Jews in China during world war II

THE JEWS IN SHANGHAI

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While the Nazis were frenziedly persecuting and slaughtering Jews in
Europe over fifty years ago, some people upholding justice stood up
boldly to rescue the Jewish victims of Nazi terror. Raoul Wallenherg,
a prominent Swedish diplomat, saved thousands of Hungarian Jews by
distributing Swedish passports. Chinue Sugihara, Japan's consul in
Kaunas, Lithuania, granted transit visas for more than 2,000 Polish
Jews, enabling them to escape from the Holocaust. The true story told
by the film Schindler`s List is now known to all. However, at the same
time, the governments of many countries imposed strict restrictions on
the entrance of Jewish refugees. Especially after 1938, almost all
countries closed their doors to the desperate Jews. Their refusal to
accept those people struggling for survival on the verge of death was
tantamount to choking living beings.

Viewing what the non-Jewish world had been doing to Jews. In
retrospect, we, the people of Shanghai, are proud of the fact that
when all the civilized world closed its doors to Jewish refugees,
Shanghai provided a vital haven and every possible relief for them.
The authentic and vivid pictures of this Photo Gallery will tell
readers the unforgettable story about the Holocaust survivors in
Shanghai and also remind them of the unique history of the Jewish
community of Shanghai. From the middle of the 19th Century, Shanghai
served as a focus of Jewish immigration to China. By the end of the
1930s, Sephardic Jews, Russian Jews and Jewish refugees from Nazi
Europe in Shanghai amounted to over thirty thousand, forming the
largest Jewish community in the Far East. The community had its own
communal association, synagogues, schools, hospitals, clubs,
cemeteries, chamber of commerce, publications, active political groups
(especially Zionist parties).

Sephardic Jews immigrated to the city from British-ruled areas like
Baghdad, Bombay and Hong Kong as early as the second half of last
century. After entering Shanghai, they soon demonstrated their trading
capability and did very successful business. Among them, several
notable families like the Sassoons, the Hardoons and the Kadoories
became economically strong in Shanghai and even across China. Close
ties with international corporations and the financial centers of New
York and London enabled the Shanghai Jewish community to support a
wide range of political and cultural activities. In the period when
the European Jewish refugees swarmed into Shanghai, financial support
to them from both Shanghai Jewish business circles and American Jewish
organizations like JDC was abundant and vital.

Russian Jews came to make a living in Shanghai via Siberia and Harbin
after the pogroms and revolutions in Russia at the beginning of this
century. Most of them arrived in Shanghai with hardly any money and
struggled to open some small business. As time went by, through their
own endeavor, a number of Russian Jews became middle class, and with
their ever increasing number, far more than the Sephardic Jews, very
soon they were beginning to play an active role in the social life of
Shanghai.

There were many outstanding intellectuals and professionals among Jews
coming to Shanghai. Their influx infused the Shanghai Jewish community
with a singular level of creativity and variety. Enriched by their
contributions, the community organized active and vigorous
educational, recreational and sports activities. All the teachers and
students of Mir Yeshiva, a famous Yeshiva in Europe, some 400 in
number, miraculously survived the Holocaust and continued their
studies in Shanghai throughout the war. Particularly. Shanghai Jews
had extraordinary success in the print media. From 1903 to 1949, more
than fifty Jewish newspapers and magazines came out in Shanghai in
English, Russian, German, French, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Hebrew
and Yiddish. From 1939 to 1946, more than thirty German, Yiddish and
Polish newspapers and magazines were published by Jewish refugees in
Shanghai. This intellectual experience would not have even been
contemplated by them in their authoritarian countries of origin.

What is especially worth mentioning is the mutual respect, sympathy
and support between Shanghai Jews and Chinese people. In history, both
the Chinese and Jewish nations contributed so much to the civilization
of the world. And Chinese people experienced untold sufferings as
Jewish people did. Over 35 million Chinese were killed and wounded by
Japanese fascists during wartime. This same experience gave Chinese
people deep respect and sympathy for Jewish people. As early as April
24, 1920, in his letter to Mr.N.E.B.Ezra, one of the leaders of
Shanghai's Jewish community, Dr.Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Republic
of China, wrote: "All lovers of Democracy cannot help but support the
movement to restore your wonderful and historic nation, which has
contributed so much to the civilization of the world and which
rightfully deserves an honorable place in the family of nations. "Soon
after Hitler's anti-Semitic campaign started, Madame Sun Yat-sen
(Ms.Song Qingling) headed a delegation to meet with the German Consul
in Shanghai, and lodged a strong protest against Nazi atrocities. Her
delegation included all the important leaders of The China League for
Civil Rights: Dr.Cai Yuan-pei, Mr.Lo Shun, Dr.Lin Yu-tang and so on.
After the middle of the 1930s, Shanghai witnessed more and more
denunciations and protests against anti-Jewish outrages in Europe. The
indignation they expressed at German fascists was undoubtedly meant as
an inspiration to Chinese people who were strenuously resisting
Japanese fascists.

