Focus on: CHINA

China is becoming a global power in many industries, and many more kosher observant travelers and businessmen are heading over there each year.

Here are a few articles on keeping kosher in China that we felt appropriate to share on YeahThatsKosher.com:

Keeping Kosher while Traveling in China

WildChina.com | February 11, 2009

Keeping kosher can always be a bit tricky, especially while traveling. But like in every developing country, awareness towards other religions and cultures is increasing (slowly, but surely). We hope you find these Kosher tid-bits useful during your Chinese travels.

1. Kosher products are available at small western stores throughout Beijing, such as Jenny Lou’s.

2. Kosher chickens can be bought at the German Butchery. (8610) 6591 9370 First Floor, Binduyuan Building No 15 Zaoying Beili Maizidian, Chao Yang District, Beijing.

3. Chicken, beef, and lamb can be bought at Chabad Hashgacha. Catering and delivery of kosher meals can be arranged through Chabad for individuals (24 hours notice is required) or tour groups (two weeks notice is required. http://www.chabadbeijing.com

4. Dini’s is the first kosher restaurant to open in Beijing. They’ll also vacuum-pack meals for you to eat on your travels around China. (8610) 6461 6220 or visit www.kosherbeijing.com

5. Kosher Bagels under Chabad Hashgacha are available through Mrs Shanens Bagels. Ask for the Kosher Bagels and they are delivered free to your hotel/home/office (8610) 6435 9561.

6. China is known for its wide array of fruits and vegetables! This is a chance to become familiar with all these different choices and indulge in plenty of vitamins.

FACT: Did you know China is now the world’s fastest-growing producer of kosher-certified food, with more than 500 Chinese factories producing the approved products??!!

The Challenge of Keeping China Kosher

The country is a fast-growing producer of kosher-certified food. But inspection and approval require a cultural balancing act — how do you explain the Book of Leviticus in an atheist nation?
By Ching-Ching Ni, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
February 5, 2008

It isn’t easy being a kosher food inspector in the land of moo shu pork. No matter how hard you try.

“Once, they got me into a restaurant and they ordered a whole plate of food and put it in front of me,” recalls Rabbi Martin Grunberg, who has the unusual task of ensuring that Chinese factories that make food for export comply with ancient Jewish dietary laws. “They were putting me to the test because they really don’t understand why I can’t eat Chinese cuisine.”

Keeping kosher is a breeze back home in Jerusalem, but it’s a daily challenge here in China, where food is practically a religion and people say they’ll eat anything with four legs — except for the table. It means Grunberg can’t travel light on his monthly trips through China: He carries two or three suitcases packed with dry goods, canned meats and vacuum-sealed packets, so he can feed himself breakfast, lunch and dinner. That way, he never has to step into a Chinese restaurant where about the only thing he can order is a fruit plate and can of Coke.

Although many here have never heard the word “kosher,” China is now the world’s fastest-growing producer of kosher-certified food, with more than 500 Chinese factories producing the approved products. That number is expected to soar, not because this country that is still officially atheist has embraced Judaism, but because it’s good for business.

“I used to get this puzzled look, ‘What is kosher?’ ” said Grunberg, 54, a field inspector for the New York-based Orthodox Union, which is responsible for certifying more than 300 plants in China. “Now a lot of people know it as a marketing tool to increase their market share, especially in the United States.”

The largest kosher market in the world is the U.S., where a growing number of the consumers are non-Jews who see kosher-certified food as generally safer and healthier.

That’s important in China, which is trying to recover from the recent spate of tainted-food scandals. Eager to regain consumer trust, the “Made in China” label has found an unexpected ally in the once-obscure kosher symbol.

“People have been looking for some other measure of security for products coming out of China,” said Rabbi Shimon Freundlich, one of a handful of Beijing-based independent kosher field inspectors. “They want to see quality control, and kosher is a standard people know.”

As China in recent years has become a factory for the world, practically anything can be made here at a bargain. The unlikely kosher business flourished simply because of supply and demand: The global appetite for kosher products exploded and China is happy to feed the frenzy.

But even after the Chinese learned basic kosher rules — no pork, no shellfish, no fish without fins or scales — misunderstandings remain.

