ABSTRACT
This essay attempts to explore the development of the Jewish presence in the Chinese capital since 2001. The key question to ask is what it means to be Jewish in international cities such as Beijing, where the current population is made up of people from all over the world. By focusing on the mikvah, the essay argues that in Beijing this ‘integral part of Jewish life’ has been transformed into a global experience and product. It further investigates the role of Chabad as a ‘global movement’ and the same time the ‘home for every Jew’, and asks what happened to traditional practices and beliefs in the age of ‘globalisation’?
