| I always knew my Oriental wife was Jewish; after | | | | visit her schools and converse with her former |
| all, she grew up eating Chinese food!I grew up in a | | | | teachers. Belinda also enjoyed meeting my aunts |
| Jewish neighbourhood of Montreal. My mother is | | | | and cousins in Rome. These experiences are very |
| Sephardic Italian and my father is a Holocaust | | | | special and memorable to us.While we cherish |
| survivor from Poland. I speak Italian with my | | | | both backgrounds, when we have to choose |
| mother and Yiddish with my father and siblings. | | | | between them Jewish holidays and observances |
| My wife, Belinda Cheung, was born and raised in | | | | take precedence over Chinese holidays and |
| Hong Kong and came to Canada when she was | | | | customs. Belinda finds Judaism meaningful and she |
| 17.I married Belinda in 1999. Our marriage has | | | | has learned to love it more than Chinese |
| been working wonderfully well. Despite our cultural | | | | traditions. Judaism is central to us, and it helps |
| differences, our worldviews and approaches to life | | | | imbue our lives with meaning and direction..How did |
| are remarkably identical. We are busy raising our | | | | we get to this arrangement? From the moment |
| two young children, and our lives are meaningful | | | | we began dating, we enthusiastically explored |
| and fulfilling.Picture frames reflecting both Chinese | | | | each other's cultures through visiting many ethnic |
| and Jewish influences adorn our home. We are | | | | establishments and participating in various cultural |
| keen on learning about each other's culture. We | | | | activities. Our goal was to broaden our horizons |
| make a point to learn each other's languages | | | | and to take the best of both worlds. However, as |
| through tapes and books. Although we are both | | | | my parents were vehemently opposed to my |
| fully fluent in English, my wife chooses to speak | | | | dating Belinda because my religion prohibits |
| Cantonese to our children, and I speak Yiddish. | | | | intermarriage, we delved deeper into Judaism |
| Between us, we converse in English. Our children | | | | while also examining other religions. We read |
| identify with their Yiddish and Chinese names, in | | | | voraciously on different spiritualities. We attended |
| addition to their English names. Our elder son, | | | | Chinese churches, Buddhist and Taoist temples; |
| Asher (age 3), seems to handle the different | | | | took part in Jews for Jesus, Reform, |
| languages well. We make an effort to be | | | | Conservative and Orthodox Jewish synagogues |
| consistent in our use of languages with our | | | | and events; visited a Sikh Gurdwara, a Muslim |
| children. We expose them to both Chinese and | | | | mosque; and toured Israel for a month. It was a |
| Jewish games, as well as Chinese, Yiddish, Hebrew | | | | long but worthwhile journey. Through it all, we |
| and English books, songs and videos.With an Italian | | | | inspired each other in our spiritual growth, and |
| mother and a Chinese wife, I am likely one of the | | | | helped shape each other's outlook on life. Belinda |
| most well-fed guys on earth! On Sabbath, my | | | | eventually converted to Judaism after more than |
| wife often makes "Chinese cholent," which I | | | | four years of exploring and learning. She genuinely |
| thoroughly enjoy. She shops for Chinese | | | | loves Judaism. An important reason that my wife |
| mushrooms, lotus seeds, ginseng and various | | | | and I have adjusted to each other so well is that |
| kinds of Chinese fruits and vegetables in | | | | we had developed a common vision for ourselves |
| Chinatown. I take pleasure in preparing Italian | | | | before we got married.We are now connected to |
| dishes, and we both like Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. | | | | a Torah-observant community where people are |
| One time, my mother-in-law assisted with | | | | accepting of us and our Asian-looking Jewish |
| cooking, and we all had an authentic Chinese meal | | | | children. We were forewarned by the rabbinical |
| on Friday night. It was a delightful evening and a | | | | court which presided over my wife's conversion |
| pleasant cultural shock to my parents. Using | | | | that there would always be some Jews who, out |
| chopsticks is still a challenge for me, but it only | | | | of ignorance of Judaism, look down at converts |
| makes life more interesting!I am fascinated with | | | | and their children as being "not really" Jewish. |
| Chinese history, language and culture. Belinda's | | | | Thank God, we have not experienced this kind of |
| roots are almost as important to me as my own. | | | | debasement.We hope that as our children grow |
| I am constantly looking for ways to infuse more | | | | up, they will question, investigate and renew their |
| Chinese culture into our lives. Even my favourite | | | | commitment to our Jewish heritage, and also |
| ties display ancient Chinese scripts and I often | | | | respect and honor their Chinese roots. That they |
| wear them on Sabbath. The Chinese and the | | | | will carry their Jewishness into their own |
| Jews have a lot in common in their ethical | | | | relationships and raise their children with healthy |
| teachings.We keep a kosher diet and celebrate all | | | | and life-affirming values and practices.This article |
| Jewish holidays, including the holy Sabbath. We are | | | | originally appeared on a member of the Media |
| grateful that my parents, my Chinese in-laws, as | | | | Network.Author of Chicken Soup with Chopsticks: |
| well as our secular relatives and friends, are | | | | A Jew's Struggle for Truth in an Interfaith |
| respectful of our Jewish observances. My | | | | Relationship. Discover more at Botwinik grew up in |
| brother-in-law, who is Protestant, had joined us on | | | | a culturally rich environment, speaking five |
| several occasions and experienced Sabbath and | | | | languages. He attained a Master of Arts degree in |
| Sukkot (Festival of Booths), and even had a taste | | | | Political Science from McGill University in Montreal. |
| of matzah on Passover. We give lai-si (red | | | | He worked for Toronto's Welfare Department for |
| packets containing money, decorated with | | | | several years, before landing a job with the |
| characters and drawings symbolizing luck and | | | | Correctional Service of Canada. Jack's experience |
| wealth) to our children on Chinese New Year.We | | | | in dealing with destitute and under-privileged |
| may catch a dragon boat race during the Dragon | | | | people, and his re-examination of his religious |
| Boat Festival, or play with Chinese lanterns around | | | | heritage, significantly altered his outlook on life. In |
| the August Moon Festival. When we are sick, we | | | | addition to speaking in public, and appearing on |
| seek medical treatment and advice from both | | | | radio and TV, Jack helps couples in interfaith |
| Chinese and Western doctors. Last year I had the | | | | dating relationships by listening and talking to them |
| opportunity to meet many of my wife's relatives | | | | one-on-one. Jack enjoys spending time with his |
| and childhood friends in Hong Kong, as well as to | | | | wife and young children. |