THE KADOORIES· INDIA CONTENTS P.04 Journey to the East ACKNOWLEDGMENT P.06 A Poetic Connection Dr. Shalva Weil P.08 Laying the Foundations Dr. Sarah Israel P.11 Good Karma Sir Elly Kadoorie School, Mumbai Sir Ellis Kadoorie School, Hong Kong P.12 Powering and Empowering Mr. Sharma Ved Prakash P.14 Above and Beyond for providing some of the photos and texts 04 Journey to the East Elly Kadoorie Ellis Kadoorie Lawrence Kadoorie Horace Kadoorie Some 2,000 years ago when the families, who were related by He arrived in Hong Kong in May 1880 Romans destroyed the Second marriage, were merchant farmers, and was joined by his brother Ellis Temple in Jerusalem and the Jews currency for trade in those days being (later Sir Ellis) in 1883. were dispersed, some proceeded flocks of sheep. northwards, others turned west to In around 1911, Elly left for Shanghai Salonika, Morocco and Spain, whilst This ancient community prospered and to trade in rubber, and later also still others moved eastwards to form a sent its sons overseas to India, China, became involved in utilities, hotels, large community with its headquarters Europe and America. David Sassoon property, and wharves and docks in in Baghdad, Mesopotamia. arrived in Bombay in 1832. Following Shanghai as well as in Hong Kong. in the footsteps of his cousin, Elly Amongst the leading families of the Kadoorie (later Sir Elly) left for Baghdadi Jews were the Sassoons, Bombay in the late 1870s to work for Kadoories, Somechs, Sophers and E.D. Sassoon and Co. as a clerk for the David Sassoon Gubbays. The Kadoorie and Sassoon princely salary of 37 rupees per month. 06 A Poetic Connection The Kadoories’ Shanghai home, anchored at Woo Sung port near Before Sir Rabindranath’s departure, Marble Hall, was a hub of social Shanghai. When Lawrence arrived Elly promised to donate an artesian and charitable activities in the 1920s at the ship, he was taken to Sir well to Santineckitan, India, the and 1930s. In 1924, Elly Kadoorie Rabindranath’s cabin where he city of Sir Rabindranath’s birth. organised a reception at Marble Hall conveyed Elly’s invitation. The great In due course this promise was in honour of Sir Rabindranath Tagore, poet nodded, saying not a word, but to fulfilled and Santineckitan depended Bengali novelist, educator, poet and Lawrence’s surprise took the invitation on this artesian well for its main the first non-European Nobel Prize to include his twelve disciples, all water supply for many years. Elly winner. of whom accompanied him back to also gave considerable sums to the Marble Hall in complete silence. famous Tagore school in support This meeting came about after Elly Suddenly Sir Rabindranath exclaimed of Sir Rabindranath’s work for the instructed his young son Lawrence “pens, ink, paper!” which were duly rejuvenation of Indian culture, which (later Lord Kadoorie) to meet Sir produced. Sir Rabindranath later wrote was closely linked with the Jewish Sir Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath’s ship which was a poem in the Marble Hall guestbook national movement. to commemorate his stay. 08 Laying the Foundations Elly Kadoorie’s involvement in the Israelite school came about thanks to his links with the Anglo-Jewish Elly Kadoorie’s charitable philosophy Association and through a chance was that “wealth is a sacred trust meeting with the school headmistress, to be administered for the good of Rebecca Reuben. A well-known society”. He and his brother Ellis were Bene Israel educator, in 1905 Ms benefactors of schools, hospitals and Reuben became the first woman to other charitable institutions in the rank number one in the matriculation Middle East and Far East, including examination for Bombay University, India and Hong Kong. where she specialised in history its students for the matriculation and Hebrew. She went on to earn examination of the University of In 1875, Haeem Samuel Kehimkar a Teaching Diploma from London Bombay. founded the first Israelite primary University, and gave up a promising school in Mazagaon in Bombay, under career at Baroda University to become In 1932, Elly donated 150,000 rupees the auspices of the Bene Israelite Ms Rebecca Reuben (middle) and the headmistress of the Sir Elly towards the renovation of the school Benevolent Society for Promoting her students. Kadoorie High School between 1922 building. The school was renamed Education. The school was expanded and 1950. Sir Elly Kadoorie High School in Sir into an Anglo-vernacular secondary Elly’s honour and reopened in 1934. school in 1881, and further developed Today, the school continues to run as into a high school in 1892, training Sir Elly Kadoorie School, providing pre-primary, primary, secondary and junior college education for pupils from the many communities of Byculla-Mazagaon in Mumbai. Sir Elly Kadoorie (left) and Sir Vithal Chandvarkar, then Vice Chancellor of Bombay University. 