Perhaps you have heard about a town where the threads of tradition meet the pulse of modernity. This is our first stop: Zhitang. Zhitang is more than just a name on a map. It is a vibrant tapestry woven from threads of history and ambition.
Zhitang sits within Shanghai. Shanghai was once a city of stark contrasts. Wealth and poverty lived side by side. Some of the earliest British residents in Shanghai were Jewish people from the Middle East. A few Baghdadi families became very wealthy. They joined Shanghai’s financial elite.
The Sassoons, Kadoories, and Hardoons were among them. Poorer Baghdadi Jewish families later fled conscription from the Ottoman Turkish army. By the 1930s, their community numbered nearly 1,000. They gathered at the Ohel Rachel synagogue. Their children attended the Shanghai Jewish School.
Another Jewish community came from Russia. They were refugees fleeing Tsarist anti-Semitism. Later, they escaped revolutionary upheaval and Stalinist terror. They were more numerous. However, they were not as wealthy as the Baghdadi Jews. The Ohel Moishe synagogue served this Ashkenazi community.
During the early 20th century, the Japanese became the largest foreign group. In 1937, they battled the Chinese army in Shanghai. Fighting lasted for months, destroying parts of Hongkou district. By 1938, the Japanese controlled customs, post, and telegraph.
From 1933 to 1938, about 130,000 Jews left Germany due to Nazi persecution. By the end of 1937, only about 300 had reached Shanghai. Shanghai was considered the least desirable destination.
In March 1938, Germany annexed Austria. Violence against Jews erupted in Vienna. An international conference failed to assist Jewish emigration. No nation welcomed Jewish refugees.
In November 1938, Kristallnacht saw attacks on Jewish synagogues and businesses. Thirty thousand men were sent to concentration camps. A ticket out of the country could free them. By 1939, German Jews fled at four times the previous rate. Shanghai became an acceptable refuge for thousands.
Chinese Consul-General Ho Feng-Shan in Vienna issued visas to Jews. These visas helped them get passports and tickets out of Germany.
Now, Zhitang stands as a testament to resilience. It reflects Shanghai’s dynamic spirit. It echoes with stories of those who sought shelter here. This town is a place where past and future intertwine. Zhitang beckons us to explore its layers and discover its enduring spirit.