Hong
Kong is one of the two Special Administrative Regions of China, the
other being Macau. It is situated on China's south coast and,
enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and the South China Sea. It is
known for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. With a land
mass of only 426 sq. mi. and a population of seven million people,
Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world;
with 95 percent ethnic Chinese and 5 percent from other
groups.
Hong
Kong became a colony of the British Empire in the 1840's and remained
under British influence until 1997, when China resumed sovereignty.
Under the principle of "one country, two systems, Hong Kong has
a different political system from mainland China and has a major
capitalist service economy characterised by low taxation and free
trade, and the currency, the Hong Kong Dollar is the 8th
most traded currency in the world. The city is a centre for modern
architecture and the world's most vertical city, with one of the
world's highest per capita income.
Jews
first arrived in Hong Kong when the territory was ceded to Great
Britain in 1842.
The Hong Kong Jewish Community was first established in 1857. The
first synagogue was set up in rented facilities in 1870. A new
synagogue in memory of Sir Jacob Sasoon's mother, Leah, replaced the
older one in 1881. The Ohel Leah Synagogue was constructed in 1901,
and the Jewish Club, built by the Kadoorie family, was created in
1904.
The Jewish population, which had totalled 60 Sephardim in 1882,
grew to 100 in 1921 (mostly Sephardim), and 250 in 1954 (half
Sephardim and half Ashkenazim).
From the 1960s onwards, Hong Kong's development as a trade and
financial centre attracted tens of thousands of foreigners, among
them Jews from the USA, Israel, Canada, UK, and Australia. They
revitalized the local Jewish community. Since the 1960s, Israel also
began to appoint Honorary Consuls to Hong Kong.
It is estimated that about 5,000 Jews live in Hong Kong today with
community facilities to provide for an active and vibrant Jewish
life, including kosher food, synagogues and Jewish schools.
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