RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: KAIFENG JEWS PRESERVED JUDAISM IN CHINA: BLUFFTON SUN

October 7, 2015 rabbi jewish blog hilton head

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: KAIFENG JEWS PRESERVED JUDAISM IN CHINA: BLUFFTON SUN

Shalom and Peace:

Continuing our peek at exotic Jewish communities, let’s visit Kaifeng, eastern China. Jews survived by assimilating into Chinese society while preserving Jewish traditions. Most Jews arrived in Kaifeng via the Silk Road from Persia and India, circa 618 CE. Their synagogue, “Temple of Purity and Truth,” was built in 1163 in Chinese Pagoda architecture, and rebuilt 9 times, all on Earth Market Street.

Using seven Chinese surnames, still used today, e.g. Gao, Zhang, and Zhao, Kaifeng Jews were unknown to Europeans until 1605, when Beijing’s Priest Matteo Ricci, was visited by Kaifeng’s Jewish Ai Tian. Tian said he worshipped one God. Seeing the church’s image of Mary with Jesus, he assumed it was Rebecca with Jacob, as he didn’t know about Christianity. Tian said Kaifeng had a synagogue with a Torah.

In 1608 Ricci sent a Jesuit to copy the Kaifeng Torah. Ricci verified that it was identical to European Torahs. This lay to rest the European canard that Moses’ Torah had specific verses about Jesus as the Messiah, with European rabbis deleting them. Ricci and the Kaifeng Rabbi corresponded. The old rabbi, with no successor, offered Ricci his position if Ricci converted to Judaism. Ricci didn’t accept the offer.

Kaifeng Jews preserved Judaism for centuries. Intermarriage between Jews and Chinese increased but with Chinese women converting to Judaism. The 1860 synagogue’s destruction led to demise. Indistinguishable in appearance from Chinese, they dressed alike, wore pigtails, bound girls’ feet, spoke the local dialect, practiced Chinese patrilineal descent, and honored ancestors, biblical figures, and Confucius (as a moral teacher) by burning incense with kosher food offerings. Kaifeng Jewish soldiers were “Boundlessly loyal to China,” and the Emperor’s picture was hung in their synagogue. But they studied Torah, taught their children Hebrew, circumcised their sons, wore blue skull caps, had Hebrew and Chinese names, and kept Kosher. Kosher rules require removing muscles from the hip sockets of animals (Gen. 32:33). The Chinese called them “The Sect that Plucks Out Sinews.”

Today 1,000 residents have Jewish ancestry. Fifty are active Jews. Many are returning to their Jewish roots. Because they didn’t practice matrilineal descent, Orthodox Israel, requires conversions. Many have ‘converted’. One is studying for the Rabbinate in Israel to return to Kaifeng.

Rabbi Arthur Segal is an international lecturer, author, and teacher. Visit him at www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.org . Email at RabbiASegal@aol.com .

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JEWISH WEDDINGS OFFICIATED BY RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: TRADITIONAL, INTERFAITH, CO-OFFICIANT, DESTINATION

“One of the Joys of being a Rabbi,” says Rabbi Arthur Segal,” is working closely with the bride and groom and officiating at their wedding.” He can do this with couples living near by or with couples having a destination wedding in the greater beautiful Hilton Head Island area.

Rabbi Arthur Segal helps develop a custom ceremony with the couple so that each word in the ceremony rings true to them. His ceremonies can range from the very traditional to what ever the couples desires. Rabbi opines that this is the couple’s special day, and to treat each wedding as unique.

For those who are having an interfaith wedding, Rabbi takes special care to respect both traditions, again with total input from the couple. He will be pleased to co-officiate at weddings, using non-Trinitarian language.

Rabbi Arthur Segal also will do recommitment marriage ceremonies with the same care as he does weddings.

Rabbi will work closely with the wedding planer and/or caterer to make sure the wedding is seamless, and the bride and groom can totally enjoy themselves on their special day.

Rabbi Arthur Segal is available, and actually prefers, to be at the rehearsal, to ensure all is going smoothly, and to get to know the bridal party, and family, before the actual wedding day.

For those that wish to have a Ketubah, rabbi will work closely to make sure everyone’s name has correct calligraphy on the document, in English and Hebrew, so the signing ceremony is flawless.

For a beautiful gallery of Ketubahs go to JudaicConnection.com (My couples receive a $15 shipping discount)

Rabbi Arthur Segal tries to limit his weddings to Hilton Head, SC, Bluffton, SC, Palmetto Bluff, SC, Savannah, GA, and Charleston, SC, but has been known to make himself available elsewhere, even out of the USA. He will also conduct weddings and recommitment ceremonies on cruise ships.

In keeping with Jewish ethics, if the couple resides in Rabbi Arthur Segal’s town, Rabbi will ask, unless there are some special circumstances, if the couple has first asked the local pulpit rabbi to officiate.

JEWISH WEDDINGS

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JEWISH WEDDINGS OFFICIATED BY RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: TRADITIONAL, INTERFAITH, CO-OFFICIANT, DESTINATION

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REBBETZIN ELLEN SEGAL

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Hilton Head Island, SC; Bluffton, SC; Savannah, GA

RABBI DR ARTHUR SEGAL
www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.com/books www.FaceBook.com/Arthur.L.Segal www.FaceBook.com/RabbiArthurSegalJewishSpiritualRenewal www.RabbiArthurSegal.blogspot.com
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
Jewish Renewal
Jewish Spirituality
Hilton Head Island, SC; Bluffton, SC; Savannah, GA

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