Monday, July 30, 2012

The Forward newspaper columnist Masha Leon on "The Scattered Tribe."

Discovering Jews Off the Beaten Path: Ben Frank Explores the Exotic Diaspora

Should you plan to travel to exotic regions, don’t make a move without first reading Ben Frank’s latest memoir and travel guide, “The Scattered Tribe: Traveling the Diaspora From Cuba to India to Tahiti & Beyond” (Globe Pequot, 2011). During a New York stopover on his national book promotion tour, Frank, who boasts, “I’m 78 and still traveling,” told me: “What is most important is that even though we have a Jewish homeland, Jews still live in the Diaspora. But it is a different Diaspora than 60 or 70 years ago. It is one of choice. Jews, now living in exotic communities, do everything to survive [as Jews], even though their numbers are small. And, if you want to go to a country that has not changed in the past 50 years, go to Burma [now called Myanmar]. There are only 20 Jews in the entire country. In Yangon [once called Rangoon] there is one man, Moses Samuels, who keeps Judaism alive in Burma. Every morning, he opens the [150-year-old Musmeah Yeshua] synagogue and waits for tourists from America or Australia for a minyan. Then there’s Cuba, where the Jewish community is thriving as much as one can under a dictatorship.”
Frank’s far-flung exotic destinations include the vibrant Jewish congregation in Tahiti’s capital, Papeete, where he met many Algerian Jews. The community’s synagogue, built in Tahitian style, is named Ahaba ve Ahava (“The Congregation of Love and Friendship”) and hosts nearly 200 for Yom Kippur services. Frank told me: “I met a man, a Frenchman, in Tahiti whose father never told him he was Jewish until he became 21. The father fled Czechoslovakia, joined the Red Army in the USSR, escaped from a gulag, got to France, joined the French Foreign Legion, was in Dien Bien Phu in Vietnam, was sent to prison in France and then married a nurse who was not Jewish. When he finally landed in Tahiti he became a religious Jew and went through conversion with Chabad…. These are some of the unforgettable characters I discovered on my journey.”
We chatted at length about the chapter “Sibir, The Sleeping Land: Riding the Trans Siberian Railway and Visiting Irkutsk, Birobidzhan, and Vladivostok.” Following a comprehensive history of Siberia, which is home to some 30,000 Jews, with 3,000 Jews in Irkutsk (aka the “Paris of Siberia”), Frank writes that though they were once involved in the fur trade and mining, “today in Russia’s ‘free market’ economy [Jews] are professionals, business people, entrepreneurs, who live alongside ethnic minorities such as Tartars, Chuvash people and Buryats.” He notes that in “mid-2004 a middle-of-the night electrical fire nearly destroyed Irkutsk’s entire historical synagogue [built in the 1860s], including the loss of valuable records.” He quotes a member of the congregation: “The synagogue is now a new building inside old walls…. After a five-year struggle, with renovation… the decorative interior with elegant shining chandeliers and the prayer hall with the Holy Ark were put in place.”
No passport, visa, ticket or pat-down required to relish this book. Just read and enjoy.

Read more: http://forward.com/articles/160022/kosher-jewgrass-country-and-folk-performed-by-mare/#ixzz227VNDMsA

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/The-Scattered-Tribe-Traveling-Diaspora/dp/0762770333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343662249&sr=8-1&keywords=ben+frank

or Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012


MY JEWISH BOOK COUNCIL NATL BOOKTALK TOUR---TO DATE

If you’re in the neighborhood of my national book talks arranged by the Jewish Book Council for “The Scattered Tribe” (Globe Pequot Press), pop in and say hello. Or check out my blog or Amazon at Amazon

Blog        

August 3, 10:30 am,  Rohr Jewish Learning Institute’s National Jewish Retreat, Hyatt Bonaventure, Weston Fl.

October 5, 12 noon,  Rockland County JCC, West Nyack, NY.

November 13, 12:15 pm. Virginia Beach, VA JCC.

November 17, 7:30 pm., Jewish Federation of Greater San Gabriel & Pomona Valley, Arcadia, CA.

November 29, 7:30 pm. Miami Beach, FL JCC

December 3, 12 noon, JCC of Greater Ft. Lauderdale, FL
































"Very proud of our Myanmar Shalom Team & Staff for the excellent job they did to organizing ground travel arrangements for over 60 delegates from major U.S companies during US.- ASEAN Business Mission." Those are the words of Sammy Samuels of Myanmar Shalom, which does a great job of bringing knowledge of the rich Jewish heritage in Burma. I write about Sammy Samuels and his organization in my chapter on Burma, (Myanmar)  in "The Scatteed Tribe: Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti and Beyond, " (Globe Pequot Press).




Blog        

MY JEWISH BOOK COUNCIL NATL BOOKTALK TOUR---TO DATE

If you’re in the neighborhood of these national book talks arranged by the Jewish Book Council for “The Scattered Tribe” (Globe Pequot Press), pop in and say hello. Or check out my blog or Amazon at Amazon

Blog        

August 3, 10:30 am,  Rohr Jewish Learning Institute’s National Jewish Retreat, Hyatt Bonaventure, Weston Fl.