As the calls poured in from Chinese companies looking for kosher approval, Freundlich recalls explaining why he couldn’t certify a toy maker that produced plastic food.

“They sent me samples of fake apples, fake vegetables,” Freundlich said. “They were right about the food aspect. They didn’t know we don’t do wooden toys or plastic toys.”

Then there was the guy who makes dining room tables.

“Since food goes on the table he thought we needed a kosher table,” Freundlich said. “Of course, every table is kosher.”

It’s even hard for many Chinese to grasp the meaning of “rabbi.”

“Sometimes they call me ‘rabbit,’ ” Grunberg said. “I start hopping. They don’t get it. I let it pass. It doesn’t pay to explain.”

In the frigid Chinese winter, Grunberg, a grandfather of five, keeps his white beard relatively short and covers his head with a wool hat. He keeps his yarmulke in his pocket and puts it on only when the room is warm enough. The Israeli resident has long given up on wearing his wide-brimmed black hat when traveling across China. “They get squashed,” he said, during the extended transits by plane, bus and train.

It’s harder for Freundlich, 34, to blend in. His black beard is much longer and bushier, and some Chinese he meets can’t resist tugging at it with their fingers.

“They used to call me Santa Claus,” said Freundlich, who moved to Beijing with his family in 2001 to start a Jewish community center. Then came the Sept. 11 attacks. “They started calling me Bin Laden, which is unfortunate.”

But they don’t mean any harm by it, he said. For the most part, rabbis are treated with respect, even if the Chinese know very little about the Jewish people and their religion.

“In China, we have very little contact with the Jewish people,” said Lucy Qian, the general manager at Ningbo Gooddays Food, a factory that makes mostly novelty candies here in one of China’s manufacturing hubs. “We are doing this purely because of market demand.”

Since the factory went kosher a few years ago, sales have soared 40%, she said. Her primary customers are Israelis and Americans who want such things as kosher lipstick-shaped Barbie candy, some of which ends up on the shelves of places like Wal-Mart.

The tainted-food scandals, she said, had no impact on her business last year. In fact, sales grew.

“I’m sure the kosher certification helped,” Qian said.

For now, finished products such as candy, fish and some dehydrated vegetables are a small component of the Chinese-made kosher market. The bulk of the business is in raw materials and food additives, but that is likely to change very soon, according to the Orthodox Union, which expects huge growth in the demand for kosher snacks, soft drinks and even beef.

Jewish dietary rules originate in the Hebrew Bible, particularly the Book of Leviticus. But rabbis working in China try to sidestep serious discussions on religion to avoid political minefields in a country where anything other than state-sanctioned church activities are strictly forbidden.

Once, Grunberg said, an official asked him during a public function to explain what religious law kosher is based on. Caught off guard, the rabbi quickly emphasized the common ground between the Chinese and Jewish people, who share long histories of pride and persecution.

“I didn’t bring religion or God into the equation,” Grunberg said.

That’s just fine to pragmatic Communist Party officials, who see little contradiction in describing their brand of unbridled capitalism as “socialism with Chinese characteristics.” Tolerating unfamiliar foreign ideas seems a small price to keep the export-driven economy humming.

“The biggest benefit of going kosher is that it introduces more accountability,” said Ray Cheung, a Chinese broker who acts as a bridge between Chinese companies seeking kosher approval and Jewish agencies that certify them. “The rabbi inspectors need to know where each ingredient is made and be able to trace it back to the factory that made it. If you don’t provide that information, we don’t give you the certification.”

Certification can be labor-intensive for the rabbis.

During a recent trip to the Gooddays candy factory, which requires four annual inspections, Grunberg checked long lists of raw materials and poked around every warehouse and factory floor, picking up bottles of sweetener and food coloring, asking if there had been any changes in the suppliers and if the buckets on the floor were used to store anything other than kosher products.

Sometimes, despite the best of intentions, he has to turn the applicant down.

Once, he said, he traveled to far western China to watch Tibetan herders using a primitive method to turn yak milk into casein, a dairy protein used as a food additive.

“It was like a million Tibetans all privately cooking this on their stoves — every home is a little factory,” Grunberg said. “It would be an impossible type of supervision.”

