 | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| about 5,000 | |
| Languages | |
| Hebrew, English, Cantonese, Mandarin | |
| Religion | |
| Judaism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Other Jewish groups (Mizrahi, Ashkenazi, Sephardi, etc.) |
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| Jews and Judaism |
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The history of the Jews in Hong Kong starts when Jews were among the first settlers after Hong Kong became a British colony in 1841. The first Jews arrived in Hong Kong from various parts of the British Empire as merchants and colonial officials. Among the first wave, the Baghdadi Jews stood out especially, including representatives of the influential families of Sassoon and Kadoorie. The construction of the Ohel Leah Synagogue in 1901 marked the beginning of a fully fledged religious life for the city's local Jews.
Hong Kong's Jewish community is able to freely practice most of their cultural and religious traditions, including holding Shabbat meals and celebrating the main Jewish holidays. The city currently has four active synagogues, three schools and a Jewish cemetery.
Jews never constituted a large community in Hong Kong, only numbering a few hundred prior to World War II. Nevertheless, many influential Jews have left their mark on the city. Among them are: Matthew Nathan, the first and only Jewish governor of Hong Kong, who established the Guangzhou–Kowloon through train; the members of the Kadoorie family, who founded the China Light and Power Company and Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels; and the members of the Sassoon family, the benefactors of the Jewish cemetery and the Ohel Leah synagogue.
As it is based in a major commercial centre, much of Hong Kong's Jewish community consists of non-permanent residents—largely expatriates from countries with much larger Jewish communities such as Israel, the United States, France, and other nations. As of 2019[update], Hong Kong has around 5,000 Jewish residents belonging to different denominations of Judaism.