Five years ago, sad news from Hong Kong reached Porto, on the day that B'nai B'rith International gathered in the city together with young Jewish leaders from forty nations, who were devastated. Lady Betty Kadoorie, of blessed memory, passed away on June 20, 2021 (10th of Tammuz of the year 5781). Her family, led by Sir Michael David Kadoorie, held a private funeral and memorial service. She left behind a prosperous and thriving family. The couple had three children, Natalie, Bettina, and Philip.

The epitaph that Sir Michael Kadoorie ordered to be placed on Lady Betty's grave in the Jewish cemetery of Hong Kong is so rich and moving that it speaks as much of the departed person as of the husband and children who remained. "I love your feet. They walked on the earth, the wind, and the water, until they found me."

A philanthropist and patron of the arts

An honored member of the Lusitano Club of Hong Kong, Lady Betty was internationally known as a dedicated philanthropist and patron of the arts. She was a prominent figure in global society, an influential force in both Eastern and Western philanthropic and cultural spheres, and a philanthropist and a trustee of the Kadoorie Charitable Foundation.
Alongside her husband, Sir Michael Kadoorie, she supported numerous educational, cultural, and medical initiatives globally, including a major trauma care facility at the University of Oxford and other projects across Asia.

She was also a vital board member and pillar of strength for the Chopin Society of Hong Kong. She played an instrumental role in sustaining and supporting the triennial Hong Kong International Piano Competition and the annual Joy of Music Festival, enriching the international classical music scene.

Jewish causes

Lady Betty and her husband continued the Kadoorie family's long-standing tradition of supporting their community. Members of the Kadoorie family are globally recognized as prominent Sephardic Jews with deep roots in Portugal, Amsterdam, London, Baghdad, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Their contributions span more than a century and include the magnificent Kadoorie synagogue in Porto.

The family saved tens of thousands of European Jews during World War II by sheltering them in Shanghai. It has generously funded educational scholarships and cultural preservation, including maintaining the heritage of Jewish communities in China through the Hong Kong Heritage. The family has provided extensive funding for Jewish institutions, from the Great Synagogue of Jerusalem to schools and hospitals in Baghdad and Bombay.

Lady Betty Tamayo Rodriguez Kadoorie was a prominent member of the Sephardic Synagogue “Ohel Leah” of Hong Kong, founded by the Spanish and Portuguese Congregation of London. The Castilian Inquisition persecuted the Jewish branch of the Tamayo family, while the Portuguese Inquisition dealt in its own way with the Jewish branch of the Rodriguez family that lived in Portugal between the reigns of King John II and King John III and later became part of the Portuguese Jewish community of Amsterdam.

Legacy of prosperity

“It was worth living,” Lady Betty could have said before she passed away. Anyone who knows her descendants sees in them the brilliance, quality and cultural dimension of their mother. The Kadoorie dynasty has continued its legacy of charity, work and prosperity. Her husband, Sir Michael, chairs the family's historic enterprises, including CLP Holdings, which supplies electricity to 80% of Hong Kong and The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, owner of the Peninsula Hotels. Her son, Philip Kadoorie, is actively involved in the family's businesses, serving on the boards of both the CLP Group and Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels. Her daughters, Natalie and Bettina are talented, cultured, and well-prepared for life that the world would benefit from if they were both ambassadors for humanity of the UN.

The Kadoorie Synagogue Does Not Forget Lady Betty

Last Shabbat, in the presence of the Israeli ambassador, a devout Jew who read the Maftir, the splendid atmosphere of unity experienced in the Kadoorie synagogue was a reminder of the late Lady Betty of blessed memory. Not by chance, the weekly Torah portion Naso provides a foundational blueprint for Jewish philanthropy, donor relations, and communal giving, as the text reflects modern philanthropic strategy, donor stewardship, and the ethics of giving. The act of giving creates a cycle where the donor is just as elevated and blessed as the recipient. Generosity dissolves scarcity mindsets and opens financial and spiritual flow for the entire community.