Review
About the Exhibition "Memories of Shanghai"
Time:2010/10/15 10:05:30
On the occasion of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai and in order to provide an opportunity for visitors from all parts of the world to better understand the history of the European Jewish refugees in Shanghai, who lived in very good relations with the local Chinese during WWII, the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Shanghai will organise a series of events under the theme of "Remembering the Past and Creating a New Future" from March 1st to October 31st 2010. This series of events includes an exhibition, lectures, readings, documentary shootings, viewings and discussions.
During the early twentieth century until the 1940s, thousands and thousands of Jews fled to Shanghai to escape the upsurge of anti-Semitism and the Holocaust. They built friendly relations with the local Chinese and went through the hard times together with their Chinese friends and neighbors. Some of the Jewish refugees were born in Shanghai, some had their Bar Mitzvah at the Ohel Moshe Synagogue, some got married here and started families and others just struggled to get their lives in Shanghai on track again. By bringing their own culture with them, they influenced their oriental host city of Shanghai and were in turn influenced by Shanghai and by Chinese culture in general.
When they left Shanghai after the end of WWII, the Jews carried their memories for the city of Shanghai to places all over the world. Many years later a large number of them returned to Shanghai to visit their old friends and former residences full of memories for their childhood pals and their Shanghai "Amah" (nanny) and cherishing profound gratitude for the city. We are deeply indebted to the former Jewish refugees, relevant consulates in Shanghai, Jewish museums and other research institutions from whom we have since then received valuable exhibits and stories. We also appreciate the help from the former Chinese neighbours of the Jewish refugees who contributed information and exhibits as well. This exhibition will allow us to listen to the stories of over twenty former Jewish refugees and appreciate their memories for the city of Shanghai. The exhibition is a combination of life stories told through photos, videos and original documents and other objects.