Then the Chinese government stepped in to form a company that supplied the Tibetans with cows and a place to milk them by machine. Grunberg went back and certified the liquid milk that will be used for the casein.

The rabbi’s requirements don’t always go over well with productivity-crazed Chinese plant owners.

“Somebody once called me and asked me to come bless the fish,” said Freundlich, referring to a company that processes Alaskan fish for the American market.

“I told him that’s not the way it works.”

But even Freundlich wasn’t prepared for what he faced when he got to the fish plant.

Jewish law says fish must have fins and scales to be kosher. But with frozen fish, it is difficult to tell which ones do. So even though the plant had processed thousands of fish, Freundlich says he rolled up his sleeves to check them by hand. He and a partner worked three days straight, scratching each one of the 37,000 fish with their gloved fingers.

So many fish in the sea look the same,” said Freundlich. “If I can’t find the scale or the fin, it can’t be eaten.”







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Tags: chabad, chabad china, China, keeping kosher in china, kosher beijing, kosher china, kosher hong kong, kosher shanghai
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Shenzhen, China

Contributed by: Gavi Lewy-Neuman | Last Date of Travel: October 2008

Kosher Info:

Essentially, the only kosher food available in Shenzhen is at the Chabad house.  They provide both Friday night and Shabbat day meals free of charge (donations are welcomed).  You may also order meals from them to take away.  Because of its close proximity to Hong Kong (Shenzhen is the border city with Hong Kong) you can easily travel back and forth there to replenish food stocks (but you will need a multiple entry visa to get back into Shenzhen, whereas the Hong Kong Visa is given on arrival).

Tourist Info:

Not the most interesting place, but you can find what to keep you busy with.  There are 2 subway lines to get around, and they cost anywhere from 2-5 Yuan per ride, depending on from/where you are going.  Windows of the World is a popular “theme park” which is similar in idea to Israel’s Mini Israel, only on a much larger scale here. It does not have a cheap entrance fee.  This is located basically down the block from where the Chabad center currently is  – and across the street from WOTW is a big shopping mall of high end stores and other American and European stores.

Shenzhen is the world’s capital for knock-off designer bags.  The LoWu shopping center, located at the beginning of the main subway line, is the first thing you encounter once you have crossed the border form Hong Kong.  There you will find 5 heavily saturated floors with people forcing themselves on you to buy something (they sometimes get physical and grab your arm – so BEWARE! But no one will hurt you – I’d still  recommended the place for the experience).  There you can also get massages and manicures at very discounted prices.  Make sure to bargain for everything! Don’t pay more than 65% of the original asked price, but you can absolutely go lower than 35% even.  About 15 minutes walking from the Chabad Center is a nice lake that is quiet and serene at night, while lit up with lights, and is a good place to go and relax with a beer.

Jewish Info:

Again, Chabad is the only Jewish thing you will find in Shenzhen, and they do have minyanim (almost always) on Shabbat, but not always during the week.  No Mikvah here… must travel to the mikvah in Hong Kong.  To get to the Chabad, go to www.chabadshenzhen.org and print out their address to show to a taxi driver in Chinese.  Most people here won’t speak any English.  The building, while I was there, didn’t have any signage that it held Chabad inside, so my advice would be to contact the Chabad beforehand and ask for help.

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Tags: hong kong, jewish travel, kosher china, kosher travel, windows of the world

Beijing, China

Contributed by: Gavi Lewy-Neuman | Last Date of Travel: October 2008

Kosher Info:

There are 2 Chabad centers in Beijing.  The main Chabad house is located in the Chaoyang District, in the northern area, whereas the smaller Chabad center is further south from there (both in the east of Beijing).  I only visited the larger of the 2 centers. There is a kosher restaurant in the same vicinity, called Dini’s Restaurant.  (Note: there is an Israeli restaurant almost next door to Dini’s, and even though it has Hebrew writing on the sign, it is NOT kosher).  The restaurant is meat and delicious and fairly priced.  You may order food “to-go” there.  The Shabbat meals, both Friday night and Shabbat day are eaten in the restaurant as well (not at the Chabad house!).  Go to www.kosherbeijing.com for Restaurant info.