October 5, 12 noon,  Rockland County JCC, West Nyack, NY.

November 13, 12:15 pm. Virginia Beach, VA JCC.

November 17, 7:30 pm., Jewish Federation of Greater San Gabriel & Pomona Valley, Arcadia, CA.

November 29, 7:30 pm. Miami Beach, FL JCC

December 3, 12 noon, JCC of Greater Ft. Lauderdale, FL








Saturday, July 7, 2012

Chabad Welcomes Travelers


Page 30 THE JEWISH PRESS Friday, June 29, 2012

Chabad Global Network Welcomes Travelers

By Ben G. Frank

Ben G. Frank, journalist, travel writer, is the
author of the just-published, “The Scattered Tribe:
Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti
& Beyond” (Globe Pequot Press), as well as “A Travel
Guide to Jewish Europe, 3rd edition,” “A Travel
Guide to Jewish Russia and Ukraine,” and “A Travel
Guide to the Jewish Caribbean and South America”
(Pelican Publishing Company).
http://www.amazon.com/The-Scattered-Tribe-Traveling-Diaspora/dp/0762770333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337002629&sr=8-1


Page 30 THE JEWISH PRESS Friday, June 29, 2012

“No matter what, you’ve come to the right place!”

That’s just one message on the website of a

Chabad-Lubavitch Center, one of thousands known

to welcome travelers not only in the U.S. but in a

global network that reaches, for example, in more

than 16 countries in Asia, including such far-off destinations

as Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

Ask any frequent traveler on business or pleasure

and he/she will tell you, “Chabad is everywhere,” including

six of the seven world continents. Global indeed,

with about 3,300 institutions world-wide in

more than 75 countries.

Just a few years ago, stranded as I was on Passover

in Ho Chi-minh City (formerly Saigon), Vietnam

where I was researching my recent book, The

Scattered Tribe: Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba

to India to Tahiti & Beyond (Globe Pequot Press),

I turned to Chabad which I knew welcomes Jews

wherever they might be, especially in an exotic land.

Of all the Jewish holidays, Passover remains

the one where you don’t want to fi nd yourself in a

strange land with strange customs and strange language.

But it happens. True to form, Rabbi Menachem

Hartman invited my wife and me to the Seder

where I met American and French Jewish expats,

Israelis, and Jews from many lands. Even though

I was with total strangers, the rabbi made us feel

like we were one big family as we read the Haggadah.

Before we started the second half of the Seder,

the rabbi asked each of us to talk about the most remarkable

Seders in our lives, where and when they

occurred. He assured me I would never forget this

Seder and meal in Saigon. He was right.

The above incident happens every day and night

some place in the world to many Jewish travelers.

After all, it has been said, American Jews are one of

the most traveled ethnic groups in the U.S.

Speaking of Passover, about 1,200 people are

known to attend the Chabad-sponsored Passover

Seder in Cuzco, Peru, the home of the Incas and destination

of hundreds of Israeli backpackers and tourists

who use this mountain city as base for their trek

to Machu Piccu, a wonder of the world. According

to one blogger, it took 15 chefs, 30 hired hands, and

170 security agents to prepare for the Cuzco Seder.

And in Kathmandu, Nepal, a reported 1,500 Israeli

tourists attended one of the largest Passover

Seders in the world.

One does not have to travel to Vietnam or Russia

or India or Thailand or Brazil to partake of Chabad

hospitality. In Florida, where many New York area

residents winter in this environment of swaying palm

trees and warm ocean breezes, the state boasts 153

Chabad facilities. Many fi nd a welcome, whether it

be for daily services, Shabbat meal, or a high holiday.

Rabbi Sholom Ciment, director of Chabad-

Lubavitch of Greater Boynton Beach, Fl., and head of

the 15,000 sq. ft. Chabad campus with a mikveh and a

10 sq. mi. eruv, located at 10655 El Clair Ranch Road,

Boynton Beach, Fl., said that he gets about 25 calls

a week from out-of-towners who ask questions about

“times of services, shopping, eruv and local sleeping

accommodations. Added to the inquiry list might be

such subjects as real estate and available-communities

within walking distance of the synagogue.”

Sometimes, according to Rabbi Ciment, visitors express

needs that are “are beyond our scope of expertise,

such as, ‘mental counseling.’” Some of these on occasion

are referred to Jewish Family Services, he explained.

He pointed out that “young people traveling here

are often visiting family members who are not at the

same level of observance as they are, so they do inquire

about local host families and shopping for kosher

products.”

Even as far back as the late 1970s, when traveling

to Brazil it was a pleasant surprise to fi nd a

Chabad house in Sao Paulo, where I spent time interviewing

Rabbi Shabsi Alpern and noting that under

his leadership, Chabad now has grown to nearly

20 Chabad centers in Sao Paulo.

Well-known is the fact that Chabad houses in various

parts of the world often served as a meeting place

for Israeli backpackers who travel to India, for instance.

