The Jews of Kaifeng
The Jews first reached China via this ancient trade route which connected East Asia and Europe by land and sea for thousands of years.
The Silk Road
These were among the most sought-after commodities. besides silk, in ancient times, as they were used for medicine, religious rituals, and even currency
Spices
Like the fireworks, firecrackers, drums and other loud noises believed by the Chinese to scare away evil spirits for a peaceful new year, Jews sound this ancient instrument to awaken spiritually and shake their souls into repentance.
the shofar
Central Asia
The Bactrian camel of two humps was the work horse of this extremely forbidding area.
Central Asia
While the Chinese wear red as a symbol of good luck, many Jewish people wear this color to symbolize a fresh start
White
Along with porcelain and precious metals, these two commodities were essential products traded along the Silk Route because they were both extremely lightweight and often unobtainable in the West.
Spices and silks
The Bactrian camel, with its large water and fat reserves, could survive the overland journey across the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts, carrying over 300 lbs or more from one of these towns to the next
Oasis towns
As Chinese people eat noodles to symbolize a long life and dumplings that resemble ancient coins, Ashkenazi Jews eat these round foods to symbolize the cyclical nature of the year
apples and round challah
The Jews of Kaifeng have a history of this many years in the ancient capital city of the Northern Song dynasty.
800 years
The diet of silk worm consists entirely of this human-provided food
Mulberry leaves
The Chinese calendar is lunisolar, but the Jewish calendar is exclusively based on this calculation.
The lunar cycle
The Jews of Kaifeng were on very good terms with their indigenous neighbors, who practiced this philosophy, due to shared veneration of ancestors and similar creation stories.
Taoist ethics
There is evidence of silk production in ancient China dating from this century
2700 BCE
The Chinese Zodiac calendar assigns all people born in a particular year to a certain animal, this many in all.
Twelve