Jewish History in China Stretches Back More Than A Millennium

By Li-rong Cheng, Ph.D

SAN DIEGO —  Some letters written in Hebrew dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) were found in the province of Shinjiang on the ancient Silk Road. This was the route that Jewish merchants from the Middle East traveled to China.

According to records, a large group of Jewish people traveled on Persian merchant ships and arrived in China in the year 998 (Northern Song Dynasty 960-1127). They then traveled through the city of Quanzhou and then Yangzhou and finally settled in the capital of Henan called Kaifeng.  In the city of Quanzhou (Fujian province), there are tombstones showing the Hebrew names supporting this record. In KaiFeng, they stayed in a district called Heshuen (Peace and Harmony) and the people at that time called the Jewish people “Blue Cap Hui Hui.”

They were given 17 Chinese names by the Emperor since he took a liking to the Jewish people and the following seven were the most used: Zhao, Ai, Li, Zhang, Shi, Jin and Gao. In addition, Zhang was also chosen.  The names were based on Jewish names, for example, Li for Levy, Shi for Sheba, and Ai for Adam.  These names which were bestowed upon them by the emperor helped them to assimilate into the Chinese culture. One particular Jew named Zhao Cheng-Ji was a government official and he funded the rebuilding of the KaiFeng synagogue in 1679.

Another record revealed Jewish settlement as early as 600 CE in the Tang Dynasty. In the year 1163 a synagogue was built in KaiFeng and then in 1279 the synagogue was enlarged.  At one point in time in the Ming dynasty the Jewish population in Kaifeng was over 5000 people. Unfortunately, a huge flood destroyed much of KaiFeng and the synagogue in 1850. The site of the synagogue is now the KaiFeng 4^th Hospital and the only evidence left is the old well.

Over the centuries, members of the Jewish community married indigenous Chinese people and assimilated into the Chinese society while preserving some Jewish traditions and customs. Currently, Kaifeng has only 100 practicing Jews.

Some Chinese Jews have immigrated to Israel and are now living in Jerusalem.

Currently, there are about 6000 Jews living in Shanghai and some are living in Beijing.  They are considered expatriates.  But the most notable period of Jewish settlement occurred during the Second World War when thousands of Jews had to escape from Europe and sailed mostly from Venice, across the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea and arrived in the Harbor of Shanghai. Shanghai was known as the Paris of the East and the Pearl of the Orient.

The Jewish refugees arrived on the Bund by the side of the Huang Pu River (the mother river of Shanghai) and settled in an area of Shanghai called HongKou under the close watch of the Japanese.  Many babies were born in the so-called Shanghai Ghetto, also known as Little Vienna.  Life was extremely difficult and many did not survive. Their Chinese neighbors welcomed them with open arms and many shared what little they had.  The Jews had parties, dances and celebrated their holidays and many kept their religious practices.

During this period, a few of the prominent Jews such as the Kadooris and Sassoons who previously had settled in Shanghai lent their helping hands. They helped to feed and house the Jewish community and provided social support.  A synagogue was built.  Schools and hospitals and clinics were also built.  Many stayed until 1949 when they left for the United States, Israel, and other countries.  Some stayed until 1953 to 1958.  The Kadooris, for example, built the world-famous Peninsula Hotel chain all over the world.  Their home in Shanghai, also called the Marble House, is now the Children’s Cultural Palace. This house was used to serve the Jewish community.

Some of their stories have now been shared.  A few documentaries have also been produced.  What is most amazing is that the old synagogue is now the Shanghai Jewish Museum which was recently remodeled and expanded. In the court yard, there is a wall with many of the names carved on slates.  This keeps the memory of the Jewish community alive.   Hundreds and thousands of tourists visit this museum.  Across the street from the museum is the White Horse Café which has kept many of the photos of the olden days.  One can walk down the memory lane and sip a cup of coffee and just take a moment to imagine what it was like then.

The Fairmont Peace Hotel located on 20 Nanjing East Road (the most famous address in Shanghai) overlooking the Huang Pu River on the Bund is a landmark in Shanghai.  This iconic hotel was a favorite with the local elites and foreign celebrities.  There is also a small exhibition on the second floor about the Jews in Shanghai.  The Peace Hotel was built in 1929 by Sir Victor Sassoon, a British Sephardic Jew of Iraqi origin.  It was named the Cathay Hotel.  The Bund, also known as the Wall Street of the East, was built by the British in the International Settlement.  The entire Bund is a museum of world architecture.  Many wealthy Jews lived in the International Settlement. By 1937, Shanghai lost the glamor it used to have.

I am fascinated by the stories of the Shanghai Jewish community.  I had the fortune to meet some the Jews who lived in Shanghai during WWII.  One lovely lady named Reni Biro shared her story with me.  She wrote a book entitled After the Rain detailing her years in Shanghai.  She passed away recently in La Jolla.  I will always keep her in my heart and I will always remember what she told me : “I am half Chinese.”

*
Li-Rong “Lilly” Cheng, Ph.D,  is director of the Chinese Cultural Center at San Diego State University and a professor of communicative studies.