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Published: July 15th 2014
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JCC restaurant Hong Kong
a nice meal in the HK Jewish Community Centre restaurant Sunday 13 July. What is it they say about good intentions? Well our good intentions disappeared. We thought that we would have breakfast, pack and leave. Hotel breakfast was a disaster. The main staple in any meal in Hong Kong is pork. The smell was a bit overbearing and the non-meat items looked suspect so we passed. Don had already bought me a cup of coffee and we had some fruit in the room so we were set. We packed and checked out and found to our complete surprise that it was noon.
We decided to go to the JCC (Jewish Community Centre) in Robinsons Road to be told that although it was literally the next road there was a vertical climb between the two roads. So we hopped into a taxi. Taxis are incredibly cheap and a popular mode of transport. There are a lot of second hand stores, including things like handbags, and this goes for cars/taxis however, when buying a second hand car you need to check brakes and clutch.
The JCC is stowed away behind intense security. Our passports were checked, as were our bags and bodies (by way of a security machine like they
use at airports). The restaurant was beautiful and clean and the food a mix of American style burgers and hot dogs and Asian dishes. We ate native style. Then we went down to the synagogue, Ohel Leah. Very beautiful and very Sephardi in style (see photos) it reminded us of Beavis Marks synagogue in the East End of London.
The synagogue was built in 1901 by the Sassoon family and is named after their mother Leah Gubbay. In 1905 the Kadoorie family funded the building of a Jewish Recreation Centre. The property below the club, (which consisted of a large hall, restaurant, bar, billiard room and tennis courts) was gifted to the community by J E Joseph. It was purchased to preserve the view of the harbour and was used to provide housing for the Rabbi and a mikvah. During WWII the building was requisitioned by the Japanese and the Jews were interned but the Torah scrolls were smuggled out. The synagogue was not damaged but the JRC was badly damaged and rebuilt by the Kadoorie family in 1949. The population of Hong Kong swelled as did the Jewish population and Robinson road became a prime real estate area.
Unfortunately the retaining wall between the synagogue and the road became dangerously unstable and the trustees of the synagogue were told by the government to stabilise the wall at the expense of the Trust. As a result in partnership with a land developer two residential towers were built, the synagogue was retained and a new JCC was built. After much controversy the synagogue was restored and refurbished in 1997, rededicated in 1998 and won a UNESCO award for the conservation and preservation of the Ohel Leah synagogue, Hong Kong.
Our next port of call was the apple store at the IFC mall. I am sure that this wasn't there 30 years ago. And what opulence. Designer stores were in abundance and there were loads of tourists like us looking for their duty free deals. Don got his iPad for his birthday together with his colour co-ordinated keyboard. Whilst they were helping him to get started they were able to help me with my very important problem - how to get to my Scrabble app for games with Caroline and Marion!
Then back to the hotel to pick up bags and onto the airport. Much to our surprise we
were so early that Air New Zealand check-in wasn't open! This never happens to us!
Then into our tin can for our 11 hour flight to Auckland. The plane was very comfortable and the beds had soft mattresses but I was too excited to sleep. We were getting nearer to seeing my baby!
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