On the evening of Saturday, 29 May, The United Jewish Congregation of Hong Kong (UJC) celebrated its 20th anniversary with a Gala event that will not be forgotten. The event was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibitions Centre.

More than 130 members, current and past, their families and friends and other prominent members of Hong Kong’s Jewish community, gathered to give tribute to this vital Jewish institution.

Special guests included Rabbi Emeritus Lee Diamond, Consul General of Israel in Hong Kong, Mr Amikam Levy, and Sofer Jamie Shear, Following the custom of giving china on a 20th anniversary, the theme for its celebratory Gala was all things “China,” a fitting theme for an event honouring the community’s home in Hong Kong for the past two decades.

The room was colourfully and elegantly decorated with lanterns, bird cages, and Chi-nese porcelain-ware; and each table was named an animal in the Chinese zodiac.

In addition to eating, drinking, and dancing the night away, several guests made moving speeches about the establishment and importance of the progressive Jewish synagogue.

It was clear from these speeches that the UJC stands true to its name, as a place where its members are encouraged to engage with their Judaism and to be an important part of the UJC family regardless of their background.

The event raised nearly HK$250,000 for UJC programming, particularly for the Shorashim programme for its youngest members.

As part of its commitment to Tikkun Olam, a portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to Half the Sky Foundation, an organisation that enriches the lives of orphaned children living in China’s social welfare institutions.

The UJC is looking forward to spending many more years as part of Hong Kong’s Jewish community.

_{(Issue June 2010)}