Just a few days after the much-vaunted Trump-Kim Summit in Singapore, the latest Asia Progressive Judaism Shabbaton was held in the South Korean capital, Seoul. All the overseas participants were keen to hear from the locals their view on what had just happened, and the latter did not hold back. The Shabbaton began with a special K-Shab ceremony on Friday night, where meat-lovers could enjoy their beef cooked at the table in the Korean style. On Saturday morning there was a lively discussion of K-Orach, the weekly Torah portion, focusing on what the Torah could teach us about different styles of leadership.
Saturday night saw a Havdalah picnic in the park, as we said goodbye to Shabbat, Gangnam style! The ceremony was held on the south bank of the Han River, next to the Jamsu Bridge, in the infamous Gangnam area. Although we did not get the chance to appear in a K-Pop video, we were fortunate that the Seoul Food Festival was taking place and we could sample some of their delights!
Hakehillah was formed in 2017 as a progressive Jewish Community based in Seoul, South Korea. If you are interested in joining their future events, please contact Anna. So far they have organized a Chanukah party, a Pesach seder and several Shabbat events, and have many exciting plans for the months ahead.
For more details about Asia Progressive Judaism and to learn about our future events, please contact Rabbi Nathan Alfred. And if you know someone Jewish anywhere in Asia, please put them in touch as well!