There is a supermarket “chain” (there are at least 2 of them) in Beijing called Jenny Lou’s, and they sell a ton of American products, many of which are kosher.  They even have kosher soy milk there.  I believe there is another supermarket called “Super Center” that also sells a lot of American products.  Exact information can be received from contacts at Chabad.

Suggestion: Bring your own packaged soups that just require added hot water.  A main part of the Chinese culture is soup, and on-the-go most Chinese people will have “cup-of-soup” equivalents, and to cater to that, hot water is available everywhere, even on long distance trains. This goes for everywhere in China. Traditions soups (and its equivalents) will be very helpful in China.

Tourist Info:

Beijing has extensive subway system great for getting around, and any trip, no matter destination costs only 2 Yuan.  The subway is preferable to on road travel due to lots of constant road congestion.

There is plenty to see in Beijing and its surrounding areas.  I would suggest not to miss the Great Wall of China (any part will do – Badaling is the most touristy, and easiest to get to by public transport), The Forbidden City/Tienanmen’s Square (a private guide of the audio guide is well worth the investment – both can be picked up right outside the entrance), and the Olympic village.  Having just hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing exhibits great pride in that fact, and the Olympic village, home to the National Stadium (or “Bird’s Nest”) and the Water Cube… all well deserving of a visit.  Get there before 3pm to ensure the ability to buy an entrance ticket to the Water Cube, and before 5pm for the Bird’s Nest.  There is lots more to choose from – read up about it and choose for yourself! Lonely Planet has been a very useful guidebook to lead me around Beijing.

Jewish Info:

Visit www.chabadbeijing.com for full details.  The main chabad has minyanim on shabbat (most of the time) and sometimes during the week.  There is a Mikvah located by the Jewish School about 30 minutes from town (get details from the Chabad family).   Get directions in Chinese and English on the website, and print it out to show to a taxi driver.  The website will also show places to stay within walking distance nearby.  No youth hostels are really within walking distance under an hour, but there is a budgeted hotel called the Home Inn closer by.  The whole Chabad family, including the children really add to the atmosphere and they are very welcoming.  The re are currently 3 Chabadnik girls brought in from France to help with the Shlichut and they too are very much a part of the community.   Chabad Beijing = a really wonderful experience!

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Shanghai, China

Contributed by: Gavi Lewy-Neuman | October 2008

Kosher Info:

There are 2 chabad centers in Shanghai – one in Pudong, and one in the main part of Shanghai on Hong Qiao Road in the south-eastern part of town.  I haven’t visited the one in Pudong, but info can be accessed at www.jewishpudong.com.  From personal experience, I can say that the Chabad Jewish Center offers free of charge, delicious meals on Friday night and Shabbbat day. They also order kosher, Israeli products online, and you can order as well through the Chabad center.  Their website (www.chinajewish.org) advises that fruits and vegetables can be purchased locally but to wash them very carefully with disinfectant soap and water.  Buy from street vendors at your own risk.  Food and challah can be purchased from Chabad, as well.  Some of the local supermarkets do sell American products, so look for a kosher hechsher. 

Suggestion: Bring your own Traditions soup or packaged soups that just require added hot water.  A main part of the Chinese culture is soup, and on-the-go most Chinese people will have “cup-of-soup” equivalents, and to cater to that, hot water is available everywhere, even on long distance trains. This goes for everywhere in China. 

Tourist Info:

Shanghai is a terrific city with a ton to do. There are a number of historic sites and other fun places to go.

I would suggest using The Lonely Planet (either for all China, or specifically for Shanghai) to help you get around and to give a good, detailed overview of what to do. Shanghai’s the chosen location for the upcoming 2010 World Expo, and so the city is doing its best to prepare for being impressive and giving a good experience to all its visitors. I enjoyed The 88th floor Observatory at the Jin Mao tower in Pudong area for an amazing view of the whole city.  There is a lot of pollution though, so visibility quality may vary…. it is still an amazing experience, as the tower was the tallest building in China until 2007. The elevator is ridiculously fast, getting you up to the observatory (where you get a complimentary pearl, which they try and coax you into turning into a not complimentary necklace, or set of earrings) in under 45 seconds.

