Beijing, China – Religiously observant Jews, who may have been concerned about where the President of Israel might commemorate the Tisha B’av destruction of the First and Second Temples when he is in Beijing this week, can rest easy.
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President Shimon Peres, who will be in the Chinese capital as guest of the Chinese Government for the opening of the 2008 Olympics, will be joined by Chabad Rabbi Shimon Freundlich at a reading of the Book of Lamentations on Saturday night.
It was already known that the Chinese, in a desire to enable the president to avoid transgressing the Sabbath, arranged for him to be accommodated in the Olympic Village inside the stadium so that he could easily walk to the opening ceremony on Friday night.
Aside from that, there will be no kashrut problems for the president or any other visitors to Beijing who observe the Jewish dietary laws.
Dini’s Kosher Restaurant which is under Freundlich’s certification and across the road from the American Embassy has a complete selection of Jewish, Chinese and Western food which it can serve in its large dining area or send vacuum packed to hotels not only in Beijing but anywhere in China.
Peres is due to leave Israel on a regular commercial flight some time after midnight on Wednesday and to arrive in Beijing, where he will given an official welcoming ceremony, on Thursday afternoon.
Early on Thursday evening, he will tour the Olympic Village and will meet with members of the Israeli Olympic team.
Later in the evening Peres will meet with Chinese business leaders at the residence of Israeli Ambassador Amos Nadai to discuss the further development of joint ventures and bilateral trade and investments.
Peres, who is known to be technologically minded, will begin his working day early on Friday morning with a chat on the popular Chinese web site Sohu.com in which he will answer the questions of Chinese surfers.
After that he will meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao at the Great Hall of the People to discuss a number of issues including the strengthening of relations between their two countries and of course the hazard posed to the world by the Iranian nuclear project.
Following the meeting, Peres will take time out for an interview with Chinese Television’s CCTV News for its Top Talk program.
Immediately afterwards, Peres along with other international dignitaries such as US President George W. Bush, French President Nicola Sarkozy and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (who holds a black belt in judo) will participate in a State reception at the Great Hall hosted by Hu Jintao.
On Saturday, in deference to the Sabbath, Peres will have a free day until Saturday evening when he will be joined for the Tisha B’Av service by Freundlich, representatives of Jewish communities from around the world, the Israel Ambassador, the heads of Israel’s Olympic Committee who will be in Beijing with the official delegation and heads of the Olympic delegation.
Whatever his political motives I’m sure it will be real when he will mourn the current state as described in vyoel moshe
Yankel
You are supposed to pray for the wellfare of other yidden …not warefare
Act like Avraham Uvini did when the ribina shel olam told him that he wants to destroy Sedom…he tried to save them… he didnt get all excited that the reshoim will get destroyed he davend for them and bargined with the abishter on their behalf.
from your comments it seems that you relish the day that the wrath of the abishter will fall on the heads of the anashim nashim v’taf living in Eretz Hakodesh
I dont think unzera zada Avrahom would have Nachas
Even though the rishis of the ztiynim is a davar mifursome… lets tell the ribana shel olam that in the zechus that they saved der haliger Vayeol Moshe from the germans which caused such a great amount of torah and yiras shamaim…he should have rachnanis on them to do tushuva …and not bring on them what is described in Vayoel Moshe.
I don’t know why Jews have to go to China for the Olympics altogether. The Olympics stands for Hellinism, the antithesis of Yiddishkeit. (Kochi Votzem Yodi)
I understand Yankel was referring about the sovereignity of the state a not c”v of its people.
did moishe pray for korech or the meraglim ??????
schmelke,
When the chumash says that Moshe “fell on his face,” do you think it was for some kind of excercise?
Also, it’s a big chutzpa to compare the chilonim to korach and the meraglim, who were the nesiim that experienced matan torah and should’ve known better. Mitzad beis din shel maila these yidden have a clean slate. Every mitzvah that they do is a neis nigleh.
AS I UNDERSTOOD CHABAD HAS ALSO PREPARED 3 STRICLEY KOSHER TISHE BAV MEALS.FOR SIMON PERES.
It so happens to be that Shimon Peres respects yiddishkeit, even though he is not portrayed that way, in his travels of representing israel he makes a point not to have business dealings on shabbos and eats kosher food.
I am currently in Beijing for the oylimpics and I just wanted to comment on how amazing and helpful rabbi Freundlich and his wife have been.
dear “mr.” issac where do you have the nerve to say “AS I UNDERSTOOD CHABAD HAS ALSO PREPARED 3 STRICLEY KOSHER TISHE BAV MEALS.FOR SIMON PERES.” first of all who even said this is treu. second could be he has a helth problem and cant fast so there for they are giving him “STRICLEY KOSHER TISHE BAV MEALS” and do yourself a faver think twise BEFORE you write something (and of corse in the 9 days)
moshiach now!!! let this tishe b’av be a yom tov with moshiach
6:30 PM:
(as a Lubavitcher) Get a sense of humor!
i am very happy that reb shimon and his restorant are going to get a tot of mony and PR
but how can the bael hamachshir and the oner be the same person with all do respect he is nogah badovor
dinis restorant belongs to reb shimon and his wife the din of aid achod nemon beisorim is only wen he has no benefits other wiss he is not namon
Attn. Cholent fressers:
Don’t worry. Your welfare checks won’t get you to China, so you will not have to worry about Kosher in China.
The heimishe yidden that have money and travel for business to China, have no problem trusting Reb Shimon. I would be very surprised if Reb Shimon even makes money on the restaurant. He only does it to bring Kashrus to yidden in China. If he didn’t care about yiddishkeit, he would gladly close up the restaurant. It’s not an asset to him, v’hamaskil yovin.
l know for a fact that Reb Shimon and Chabad have NO OWNERSHIP in the restaurant, the restaurant is owned by two businessmen living in Beijing. The only thing that chabad provides is the hasgacah. ln general people should confirm information before they start spreading it.
p.s By the way all the kosher companies like OU,CK,OK. How are they allowed to give a hashgacah on something when they are being payed for there work, and its in their interest that the company has a hashgacah.