10 Good Karma The Indian community is an integral for Indians which was opened in Horace Kadoorie (1st on left) and Lawrence Kadoorie (1st on right), pictured with Mother Teresa part of Hong Kong, with settlement 1916. The school was also the first (2nd on right) and other awardees. dating back to the nineteenth century. to introduce the Hindi and Urdu In Hong Kong’s early days, school languages to the curriculum. The Ramon Magsaysay Award was with government and farmers to facilities for Indian children were introduced in 1957 and pursues the promote rural welfare in Hong Kong. inadequate. In response to the Indian Today, the school operates as Sir mission of "honouring greatness of In the same year, Mother Teresa community’s petition to the authorities Ellis Kadoorie School and continues spirit in selfless service to the people of received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for improvements in 1912, Ellis to serve the Indian community, but Asia". Lawrence and Horace Kadoorie for International Understanding for her Kadoorie, brother of Elly, financed also teaches Chinese, Pakistani and (later Sir Horace) were conferred the work in founding hospitals, clinics and the construction of a new government Nepalese children as well as students 1962 Ramon Magsaysay Award for educational facilities for the needy in school – the Ellis Kadoorie School of other ethnicities. Public Service in recognition of their Calcutta, Delhi and other Indian cities. practical philanthropy in partnership 12 Powering and Empowering The Kadoorie Family is the largest policies for foreign investment, came Today, CLP is one of the largest CLP has implemented a wide range of shareholder of CLP, a leading as the company’s natural choice for foreign players in India’s electricity community initiatives, particularly in electricity supplier in Asia Pacific. expansion. CLP acquired a stake in the industry and the biggest wind project the areas of health and education, to Founded in Hong Kong, CLP has gas-fired Paguthan project in Gujarat developer. CLP is committed to help contribute to the well-being of the helped fuel the city’s development for in 2002, with full ownership a year increasing its renewable energy Indian people as the country continues more than a century. later. Since that time, the company portfolio and operational efficiency, to prosper. has developed a diversified generation with a view to bring light to millions In the 1980s, CLP ventured into the portfolio, amounting to approximately in the country in an affordable and Asia-Pacific region. India, being one 3,000MW in renewable energy, sustainable manner. of the largest markets with welcoming efficient coal and gas. 14 Above and Beyond In 2012, the Kadoorie-owned partnership will see operations company, Metrojet, signed a joint commence in Mumbai, with the venture agreement with Taj Air, part current Taj Air facility undergoing a of the Tata Group, to establish Taj substantial upgrade, whilst a larger, Air Metrojet Aviation. The company more comprehensive, facility is offers a range of maintenance and planned to be built at a later date. aviation management services to the India market. Taj Air Metrojet Aviation upholds the highest level of service and operational India, together with China, ranks excellence, and serves to further Contact Us amongst the world’s fastest growing cement the strong relationship between The Hong Kong Heritage Project (HKHP) is a non-profit organisation markets in business aviation. The the Kadoorie Family and India. established in 2007 to preserve history and promote heritage awareness in Hong Kong. It operates a public-access Archive and organises outreach programmes aimed to engage the public and educate youths. HKHP is sponsored by the Kadoorie Family, CLP and Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels. Address: 8 Laguna Verde Avenue, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong T: (852) 2678 8087 F: (852) 2678 8077 E: [email protected] www.hongkongheritage.org www.facebook.com/hongkongheritage 12.2014 .