The BUND is quite historic, and definitely worth a visit.  It is the area next to the Huangpu River on the main side – there are lots of buildings with beautiful architectural designs.  The Lonely Planet walking tour is suggested as it gives info on what you are seeing and where is worth your time.  There is lots of construction in the area though, which does take away from the overall experience.

Renmin Square, or People’s Square is a great place to visit, and lots to see in the area.  I would recommend visiting the Shanghai Art Museum, which has amazing modern art and interesting exhibits.  The Jade Buddha Temple is certainly worth a visit, and the acrobatics show is a no-miss.  I would also recommend stopping by and seeing a show at the Shanghai Grande Central Theater. It is a small venue, so even the cheapest seats give you a great view of the incredible program. 

Jewish info:

Both Chabad Centers are great Jewish outlets. In the Hong Qiao area, they have minyanim on Shabbat, and I believe during the week as well.  The Rabbi and Rebbetzin are very welcoming.  On Friday night dinner, all the new and visiting people are required to get up and introduce themselves to everyone.  There are mainly French-speaking people there (although not the Chabad family).  In the Pudong area, there are some old, not-in-use synagogues that are now tourist attractions, and have lots of history to them. 

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Dharamsala, India

Contributed By: Avi Narrow-Tilonsky | Last Date of Travel: August 2007

Kosher Info: In Dharamkot, right outside Dharamsala, the Chabad center attracted about 200 people for Kabbalat Shabbat and Friday night dinner. Very few people speak English if that is a concern for you. The Beit Chabad in Dharamkot also runs a restaurant which serves a terrific shnitzel sandwich. You can eat your sandwich while sitting on colorful pillows on the floor, watching the mist sift through the Himalayan mountains, and exchanging travel tales with new friends. The meals on Shabbat are free but sometimes you have to share a cup with the person sitting next to you, so don’t be afraid of germs. In Dharamkot, there is also a Breslov couple that hosts visitors on Shabbat, but I did not visit them.

Tourist Info: Dharamsala is a non-urban region of northern India near Tibet, Kashmir, and the Himalayan Mts.

The main tourist area of Dharamsala is Mcleod Ganj where the exiled Tibetans are headquartered.  Most Israelis stay in the next town over, Dharamkot.  Along the main road, there are many stalls selling handmade Tibetan crafts and jewelery.  Also, it is worth spending a few extra rupees to get a room with a view of the mountains in a guest house (not many hotels).  The museum of the Tibetan Exile is a must see and on rare occasions the Dallai Llama delivers public lectures.

Jewish Info: The Chabad house has Shabbat programming and lectures and events during the week.  Additionally, Chabad runs a short term yeshiva program a few times per year.  It is mostly attended by Israelis that take some time out of their travels to study chassidut.

In Dharamsalla there are many Buddist sites, including the Dallai Llama’s temple, which might be religiously problematic.  Think it through before visiting.

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Tags: buddist, chabad, dallai llama, dharamkot, Dharamsala, himalayan, India, jewish india, jewish travel, kosher india, kosher travel, mcleod ganj, mountains, tibet

Hong Kong / Kowloon, China

Contributed by: Gavi Lewy-Neuman | Last Date of Travel: October 2008

Kosher Info:

Hong Kong has a number of different kosher facilities. There are 2 Chabad centers – one in Kowloon and one on Hong Kong Island. Both offer Friday night and Shabbat day meals. There is an established community as well at the JCC located at 70 Robinson rd. on Hong Kong island. They too offer a Shabbat meal for everyone on Saturday. Also in Kowloon is a Sfaradi Shul called Kehilat Zion at the Hechal Ezra Synagogue which is located at 62 Mody Rd 1/F – the local Jewish community often calls this “Meoded” for the Rabbi Meoded who leads it. They too have meals on Friday night and Shabbat day. During the week, Hechal Ezra has a meat restaurant. The JCC has 2 restaurants – one meat, one dairy.

The JCC also has a kosher supermarket which has different products available at different times based on availability. There you can find a whole slew of Israeli products as well as frozen chicken and baked goods. Prices are somewhat inflated.

Hong Kong has a whole bunch of supermarkets, many of which sell varying numbers of American products, many of which bear an OU. The only kosher milk available in Hong Kong is called PURA – imported from Australia (not Cholav Yisrael – but is pure cows milk). Hong Kong Island is laden with supermarkets, while Kowloon is very sparse of them.

