One of the more remarkable things that has occurred in the last 50 years is the shrinking of the world. Planes fly to even the most remote locations across the globe and high-speed fiber-optic cable connects the entire global community. I can virtually visit famous landmarks and have face to face conversations with people anywhere.
Almost 2000 years ago, the established Jewish community was based in the Land of Israel. Jews were living in Europe, North Africa and Babylonia as well, but the main community was centered around the Temple and communal religious life in Israel. The Temple was destroyed almost 2000 years ago and the diaspora began. Slowly, Jews migrated all over the world. Most prominently, the communities of Eastern Europe, the Medditeranean Basin and Babylonia established large Torah communities and much of Judaism today is the product of the generations of Jews who lived in those regions.
With the shrinking of the world, Jews from all backgrounds and ethnicities have become familiar with one another and a global Jewish community has evolved.
Recently, I was sent an audio link (by Judd Magilnick) to a lecture given by Rabbi Marvin Tokayer. Rabbi Tokayer is an expert on the Jews of the Far East. His lecture was fascinating and it opened my eyes to an ancient Jewish community in China that I had only heard whispers of until recently.
Today, The Forward has a very interesting article about some Yeshiva students in Jerusalem who are Chinese. They hail from the Kaifeng Chinese Community and are trying to reinvigorate their lives and hometown with Judaism.
The only disappointing part of the article was the continued references to Marranos. The term Marrano refers to Jews who converted to Christianity during the Spanish inquistion but tried to keep their Judaism underground. They faced threats to their life and yet managed to keep many Jewish traditions alive for several generations. The word first meant pig and is a pejorative term for referring to these Jews. I prefer the more PC term of Converso.
Still, I highly recommend the article and I am hoping to continue to learn more about the Jews of the Far East.
The Forward Article: Israel’s Keenest Yeshiva Students
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