Kehillat Beijing

Beijing China

Founded in 1979, the Kehillat Beijing Foundation supports Jewish life in Beijing, around China, and across the world. We host Shabbat services and dinner each and every Friday night beginning at 7:00pm, in addition to a range of holiday celebrations, educational opportunities, and community retreats and excursions into one of the world's greatest cities. 

The Capital Campaign

Perhaps you are a regular at our spirited Friday night services, or perhaps you dropped into services as you were passing through Beijing. Perhaps you are new to Beijing, or perhaps you left Beijing years ago. Regardless of how much time you have spent at Kehillat Beijing, we hope you appreciated the services, the lively d’var torah, the “Shabbat Is Here” song welcoming children, the tasty Shabbat meals, and above all the feeling of community. We have built a strong, stable and warm “Jewish family” in the capital of the People’s Republic of China.

As we move forward, we not only look back fondly on 40 years of Kehillat history, we also look forward with the aim of securing the future of our community. The Kehillat Beijing Capital Campaign began a few years ago as a substantial fundraising initiative. Instead of merely striving to balance our books year to year, in 5779 we aim to build a solid foundation for our community.

Kehillat Beijing is always in flux, with people coming and going every year. Ensuring our financial future means reaching out to both current and past Kehillat members sprinkled across the globe. Even if you are not currently in Beijing, we encourage you to support the sustained future of the only egalitarian Jewish community in Beijing.

What would we do if we had greater financial resources? What do we dream about for Kehillat’s future? Here are some of our bold ideas:

  • Hiring a professional Jewish educator to join our community -- someone who can organize regular adult education sessions, children’s classes and a youth group -- to inspire us and deepen our understanding of Judaism.

  • Inviting a rabbi or cantor to join us multiple times a year—not just for the High Holidays, but with additional visits to focus on community education and learning in a casual setting, such as a retreat or Jewish continuing education each week.

  • Hiring a full-time director to manage Kehillat Beijing initiatives and organize us to our fullest.

  • Expanding the Beijing Jewish Film Week, a cultural festival that utilizes film to increase local audience awareness and understanding of Jewish culture and identity, to reach a wider audience in cities across China.

  • Repairing or replacing our siddurim and holiday machzorim. Our current ones were published a decade ago, are falling apart after years of loving use.

  • Organizing a yearly Asia-wide Limmud Jewish conference, to bring together Jewish communities from across the region.

  • Inviting visiting students to join us for Shabbat meals, free of charge.

  • Establishing a summer camp near the Great Wall for children from Jewish communities around Asia.

If you or your loved ones have been touched by the Kehillat Beijing community, please show your support by taking part in our Capital Campaign. We are asking our community’s current and past members to pledge either a lump sum, or spread their commitment over five years, so we can make these dreams possible. Here are our suggested donor categories:

  • The Matzo Ball Mob $25,000 or $5,000 per year for five years, or more

  • The Pastrami Platoon $18,000 or $3,500 per year for five years, or more

  • The Latke League $10,000 or $2,000 per year for five years, or more

  • The Rugelach Rabble $5,000, or $1,000 per year for five years, or more

  • The Gefiltefish Gang $2,500, or $500 per year for five years, or more

  • The Challah CHeroes All donors to Kehillat Beijing

To make your pledge as easy as possible, we have set up two different ways for you to donate. You can:

Or email us at donations@sinogogue.org and we will arrange for a payment plan based on your needs.

 

The Kehillat Beijing Foundation is a US-registered 501c3 organization, and donations are tax deductible for US citizens.

We are grateful for your support, in any amount. We will put your pledge to good use, and promise to welcome you to an even more robust Shabbat experience the next time you, a friend, or family member come visit.

If you have any questions about the Kehillat Beijing Foundation Kehillat Capital Campaign, please don’t hesitate to be in touch with Joshua Kurtzig, president of the Kehillat Beijing Foundation, via info@sinogogue.org.

 

The Kehillat Beijing Foundation