Jewish diaspora history is rich with examples of entrepreneurship. Research on diaspora entrepreneurs has mostly concentrated on their foreign activities and certain ethnic attributes. Less attention has been paid to the common social capital provided by religion and religious activities and organisations. However, opportunity exploration and exploitation rely heavily on social capital and ties that permit recognition of novel information and access to supporting resources. The purposes of this study are to explore the influence of religion on Jewish diaspora entrepreneurship and to examine whether religion can create a springboard effect for international opportunity exploration and exploitation. This qualitative study focuses on Jewish entrepreneurs and the nascent phase of their venturing in China.