The development of Chinese Jews

1940, the Jewish population in China was estimated to be 36,000. Spanish Jews who originally came from the Middle East and went through India and Hong Kong to do business all operated some powerful foreign firms in Shanghai and enjoyed considerable social status. Later, a large number of Jewish refugees came from Russia, which made the status of Jews in Shanghai decline.

19 17 After the Russian Revolution, thousands of Russian Jews (many of whom were anti-* *) moved to Harbin in the northeast of China with Orthodox Christians. These include the grandfather and parents of the Israeli Prime Minister and the family of the Russian Prime Minister.

World War II: Another wave of 65,438+08,000 Jewish immigrants entered Shanghai from Germany, Austria and Poland in 1960s and 1930s. At that time, Shanghai was an open city and tolerant of all kinds of immigrants. 1943, the Japanese occupation forces demanded that the18,000 Jews, officially known as stateless refugees, be resettled in an area of 3/4 square miles in Hongkou District, Shanghai. The total number of Jews who entered Shanghai during this period was equal to the total number of Jews who went to Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand and South Africa. Many Jews in China later went to create a modern Israeli state.

During the Holocaust, Shanghai became an important refuge for Jewish refugees because it was one of the few places in the world that did not need a visa.

During their stay in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, China, Jews provided a lot of help to the people of China. For example, Dr. jacob rosenfeld helped the army of the production party as a battlefield doctor, Morris Cohen became Sun Yat-sen's bodyguard, and many famous Jewish businessmen living in Hong Kong provided charitable donations to China refugees during the war.

At the end of the war, Nazi representatives put pressure on the Japanese army and made a plan to destroy the Jews in Shanghai, which was learned by the leaders of the Jewish community. The war was over before the Japanese put it into practice.

The second half of the 20th century: After World War II, the People's Government was established in China from 65438 to 0949. Most Jews immigrated to Israel or the West, and only a few stayed. It is worth noting that after the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), two of the most famous foreigners living in China who sympathized with the Communist Party of China (CPC), Sha Boli and israel epstein, were of Jewish descent. Sarah Emas, a Jewish immigrant who grew up in China, became the first Jewish immigrant from China to Israel after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

2 1 century: Today, 15 synagogues for Jewish expatriates and local Jews have been built in various cities in China.

In 2005, the Israeli Embassy in China held a Hanukkah celebration at the Great Wall.