Note: Products that you know of from other parts of the world, like Pringles for example, are not kosher unless it has the sign on it. There will be Pringles with English writing on them as well as Chinese, and those aren’t kosher. There are cans though that are imported and won’t have any Chinese on them (less an added Chinese sticker) and that will have an OU on it. So look for the sign. No sign – not kosher.

The Chabad puts out a kosher guidebook for Hong Kong which is very helpful. It is very comprehensive and is updated yearly, i believe. From what I understood, in Hong Kong, plain rice and noodles can be bought from local stores without a hechsher.

Tourist Info:

All of Hong Kong can be done in about 5 days. As a backpacker, you might get bored staying longer than that. Some popular activities are as follows:

• “The Peak” is the top of Hong Kong Island which offers a beautiful panoramic view. The Peak Tram is a popular way of accessing it.
• Kowloon has many famous markets, such as the Jade Market and the Night Market – both which are great for inexpensive shopping and souvenirs. Bargain!
• Everyone visits the Big Buddha on Lantau Island which is nice, but not awesome.
• Victoria Harbour has one of the world’s most famous skylines, and is beautiful at night (catch the nightly 13 minute Light Show at 8pm every day from the Kowloon side, from the pier next to the cultural center, where you can see all the lights and hear the accompanying music). Crossing the river by the Star Ferry is a historical experience (and only costs about 2 Hong Kong dollars). On the Kowloon side by the water are a few museums (free on Wednesdays) and Avenue of the Stars which is nice to walk along at night after the Light Show.

To get around, Hong Kong has a great subway system that is clean, efficient and really easy to use. For extended stays in Hong Kong, get an Octopus Card – similar equivalent to a MetroCard (in NYC), but can also be used to pay for other things around town.

Jewish Info:
Both Chabad centers offer Minyanim on Shabbat for sure, but can be iffy during the week. The JCC shul called “Ohel Leah” also has Shabbat Minyanim as well as during the week. Hechal Ezra has the same. Ohel Leah is one of the wealthiest synagogues in the world, but its crowd brings in people of all economic levels and varying degrees of observance (even though it is an Orthodox shul). The Chabad in Kowloon is most appropriate for backpackers as it is close to many budgeted guesthouses. The Hechal Ezra community is mainly sfaradi expat businessmen, but was nice to go to as it felt to me most like a community (even though only 10% of the well over 100 people were regulars). Hechal Ezra also offers the best food on Shabbat in my opinion.

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Tags: chabad, China, hong kong, jewish travel, kosher travel, kowloon, octopus card, victoria harbour

In Blessed Memory, Rabbi Gavriel & Rivka Holtzberg (Z”L), Mumbai, India

While this is not a typical post for this site, I felt as kosher travelers, we all visit Chabad Houses all over the world. It is important that we recognize the great service that Chabad emissaries do for the Jewish community around the world.

We all know by now that Rabbi Gavriel & Rivka Holtzberg, the Chabad couple in Mumbai, India, have been murdered by Islamic terrorists this past week. The following is a letter written by a friend of mine from Australia who spent 6 months in Mumbai, and has written a personal beautiful, touching, tribute and testament to the lives Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg led.

Written by Benjamin Holzman, Sydney, Australia

“Just minutes ago I heard the terrible news that 5 Israeli hostages were found dead inside the Chabad centre at Nariman house in Mumbai. Although the media hasn’t officially confirmed their identities yet, it seems quite certain that they are Chabad Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, his wife Rivka, an Israeli couple, and another Israeli.

After having been glued to the news for two days straight, relentlessly combing through twitter updates, news reports, and blogs, I am totally exhausted, yet feel compelled to write something about these great people I knew.

I lived in Mumbai for 6 months last year, and would go to the Beit Chabad with friends for a Shabbat meal about every second week. Over the course of 6 months, we got to know the Rabbi and his wife quite well.

They were wonderful people; warm, inviting and engaging. Gabi would get visibly excited to have so many guests for Shabbat, you could tell it really made his week. He would have a grin on his face almost the entire meal, including during his Dvar Torah. He was always so eager to create a communal feeling that he insisted everyone go around the table and say a few words to the group, giving guests 4 options: either delivering a Dvar Torah, relating an inspirational story, declaring to take on a mitzvah, or leading a song.

