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Accompanied by my dear wife Kong Defang, the primary goal for my ninth and latest foray -- the 2004 U.S./Canada trip -- was to learn how to design a curriculum of courses on Jewish religion for the Department of Religious Studies at Nanjing University -- my new academic home. This transfer from the School of Foreign Studies to a newly established department followed my return from Israel after receiving an honorary doctorate from Bar-Ilan University in late May 2003. At the suggestion of the University President, I considered it a "natural" move (from Judaic studies to its core:  Judaism) although it may seem rare for someone my age to attempt such a transition.

One challenge is that now I will shift my pedagogy from Jewish history and culture to Jewish religion. Therefore, it becomes extremely important for me to discover ideas from abroad about university curricula and to generate support for the program. I felt quite fortunate and pleased when I received invitations from both Professor Martin Lockshin, Director of the Center for Jewish Studies, York University in Toronto, and Professor Nathan Katz, Chair of the Department of the Florida International University in Miami, to visit their institutions and share their knowledge and resources. Many discussions, among the three of us and with other interested professors, centered on teaching Judaism to non-Jews. I sat in more than 15 classes on religious subjects. By the time I returned to China, I had a full and varied selection of programs, syllabi, and materials on religious studies. All will be helpful in breaking this new ground of academic study -- promoting the study and teaching of Judaism -- in China.

As in previous trips (as when I traveled to 11 cities and gave 25 lectures during a six-week period last year), I again was invited to deliver a number of lectures. At the York University in Toronto, I lectured on "The Jewish Diaspora in Modern China" for a program sponsored by the annual "Leonard Wolinsky Lecture on Jewish Life & Education." This attracted more than 200 people although it was a cold wintry Sunday. As a scholar-in-residence, I spent two days with congregates of Temple Emanuel of Toronto and spoke to them on three different occasions. Many members of the congregation had traveled with me in China in 2003. It was great happiness to see them again in their synagogue. I felt so much at home.

During my Canadian visit, I was also invited to Winnipeg and spoke on "Relations between China and Israel since 1949" and "Chinese Policies towards Judaism" at the Jewish Community Center there. The lectures were co-sponsored with the Jewish Heritage Center by The Yunnan Project Hope of Canada, Inc. headed by Mr. Len Hew, who has provided scholarships for some Kaifeng Jewish descendents. Although we had never before met, we discovered much common ground for a very productive relationship.

In Miami, I lectured at four different sites: each attracting a large audience, before heading to and lecturing at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta, and then back north to Skidmore College in New York.

At the final stop of the whirlwind tour, the talk given at B'Nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim at Glenview (a Chicago suburb) turned out to be very special and personal. This is the synagogue of the Friend family. Tracy Friend, daughter of Beverly and the late Jim Friend and current vice president of the congregation, introduced me, and it was a natural evolution to relate my journey to Judaic studies which was so closely linked with the life I experienced living with the Friends in 1986. What a great moment, filled with reflection and warm memories.

My last appearance, on the eve of my departure, was before the Faculty and Friends of Hillel organized by the Citywide Faculty Program of the Hillels of Illinois. Although it was my third appearance before this organization, once again we had a full house. We watched the documentary "Minyan in Kaifeng" and discussed my filmed experience leading this group of 12 Jews as they set out for Kaifeng to initiate and experience a Shabbat with descendents of the 800-year-old Jewish community in 1997. Once again, it was a pleasure to see so many familiar faces and have another opportunity to share thoughts.

