TEL AVIV - In January The Jewish Press ran an interview with Ilana Skolnik, a former beauty queen of South Africa ("Miss South Africa's Journey to Judaism," Jan. 19). Equally amazing is the story of Ilana and Naaman Skolnik's adopted daughter, 29-year-old Devorah Leah - born in China as Xing Xing.

A savvy business and computer professional, Devorah Leah Shkolnik (she took the name Skolnik but insists on writing it "Shkolnik" because this is the way it is pronounced in Hebrew) is the CEO of Israel-China Ltd., which serves as a bridge between the Israeli and Chinese business communities.

Devorah Leah told The Jewish Press that from the time she was a child she had felt different, but in a way she could never pinpoint. She would look at herself in a mirror and say, "The image I see in the mirror is not the person inside me."

Her life changed several years ago when she was sent to Shanghai to take charge of an Israeli project there.

"In the course of my working with these Israelis," she says, "I discovered that they don't work on Sabbath, don't eat everything, and walk around with their head covered with a piece of cloth even during very important meetings. This was very strange to a Chinese and I asked them why they do it.

"Gradually, I discovered more and more about my Israeli friends, I learned about Sabbath, kosher food, a kippa and God. One who grows up in China never hears of the concept of God, and now it caught my interest more and more. My Israeli friends were unable to answer my questions about God, so I started searching for the answers on my own via the Internet.

One of her questions arose after she looked at a map and saw how close Egypt was to Israel: "So why in the world did the Jews have to wander 40 years in the desert to get to Israel if it was so close?" She puzzled over the question.

"I found out about the Chabad emissary in Shanghai, Rabbi Sholom Greenberg, and I e-mailed him about my questions and also about wanting to become Jewish. But he said that it is forbidden for him in China to speak about these things and he refused to help me.

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"Four years ago, during one of my trips to Israel, I told my friends that I want to learn about Judaism and they figured that the best person to understand me would be Ilana Skolnik, who herself went through a conversion process. She is the person who changed my life and still does to this very day.

"At first she tried to discourage me from conversion ["I did to her what the Rabbinate did to me," Ilana told The Jewish Press.] She told me it will be very hard for me and I'm better off without becoming a Jew.

"I thought a lot about what she told me.

"On Passover 2003 I arrived to the Chabad House in Shanghai to participate in a seder. The guard at the door asked to see my passport and said that the seder is only for foreigners; Chinese citizens are not allowed to participate, and she didn't let me in. I cried the whole way out. The rabbi came over to me and apologized - 'But I can't help you, I'm sorry,' he said.

"I continued my correspondence via the Internet with Ima, and in the year 2004 I came to Israel, telling Ima and Saba I want to learn about Judaism. They arranged that for me. I opened a file at the Rabbinate and started learning about Judaism in Machon Meir in Jerusalem.

"I was learning about the Jewish faith, Torah, halochos, and I always felt as if it weren't enough. I was hungry and thirsty for more. I would take four to five buses to get from Herzliyah to Machon Meir in Jerusalem but that didn't deter me at all.

"Finally last year, a year from today on Yud Shevat, I immersed in the mikvah, becoming a Jewess, the happiest day in my life. I consider this day my birthday."

Devorah Leah's computer knowledge and familiarity with the Chinese business mentality led her to set up Israel-China Ltd., which helps Israeli companies penetrate the Chinese market. The company finds potential markets for Israeli and other international concerns interested in investing in China, and Chinese companies interested in investing globally. One of the companies that she has persuaded to invest in Israel is the Chinese computer giant, Neusoft.

Last week she returned from a business trip in China where she met with 20 company directors who are now considering investment in Israel. "The prospects look very good," she said.

With all this, Devorah Leah is basically a shy, Orthodox Jewish girl who wants to marry a Lubavitcher chasid.

Like Ilana before her, Devorah Leah encountered hardships and delays before the Rabbinate would accept her as a convert. However, she doesn't regret the wait and says the rabbis did the right thing. Asked why she thinks so, she replies, "Well a good thing is hard to get."