A Burd in Beijing: Part Two: Say Qie Ze* !

*Qie Ze.... pronunciation in Mandarin is similar to "cheese", but actually translates to eggplant - the term used when taking a picture.

These photos pretty much encapsulate my most recent week in Beijing - eventful, unpredictable and eye-opening as usual: a trip to the zoo, Friday night's AusChamb drinks, Limmud China by the Great Wall, and my new found obsession with Instagram....

Couldn't leave China without a trip to the zoo !

AusChamb drinks (Brooke, Tammy & Me)

The inaugural Limmud in Asia, Limmud China

Known as Limmud Oz and already well-established in Australia, this was the first conference bringing together Jews living in isolated communities throughout the Far East. Against the backdrop of the Great Wall, facilitators from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, The Phillipines, Japan, India and Singapore were joined by eighty participants, largely expats from Israel, Australia, South Africa, South America, Europe, and North America. The day was centered around lectures, panels, and discussion groups about a wide variety of issues surrounding this fraction of the Jewish Diaspora from the history of the Bnei Israel Jews of India, the future of East Asia for Jewish Communities, China-Israel relations and the media , the global Jewish responsibility in responding to disasters, and the perfect charoset recipe. This was yet another unexpected and enlightening experience.

Back row: Felicia (Germany), Ayelet (Israel), Dr. Nathan Aston (India), Katherine (Austria), Elijah Jacob (India), Dennys (Venezuela), Nathanial (France)

Front Row: Adina (Israel), Erica (US), and Me

Elijah Jacob (Country Manager of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, India), Me, and Dr Nathan M. Aston (Chairman of the Advisory Council of the AJDC for India)