As most of the guests were Israeli backpackers and other passers-through, they might have found this quite novel. For us regulars, it was just Gabi’s shtick. I can still hear him reciting those 4 options to the group now, as if he had discovered some miraculous way to make everyone involved in the Shabbat with no escape, impressed by his own genius week in and out. He had a devilish smile, you could really see the child still in him, just beneath the surface.

Gabi was also exceptionally thoughtful. Though most of the guests were Israeli, Gabi would give his Dvar Torah in English for the sake of the few of us English-speakers there with sketchy Hebrew, so we’d understand. Sometimes he spoke line by line first in English, then Hebrew. Gabi would start discussions and made it his personal mission to get everyone talking, to make a group of disconnected Jews feel like a family. It worked. That was Gabi.

Rivki was a certified sweetheart. She’d generally sit apart from Gabi, to spread herself out, and usually sat with the girls. She too relished Friday night dinners—I think she needed her weekly female bonding time. She’d talk to the girls about the challenges of keeping kosher in India, and share exciting new finds at the market together. You could tell she was far from home, in this dense Mumbai jungle, but she was tough and really made the best of it. She would balance Gabi’s presence, occasionally making comments to people at her table while Gabi was speaking. Not as a sign of disrespect, but to keep the people around her having a good time, perhaps in the same way a youth group counsellor would, when the kids were bored by another counsellor. That was Rivki. Brave, fun-loving, and super sweet.

Perhaps the greatest testament to their character was simply the fact that they lived in downtown Mumbai for years on end. Having lived there for just 6 months, I understand how incredibly taxing just existing in the city is. Even when trying to relax, the city still seems to suck the life out of you. Living as Westerners in modest conditions in the thick of Mumbai, with the restrictions of kashrut and Shabbat, is certainly no small feat.

I’m not sure if they were thrilled with their placement in Mumbai, but they certainly made a good go of it. They were only a few years older than me, in their late 20s, and despite being far from friends and family and perhaps not in the most exciting Chabad placement (compared to Bangkok, Bogota or Bondi), they kept positive and built a beautiful bastion of Jewey goodness. They chose a life that demonstrated such altruism and care, in the truest sense. The Mumbai Chabad really made a difference to my time in India, and made me feel that much more at home in such a foreign country.

It was at Gabi and Rivki’s where I met Joseph Telushkin, the famous Jewish author. It was at Gabi and Rivki’s where I randomly bumped into friends of friends from back home. It was to Gabi and Rivki’s where we brought our non-Jewish Indian friends who became curious in Judaism. It was at Gabi and Rivki’s where a girl I would later fall for first developed feelings for me, when I brought her some water while she lay sick on the sofa from Indian food poisoning. She was being nursed by Rivki.

Gabi and Rivki were real for me. We often hear about tragedies in distant, disconnected places, and feel frustratingly estranged from them. We want to connect, but cant; we feel as though in a different world. And mere numbers, names and images don’t amass to much. I hope I’ve been able to paint a small picture of two of the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks, which claimed over 150 lives in total and left hundreds injured.

I know they would have been brave through the whole ordeal. Though unconfirmed, it is likely they would have been murdered right as Shabbat was coming in. I feel that this would have provided them with comfort, knowing that they departed this world in a time of peace. I also know the knowledge that their 2-year old son Moishe managed to escape in the arms of his nanny would have provided them with great comfort in their final hours. When I would look at the young Moishe I would see Gabi’s face, and Rivki’s care-free spirit.

Chabad lost two soldiers today, emissaries and keepers of the Jewish people. Let us honour their work and their lives in our prayers, in our thoughts, and in our deeds, and let us pray for the families of the dozens of other victims of these attacks. May all souls rest in peace, and may we see an end to violence in our time.”

