Biography of the Jews in Shanghai

Shanghai witnessed three large-scale Jewish immigrations, all closely tied to the political context of the era. The first group was British Sephardic Jews. The most renowned was the Sassoon family,. Following the East India Company’s expansion, they arrived in Hong Kong in the early 1840s, then settled in Shanghai and gained huge business success, attracting numbers of other Sephardic Jews. Half a century later, Russian Jews came to Shanghai. Most were exiles fleeing domestic political turmoil, not pure refugees. First settling in Hongkou, then moving to the French Concession. They built Ohel Moshe Synagogue in 1902. From 1933 to 1937, European Jews came. After the 1938 Kristallnacht, a massive wave of refugees fleeing Nazi brutality followed. Thanks to three East Asian diplomats’ help and Shanghai’s unique visa-free policy, the city became a rare safe haven. In 1943, Japan set up the "Shanghai Ghetto" in Hongkou, confining about 20,000 Jewish refugees in one square mile until 1945.

Important‼️ Many Shanghai travel agencies and guides offer Jewish-themed tours, but I do this for two key reasons: 1. Jewish history in Shanghai ≠ only the European Jewish refugee history. The refugee period was short and not the whole story. It is ungentlemanly to focus only on refugees just to make visitors feel grateful. 2. No one has yet clearly presented the full, logical history of Jews in Shanghai with its key architectural sites. So I will create this complete tour. Tour Sequence 1. Architectural Remains of the Early Sephardic Jewish Period (1840s–1910s) 2. Sephardic Tycoons and Urban Landmarks of the Golden Age (1910s–1930s) 3. Influence of Russian Jews on the French Concession (Late 19th Century–1949) 4. European Jewish Refugees During WWII (1930s–1945) Notes Ohel Moshe Synagogue stops admitting visitors before 4 pm. If starting late, follow reverse order: visit the WWII refugee area first.