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In Burma, where 90 percent of the population is Buddhist, there is a tiny Jewish community and a 19th century Sefardi synagogue. Musmeah Yeshuas (Salvation of Joshua), with a blue Magen David at the entrance and located in the heart of the Muslim district in Yangon (formerly Rangoon), was built in 1854 out of wood and rebuilt by stone in 1896 but has not had a rabbi since 1969.

The Jewish community dates back to the mid-19th century, when Jewish merchants and teak traders came to the country from Iran, Iraq, and India, according to Moses Samuels, who maintains the synagogue. His family came from Iraq originally. "Before World War II, there were approximately 3,000 Jews in the country but most of them left during the war," Samuels explained.

Today, there are only 20 Jews living in Burma and the eight Jews in Yangon are not enough to hold a minyan. There have been diplomatic relations with Israel, and the Israeli ambassador spends high holidays at the synagogue. In this Buddhist country, Jews, along with Hindu, Muslims, and Christians, are minorities but there is no negative attitude toward religious minorities in Burma. Asked whether it is possible to keep kosher, they try to keep "close to kosher" -- although it is not possible to keep strictly kosher. For example, they buy meat from Muslim butcher because the halal cuts are similar to the ones from kosher butchers.

Samuels and his son, Sammy, manage a travel agency called Myanmar Shalom. They design and arrange land tours for foreigners to visit pagodas and historical monuments in Mandalay, Bagan, Inlay Lake, and other cities as well as Yangon.

"The more tourists come to Burma, the better off we are," said Sammy, who works from New York City. Despite the political sanctions, Burman has always attracted tourists from the U.S., France, and Israel, Sammy said. Sammy graduated from the Yeshiva University in Washington Heights with a BA in international business and information systems in May 2006. He was not only the very first Burmese national but also the very first Asian to graduate from the school.

I recently spent 11 days in Burma including a five-day package tour covering Bagan and Mandalay arranged by the company. Bagan was the most unique place I visited, providing an illusion of entering medieval Asia with countless temples spread in the field. There are a number of golden pagodas and historical temples in Mandalay. Horse carriage rides are just perfect to visit those sites in the country at the right pace. The political mood was not as tense as anticipated, but the country's economy has become worse since I visited 10 years ago and the citizens are clearly alienated from the government. I arrived in Yangon a day before the Independence Day on Jan. 4. In the People's Square across from my hotel in Yangon, only government officials and foreign dignitaries by invitation were allowed to enter the park with strict military guards.

As traffic was closed around the park, I had to walk out of the hotel passing several groups of gun-toting soldiers in order to visit residential quarter, where citizens are celebrating the Independence Day on their own. Such community events start with a community breakfast and welcome various children's sports programs. "We used to march with them (participating in the government program) and listen to speeches (by government officials) but we don't care about them anymore. We prefer to celebrate the Independence Day with our children in our community," said one resident, as my guide translated. There are economic gaps between ordinary citizens and a handful of the elites who can shop at newly built shopping malls and live in new condominiums and expensive gated communities.

Many Americans are concerned that their donations would end up in the hands of the leaders of the junta. However, there are ways for foreigners to donate to bypass the government. One way is to donate and sponsor a monk and nun's meals. A German woman donated $224 and sponsored a meal for 100 Buddhist nuns in Yangon. In a monastery outside Mandalay, a list of foreign donors was found among Burma donors who sponsored monks' meals.

"Burma is a beautiful country," Sammy said. He spent two years at Kibbutz Magan Michael in Israel studying Hebrew after his graduation from high school in 1998. "I can easily leave Burma and go to Israel or live in the U.S. but I would not do so," Sammy said. He feels much responsibility, even pressure, to stay in Yangon and support the tiny Jewish community and the synagogue.

Kinue Weinstein is a native Japanese speaker and contributes travel columns and recipes to The Jewish State. She currently resides in New Providence.