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JWR VerifiedFounding RecordJWR-2026-000290

Oldest Active Synagogue in China

Record holder

Ohel Leah SynagoguePlace

Record value

8 April 1902

Holder country: ChinaAchievement location: Hong Kong, ChinaAchievement date: 8 April 1902Current record

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Verified by Jewish World RecordsHow we verify records

Ohel Leah Synagogue in Hong Kong, China

Ohel Leah Synagogue in Hong Kong — the oldest active synagogue in China.Wikimedia CommonsSourceCC BY-SA 3.0

Official record definition

The oldest synagogue building in China that remains in active Jewish religious use, measured by its documented formal opening date.

Measurement methodology

Comparative review of documented synagogue buildings in China, using Hong Kong heritage authorities, the Jewish Historical Society of Hong Kong and Ohel Leah institutional history. For the record value, JWR uses the documented formal opening date rather than the earlier foundation-stone or construction year.

Measurement point: Formal opening ceremony of the synagogue building.

Record story

Ohel Leah Synagogue was established by Hong Kong's Sassoon family as a permanent home for the city's growing Jewish community. The foundation stone was laid in May 1901, and the new synagogue formally opened on 8 April 1902. The building survived the Japanese occupation and later underwent a major conservation project that received international heritage recognition. Hong Kong heritage authorities describe Ohel Leah as the only surviving Jewish prayer house still in active use in China. JWR therefore frames the record nationally, with Hong Kong identified as the achievement city and China as the country. The record value uses the exact formal opening date rather than the construction year, producing a clear and repeatable chronology standard.

Media

How JWR verified this record

Verification date
4 October 2026
Verification standard
JWR Verification Standard 1.0

Achievement evidence

The Jewish Historical Society of Hong Kong records that Ohel Leah's foundation stone was laid in May 1901 and that the formal opening ceremony took place on 8 April 1902. Hong Kong heritage authorities identify the building as the only surviving Jewish prayer house still in active use in China.

Superiority evidence

The Hong Kong Antiquities Advisory Board describes Ohel Leah as the only surviving Jewish prayer house still in active use in China. This directly supports the national-scope record 'Oldest Active Synagogue in China'.

Jewish Eligibility — Verified by JWR

Jewish eligibility verification

Evidence establishing that the holder qualifies as Jewish for JWR purposes.

  • Our History — Ohel Leah Synagogue

Achievement / record verification

Evidence establishing that the holder achieved the result and holds the record as defined.

  • The Ohel Leah Synagogue Hong Kong — Jewish Historical Society of Hong Kong
  • Our History — Ohel Leah Synagogue

Superiority / counter-candidate verification

Evidence comparing the result with other candidates relevant to the record claim.

  • Historic Building Appraisal — Ohel Leah Synagogue — Antiquities Advisory Board, Hong Kong

Jewish eligibility, achievement and superiority evidence retain their separate classifications and are never merged. Context and provenance are not presented as proof of the achievement. Restricted evidence and internal research notes are never published. Learn more about the seven-stage process on the verification page.

Sources & Verification

  • The Ohel Leah Synagogue Hong Kong

    Independent publicationJewish Historical Society of Hong Kong· 2016

    What this proves: Documents that the foundation stone was laid in May 1901 and that a formal opening ceremony for Ohel Leah was held on 8 April 1902.

  • Our History

    Official recordOhel Leah Synagogue

    What this proves: Documents foundation in 1901, completion/dedication in 1902 and near-continuous use.

  • Historic Building Appraisal — Ohel Leah Synagogue

    Official recordAntiquities Advisory Board, Hong Kong

    What this proves: States that Ohel Leah was built in 1901 and is the only surviving Jewish prayer house still in active use in China.

  • Ohel Leah Synagogue image — Wikimedia Commons

    Institutional archiveWikimedia Commons

    What this proves: Provides the licensed record-specific hero image of Ohel Leah Synagogue.

  • Ohel Leah Synagogue

    Independent publicationHong Kong Development Bureau — Heritage Fiesta

    What this proves: Confirms historic-building status and that it is the only purpose-built synagogue ever constructed in Hong Kong.

  • Ohel Leah Synagogue coordinate location

    Independent publicationWikidata

    What this proves: Published coordinate location for the physical synagogue site: 22.281861, 114.148833.

History

  1. Publishedv1

    Published to the official JWR registry.

  2. Verified

    Verified according to JWR Verification Standard 1.0.

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