By Chime Tenzing
Dharamsala – His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited the Aadas Israel Congregation Synagogue in Washington yesterday and met with the congregation’s worshippers. The Tibetan leader shared amusing stories of Israeli tourists who flood into India, where he has been living in exile since he fled Tibet in 1959.
The congregants were just in the middle of doing Kiddush – the ceremonial benediction over wine in honor of the holiday – when the Dalai Lama entered the sukkah.
He told the crowd he has “a lot to learn from the Jews” who were in exile for generations. He said he would like to learn how the Jews survived so long in exile as an example for his own Tibetan people, who have been in exile for 50 years.
The Dalai Lama amusedly told the worshippers that the largest group of tourists who visit his exile residence in Dharamsala are Israelis.
The relationship between the Tibetan spiritual leader and the congregants at the largest Conservative synagogue in the American capital started a few months ago when Rabbi Gil Steinlauf officiated the wedding of Tibet supporter and friend of the Dalai Lama, Leslie Friedel.
Policy strategist Steve Rabinowitz, the Dalai Lama’s press advisor in Washington and an Adas Israel congregant, helped the Tibetans book a hall at the synagogue for the Tibetan leader to address 400 Tibetan exiles living in Washington area.
Rabinowitz said that the date requested turned out to be the holiday of Shemini Atzeret, the end of the Sukkot holiday. Arrangements were made for the Tibetans to enter through a separate entrance so as not to disturb the congregants who came to worship for the holiday.