Benjamin Holzman

I also found some important words from Jewlicious.com:

“…Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg were targeted solely because they were Jewish. Had any of us been in Mumbai the day of the attack, we too would have been similarly targeted by mere dint of our religious affiliation. It wouldn’t have mattered in the least to the cowardly terrorists if we were atheist Jews, or cultural Jews, or left wing peacenick Jews, or secular, LWMO, Reform, Conservative or Reconstructionist. If they called out for Jews and you had the balls to raise your hand, they wouldn’t have asked if your Mom was Jewish or if the Rabbi that performed your conversion was on the approved list of Rabbis put out by the Rabbinate in Israel. They would have targeted you without further question. Now I am not saying that we ought to allow our enemies to define who is a Jew, but what I am saying is that however we define ourselves, at least for the next little while, we are all Chabadniks.

Those of you wishing to contribute to a fund that will help rebuild the Chabad of Mumbai and benefit the surviving children of Rabbi Gavriel and Rivka Holtzberg, may do so by clicking here. It’s not much, but it’s the least we can do. You can read more about Gabi and Rivky at Chabad.org.”

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Tags: chabad, holtzberg, India, Mumbai, nariman house, terrorism

Muscat, Oman

Contributed by: Rachel Lissner  |  Last Date of Travel: December 2007

Kosher Info: There are no kosher restaurants here but with a gigantic Indian ex-pat population, there is an abundance of vegetarian restaurants. Countless Indian restaurants! What could be better?

Standard Middle Eastern fare is found here, so I highly recommend is the halwa. It is gelatinous (jellylike) and is supposed to scooped out of the container by hand. It comes with cardamon and other spices and is absolutely amazing. It’s nothing like the crumbly halva North Americans (and Israelis) are accustomed to.

Whilst NOT Kosher… McDonald’s has both veggie burgers and “veggie surprise”, plus a filet-o-fish. interestingly there is also the “McArabia”, which is either chicken or beef, served in a pita… clearly not kosher, but there’s your culture factoid for the day.

Tourist Info: Muscat is a port city in a country with an extremely popular sultan. It’s quite progressive compared to other Gulf countries and the sultan has already decided that after he passes away that the country will become a democracy.

It is really hard to get around Muscat without a car and a local to navigate. The city is extremely spread out and is not walkable.

Here is a quick list of things to do and attractions in and around Muscat:

• Visit the souk, the central market in downtown Muscat. It’s on the port.
• See the Grand Mosque. In addition to being absolutely stunning, it has the largest carpet in the world.
• The Oman Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the National Museum all display interesting information about the country.
• If you manage to head out of the city, drive over to Sur and watch the green turtles lay eggs at sunrise. Oman hosts one of the largest community of turtles in the world.
• Wahiba Sands are dazzling sand dunes that host a number of little camps for tourists. Some camps are simply places to hang out in the desert while others offer camel rides and dune bashing.
• Try going to a Hindu temple. It’s an experience with lots of colour, song, and dance and there are often bits of leftover sacrifices that worshippers may eat.

Dress info: Despite the stated progressiveness, it is still a Muslim country the laws concerning clothes must be observed. Cover shoulders and knees, wear shirts with high necklines, and when going to religious areas, women must cover their hair.

Muslims wear traditional dress on the whole but the Indian ex-pat community is much more prone to wearing jeans and t-shirts. In areas like the souk, such clothing is permissible but on the beach, make sure to cover up appropriately.

Visit: http://www.destinationoman.com/socialcustoms.html for more tips on the Omani dress code and etiquette.

Jewish Info: The country itself is located northeast of Yemen and near Iran, two countries that until recently that had Jewish huge populations.  It’s about three hours southeast of Israel. Today there is no Jewish community in Oman, but at one point Jews had a presence in the country, mostly made of up Yemenite and Iraqi Jews.

The grave of the prophet Job is said to be 45 miles from Salalah, located in the south, and very close to the border with Yemen. Benjamin of Tudela, a famous cataloger of Jewish communities around the world, visited Muscat around 1170.

Oman does not have any formal relations with Israel, but from 1996 to 2000 the two countries did have exchange offices. There is no issue with Israeli stamps (in your passport) or visas and not much anti-semitism, if at all. Wikipedia, however, says that Omani newspapers circulate a high amount of anti-semitic images. In response to the Iranian threat, which is just across the gulf, the Omani government has started to reach out to Israel and the Jewish community.

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Tags: desert, jewish travel, kosher travel, muslim country, Oman, vegetarian