Likewise, Shanghai Jews also gave firm support to the Chinese
national-democratic movement and resistance against Japanese
aggression Besides the well-known Morris "Two-Gun "Cohen, who was a
faithful friend of the Chinese national-democratic cause, there are
some more examples. Mr.Hans Shippe, a writer and reporter from
Germany, was the first Jewish volunteer to fall in battle on China's
soil during her war against Japanese aggression. He left Shanghai and
joined the New Fourth Army in 1939. On November 30, 1941, several days
before Pearl Harbor, he died with a gun in his hand in an engagement
with Japanese troops in Yinan county, Shandong province. Chinese
people erected a monument for him near the battlefield. I should also
mention DrJacob Rosenfeld with deep respect. He came to Shanghai from
Austria as a Jewish refugee in 1939 and left Shanghai to join the
anti-Japanese war in 1941. He served in the ranks of the Communist-led
army for ten years, obtaining the highest rank as a foreigner of
Commander of the Medical Corps. Chinese people will never forget his
great contribution in helping resist Japanese aggression and establish
the People's Republic.

Half a century has passed. "Shanghai Jews" and their descendants are
now living in all parts of the world. But they still regard Shanghai
as their "homecity". Their energy, creativity and influence have gone
far beyond their number. Especially, they have become an important
force in promoting the development of the traditional friendship
between Chinese and Jewish people, between China and Israel, and
between two of the oldest civilizations in the world

For more info please click http://www.travel.5c.com

Most interesting. Thank you for this post.

