One of the most interesting chapters of Shanghai’s short but fascinating history is the Jewish story. In the 1840s, Iraqi Jews who’d made fortunes in India increased them in Shanghai and laid a foundation that catapulted the sleepy Huangpu River town to the forefront of trade. In the beginning of the twentieth century Russian Jews fled anti-semitism, founding new working-class communities in Harbin and further south in Shanghai. Finally, between 1937 and 1941, Shanghai’s open-port allowed over 20,000 European Jews seeking refuge from Nazi Germany. During this period, more Jews found sanctuary in China than in any other country in the world.
It was in Shanghai’s Hongkou district that many of the Russian Jews already lived and it was here that the Japanese, under pressure from their Nazi alliance, interned the newly arrived “stateless refugees” from Europe. While not imprisoned, over 20,000 men, women and children were thrust into an already over-crowded neighborhood and blocked from leaving without proper papers. What had once been called “Little Vienna” for it’s thriving community became known as the Jewish Ghetto.
I recently took one of Mr. Dvir Bar-Gal’s Jewish Heritage walking tours through the former Ghetto. What follows is a brief description of where we went and what we saw. But it’s just a taste. Mr. Bar-Gal’s intimate knowledge of Shanghai’s Jewish history makes a tour with him a must-do. Contact him at his website Shanghai Jews to inquire about booking a tour.