The entire trip was filled with adventure and excitement. In Toronto, we stayed at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Sarick, whom I had met in March 2003 when they traveled to China with a delegation of Temple Emanuel. As friends of York and the Center for Jewish Studies, they actually made the connection between me and the Center at York. Moreover, staying with them turned out to be a vast enrichment because in opening both their home and their hearts, the Saricks presented us with the opportunity to share their life. Their home is a museum of Judaic art. Besides paintings and sculptures, their fine collection of Judaica, from Torah scroll, Torah cases, Torah shields, scrolls of Esther, to Chanukah lamps really impressed us. I do not believe I have ever seen such a fine personal collection, and it was a wonderful forerunner of the more formal exhibit that Esther Sarick arranged, enabling me to fulfill my wish to visit the Royal Ontario Museum, while in Toronto. Thanks to her special arrangements, I was able to view the collection from the Kaifeng Jewish community, brought to Toronto by Bishop Charles White, who lived and served Kaifeng in the early 20th century. While scholars like me who study the history of the Kaifeng Jews are familiar with those items, it was still amazing to actually view and touch the originals -- to see evidence of the historical contacts between the Chinese and Jewish people.

We also made a special visit to Beth Tzedec Museum to view the renowned Judaica collection of Dr. Cecil Roth, particularly its unique Scroll of Esther illuminated with motifs taken from important Chinese symbols of good fortune and showing the figure of the executioner from the Purim story in the form of an archer. Much has been written about this scroll but nothing can compare with my satisfaction in seeing it. The Saricks' daughter-in-law, who always bakes her own challah bread for Sabbath, kindly taught my wife how to make it. Kong was very enthusiastic and learned so quickly that she baked two loaves for the Sabbath dinner. They tasted as delicious as they looked -- the best I ever ate! Of course, I beamed with pride. Our lives are enriched in so many ways!

I also took the opportunity to visit friends in order to generate support for our programs. In New York City Rabbi Arthur Schneier, President of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, and Dr. Alfred Gottschalk, former President of Hebrew Union College, and I discussed the development of programs for teaching Judaism in China. Rabbi Marvin Tokayer and I discussed the future of the Kaifeng Jewish descendents and possible assistance we might be able to provide for them.

I visited the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation to thank Mr. Baruch Tenembaum, Founder and President of the organization for arranging our stay in New York. Though I was not able to see Mr. Tenembaum because he was on his trip to South America, I was kindly met by his daughter, who is a senior official there. We discussed the possibility of setting up an office of IRWF in China.

When my wife and I visited Mr. and Mrs. Shalom Yoran at their home in Long Island, I reported on the progress of the translating his book, "The Defiant," into Chinese and asked him to write a preface for Chinese readers. Both my wife and I are involved in the project and hope that the Chinese version will see publication in 2004.

Over breakfast with Mr. Bernard Scharfstein, President of the KTAV Publishing House and publisher of my two books in English, we discussed the publication of my third book, on the history of Jewish Diaspora in Modern China. I hope the book will come out in 2005.

During a telephone conversation, Dr. Herbert Dobrinsky, Vice President of Yeshiva University, invited me to speak at Yeshiva, but regretfully my schedule did not permit it. He and I discussed a possible exchange program in future.

I also saw Professor Samuel Heilman at Queen's College and many other friends, such as Dr. Yiping Wan, Dean of Bagwell College of Education of Kennesaw State University, Dr. Cai Rong at Amony University, both my college mates, Irwin Berg and his wife, Lucille Gudis.

In Fort Lauderdale, I called on Dr. William Fern, an old friend and a great supporter of Jewish projects. He pledged to generate more support for our ongoing project of building the physical Center for Judaic studies at Nanjing University.

Dr. Zion Zohar, Associate Director of the Institute for Judaic and Near Eastern Studies, Sephardic/Oriental Studies Program, Florida International University, who arranged my speech at FIU, invited me to contribute an article about the Sephardic Jews in modern China to a book entitled "Sephardic Jewry-From the Golden Age of Spain to the Modern Times" which he will edit. It is a great honor to be invited, and I gladly accepted.

An interview with “The Canadian Jewish News" resulted in the publication of an article titled "Scholar Promotes Jewish Studies in China" on the front page of the January 22 issue. I was also interviewed and taped by Helen Freedman, President of the Americans for a Safe Israel as part of the TV program: "Israel Update" and Cynthia Zeiden for her "Safe Haven in China" project.