"Lawrence Ling" wrote in message
...
| THE JEWS IN SHANGHAI
|
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------
------
|
| While the Nazis were frenziedly persecuting and slaughtering Jews in
| Europe over fifty years ago, some people upholding justice stood up
| boldly to rescue the Jewish victims of Nazi terror. Raoul Wallenherg,
| a prominent Swedish diplomat, saved thousands of Hungarian Jews by
| distributing Swedish passports. Chinue Sugihara, Japan's consul in
| Kaunas, Lithuania, granted transit visas for more than 2,000 Polish
| Jews, enabling them to escape from the Holocaust. The true story told
| by the film Schindler`s List is now known to all. However, at the same
| time, the governments of many countries imposed strict restrictions on
| the entrance of Jewish refugees. Especially after 1938, almost all
| countries closed their doors to the desperate Jews. Their refusal to
| accept those people struggling for survival on the verge of death was
| tantamount to choking living beings.
|
| Viewing what the non-Jewish world had been doing to Jews. In
| retrospect, we, the people of Shanghai, are proud of the fact that
| when all the civilized world closed its doors to Jewish refugees,
| Shanghai provided a vital haven and every possible relief for them.
| The authentic and vivid pictures of this Photo Gallery will tell
| readers the unforgettable story about the Holocaust survivors in
| Shanghai and also remind them of the unique history of the Jewish
| community of Shanghai. From the middle of the 19th Century, Shanghai
| served as a focus of Jewish immigration to China. By the end of the
| 1930s, Sephardic Jews, Russian Jews and Jewish refugees from Nazi
| Europe in Shanghai amounted to over thirty thousand, forming the
| largest Jewish community in the Far East. The community had its own
| communal association, synagogues, schools, hospitals, clubs,
| cemeteries, chamber of commerce, publications, active political groups
| (especially Zionist parties).
|
| Sephardic Jews immigrated to the city from British-ruled areas like
| Baghdad, Bombay and Hong Kong as early as the second half of last
| century. After entering Shanghai, they soon demonstrated their trading
| capability and did very successful business. Among them, several
| notable families like the Sassoons, the Hardoons and the Kadoories
| became economically strong in Shanghai and even across China. Close
| ties with international corporations and the financial centers of New
| York and London enabled the Shanghai Jewish community to support a
| wide range of political and cultural activities. In the period when
| the European Jewish refugees swarmed into Shanghai, financial support
| to them from both Shanghai Jewish business circles and American Jewish
| organizations like JDC was abundant and vital.
|
| Russian Jews came to make a living in Shanghai via Siberia and Harbin
| after the pogroms and revolutions in Russia at the beginning of this
| century. Most of them arrived in Shanghai with hardly any money and
| struggled to open some small business. As time went by, through their
| own endeavor, a number of Russian Jews became middle class, and with
| their ever increasing number, far more than the Sephardic Jews, very
| soon they were beginning to play an active role in the social life of
| Shanghai.
|
| There were many outstanding intellectuals and professionals among Jews
| coming to Shanghai. Their influx infused the Shanghai Jewish community
| with a singular level of creativity and variety. Enriched by their
| contributions, the community organized active and vigorous
| educational, recreational and sports activities. All the teachers and
| students of Mir Yeshiva, a famous Yeshiva in Europe, some 400 in
| number, miraculously survived the Holocaust and continued their
| studies in Shanghai throughout the war. Particularly. Shanghai Jews
| had extraordinary success in the print media. From 1903 to 1949, more
| than fifty Jewish newspapers and magazines came out in Shanghai in
| English, Russian, German, French, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, Hebrew
| and Yiddish. From 1939 to 1946, more than thirty German, Yiddish and
| Polish newspapers and magazines were published by Jewish refugees in
| Shanghai. This intellectual experience would not have even been
| contemplated by them in their authoritarian countries of origin.
|
| What is especially worth mentioning is the mutual respect, sympathy
| and support between Shanghai Jews and Chinese people. In history, both
| the Chinese and Jewish nations contributed so much to the civilization
| of the world. And Chinese people experienced untold sufferings as
| Jewish people did. Over 35 million Chinese were killed and wounded by
| Japanese fascists during wartime. This same experience gave Chinese
| people deep respect and sympathy for Jewish people. As early as April
| 24, 1920, in his letter to Mr.N.E.B.Ezra, one of the leaders of
| Shanghai's Jewish community, Dr.Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Republic
| of China, wrote: "All lovers of Democracy cannot help but support the
| movement to restore your wonderful and historic nation, which has
| contributed so much to the civilization of the world and which
| rightfully deserves an honorable place in the family of nations. "Soon
| after Hitler's anti-Semitic campaign started, Madame Sun Yat-sen
| (Ms.Song Qingling) headed a delegation to meet with the German Consul
| in Shanghai, and lodged a strong protest against Nazi atrocities. Her
| delegation included all the important leaders of The China League for
| Civil Rights: Dr.Cai Yuan-pei, Mr.Lo Shun, Dr.Lin Yu-tang and so on.
| After the middle of the 1930s, Shanghai witnessed more and more
| denunciations and protests against anti-Jewish outrages in Europe. The
| indignation they expressed at German fascists was undoubtedly meant as
| an inspiration to Chinese people who were strenuously resisting
| Japanese fascists.
|
| Likewise, Shanghai Jews also gave firm support to the Chinese
| national-democratic movement and resistance against Japanese
| aggression Besides the well-known Morris "Two-Gun "Cohen, who was a
| faithful friend of the Chinese national-democratic cause, there are
| some more examples. Mr.Hans Shippe, a writer and reporter from
| Germany, was the first Jewish volunteer to fall in battle on China's
| soil during her war against Japanese aggression. He left Shanghai and
| joined the New Fourth Army in 1939. On November 30, 1941, several days
| before Pearl Harbor, he died with a gun in his hand in an engagement
| with Japanese troops in Yinan county, Shandong province. Chinese
| people erected a monument for him near the battlefield. I should also
| mention DrJacob Rosenfeld with deep respect. He came to Shanghai from
| Austria as a Jewish refugee in 1939 and left Shanghai to join the
| anti-Japanese war in 1941. He served in the ranks of the Communist-led
| army for ten years, obtaining the highest rank as a foreigner of
| Commander of the Medical Corps. Chinese people will never forget his
| great contribution in helping resist Japanese aggression and establish
| the People's Republic.
|
| Half a century has passed. "Shanghai Jews" and their descendants are
| now living in all parts of the world. But they still regard Shanghai
| as their "homecity". Their energy, creativity and influence have gone
| far beyond their number. Especially, they have become an important
| force in promoting the development of the traditional friendship
| between Chinese and Jewish people, between China and Israel, and
| between two of the oldest civilizations in the world
|
| For more info please click http://www.travel.5c.com