the same wavelength as Rav Avtzon 
   who runs the Lubbavitch minyan.
1379.4fine to meHGOVC::DAVIDCHERSONthe door goes on the rightFri Jan 14 1994 08:244
    Ohel Leah seems fine and dandy to me, more or less like my home
    congregation, the others can go their way.
    
    /d.c.
1379.5big event this past ShabbatHGOVC::DAVIDCHERSONthe door goes on the rightMon Jan 17 1994 05:447
    There was a Bar Mitzvah this past Shabbat, and there were double the
    number of people attending services.  And I have to comment on the
    kiddush/lunch, it was fabulous, better than most I have seen in the
    U.S. or Israel.  Apparently the boys' grandparents were founders of the
    Jewish community in Tokyo, and are influential in HK's community.
    
    /d.c.   
1379.6Also in SingaporeHGOVC::DAVIDCHERSONthe door goes on the rightMon Feb 21 1994 05:2720
    I also have to report that while in Singapore last week I went to
    Maariv and Scharit at Magain Aboth synagogue there.  It's the only
    synagogue in Singapore.  In fact humurously enough it's listed in the
    phone book there as "Jewish Synagogue".
    
    As for the building, it actually seems to have gotten a recent
    renovation, and may even be in better shape than Ohel Leah in HK.  As
    for the kahal, well let's take into consideration it was the middle of
    the week and I didn't get to spend Shabbat there.  They got a minyan,
    mostly older members.  The shamash/gabbai/jack-of-all-trades was
    davening at 350 mph and not quite audible, so I just went off on my way
    and met everybody else at Kaddish D'Rabbanan...
    
    I understand that the basis for the Jewish community came mostly from
    Iraq, and not India as I previously thought.
    
    In any event my wanderings and efforts over here in Asia will finally
    be over next week when I return home (yahoo!!!).
    
    /d.c.