It is reported that a higher percentage of Israelis have

visited India than people from any Western country.

Chabad House Delhi – Chabad Lubavitch of India

– provides meals, advice and prayer services. When

travelers lose money or documents (as sometimes

happens), Chabad offers a sympathetic ear, more

than a cold embassy offi ce. The rabbis of Chabad,

though they focus on their respective Jewish communities,

are known for their willingness to help prac-

Da tically and spiritually the often-troubled tourist. In

a visit to Chabad House Delhi, where I was greeted

by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Sharf and his wife, Debbi,

I met Israeli and American tourists, who told me

they considered this facility “their home in Delhi.”

Closer to home, Ed Robin and his wife, Bree, of Croton-

on-Hudson, N.Y. who are members of Chabad of the

Rivertowns, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., say when they travel

they visit Chabad Centers and “the door is always open,”

and that goes for cities from Denver to Venice. In this

case, “because of our Chabad linkage from our hometown,

it’s a welcoming community wherever we go.”

Commenting on Chabad hospitality, Allan Coplin

of Boynton Beach, Fl, who frequents Chabad of Boca

Raton, Fl, and whose son, Michael, visits Chabad

centers whenever he travels, said that “Chabad

wants Jews to be exposed to Judaism.”

According to Rabbi Ceient, it is a uniform policy

not to ask visitors to donate or pay anything when

they visit Chabad. “We want each and every Jew to

feel welcome at all times, regardless of fi nancial circumstances,”

he said. “Hospitality is our goal, but in

a realistic world, we do rely heavily on donations. We

do have a membership drive, but it is not mandatory.

Again, we want all Jews to feel welcome with

our open door and we hope they have an open heart

when it comes to their support of us…We welcome

all with an outstretched arm and a warm smile.”






Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Ben G. Frank, author of the Scattered Tribe Interviewed in Jewish Journal, Ft. Lauderdale,

Local author visits world's exotic Jewish communities

  • Author Ben G. Frank of Boynton Beach admires the amulet known as a hamsa and used by Jews and Arabs, on the door of a home in Essaouira, Morocco.
Author Ben G. Frank of Boynton Beach admires the amulet known as a hamsa and… (Submitted photo )
July 2, 2012|By David A. Schwartz, Staff Writer
Ben G. Frank's wanderlust and curiosity about Jews in far-away, exotic places has taken him throughout Europe and to Cuba, India, Vietnam, Myanmar (Burma), Morocco and Tahiti.
In "The Scattered Tribe: Traveling the Diaspora from Cuba to India to Tahiti & Beyond," Frank, a Boynton Beach resident, writes about his travels and the Jews he has met along the way. "I never tell people where to go," Frank, 78, said. "My job is to write about Jews in these countries and I do." He said he used to write about synagogues and restaurants until he realized that when Jews travel, they want to go to Jewish communities and meet fellow Jews.
Frank said he is not surprised to find Jews in almost every country he visits. "Jewish history tells us there's been a wide dispersion," he said. "It's kind of like threads. The Diaspora has threads and Jews move around the world."
But Frank said that when he decided to visit Tahiti, he wasn't sure that he would find any Jews living there. He said he did some research and learned that Tahiti has about 250 Jews and a synagogue.
Frank first visited Cuba in 1991. Now, only about 1,100 to 1,200 Jews remain there, he said. "We almost lost a generation there. Seeing kids in the Sunday school in Cuba is amazing after all these years."
Frank has been to 88 countries but he doesn't have a favorite. "They're all different in a way," he said. He would like to return to France, where he has been many times, and to Paris. "It's one of the most beautiful cities in the world," he said.
He also wants to return to Japan, which he has visited twice. "Japan has an interesting culture," Frank said, and is of greater interest now that he has traveled throughout Asia.
The Asian continent is a very important place for Jews to visit because they never learned about its Jewish history, Frank said. Jews have been in India for 2,000 years and at one time about 400,000 Jews lived there, he said. Today, about 5,000 Jews live in India with about 4,000 living in Mumbai, formerly Bombay, he said.
Frank said he has never been to Australia and New Zealand. "There's a really good Jewish community there," he said. "Then I could really have covered the large Jewish centers in the world."
Juan J. Walte, 72, a retired journalist who lives in Boynton Beach, said he liked "The Scattered Tribe." "You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy it," he said. "It's pretty general and the history of each place is fascinating. It's a good travelogue."
Walte called Frank "the modern wandering Jew." He went back to his ancestral city, Odessa, and followed his aunt's trip on the Trans Siberian Railroad to China, Walte said.
Walte said he made about 15 trips to Cuba from the late 1970s to mid-1990s as a reporter for USA Today and the wire service United Press International but learned about the Ashkenazi and Sephardi backgrounds of Cuba's once thriving Jewish community from the book.
David Trachtman