Greetings From Claire Hecht

Time:2020/3/2 17:25:13        

　　Time：2020/3/2 17:25:13

　　“Hi Kelly,

　　How your parents are doing? Are there problems in Shanghai too? I’m very worried about the virus situation in China now. Greetings to your parents and your family, the curator and the staff. I hope all of you are doing well. Take care!”

　　Claire Hecht

　　2/20/2020

　　Recently, Claire Hecht, who fled from Europe to Shanghai to escape the Holocaust, sent an email to her friends of Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum after she learned the spread of novel coronavirus in China.

　　In May 2019, Claire took an interview about her story in Shanghai by a volunteer from Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum at her home in Los Angeles. Claire Hecht and her family arrived in Shanghai by ship in March 1939. They then lived in British Concession, French Concession, and Hongkou district respectively. Claire met and fell in love with her husband, Herbert Sheftel, in Shanghai, and they held their wedding ceremony at Ohel Moshe Synagogue on Oct 24, 1943. After that Claire and her husband lived in a rental house, which was located at the cross of Zhoushan Rd and Huade Rd. Back when Japanese army took control of the city, there was big scarcity of food and goods in Shanghai, and their Chinese neighbors were very nice and offered lots of help to the them.

　　During the interview, Claire and her family expressed their gratitude for the generosity of Chinese people in Shanghai. She said she wouldn’t have made it through without their help.

　　She donated to the museum the medal she won in a Ping Pong game which was held in Shanghai in 1941, as well as her marriage certificate from Ohel Moshe Synagogue. Those items embody her memories for Shanghai and she always has a special feeling for Chinese people. Under the current circumstance of coronavirus outbreak, she wrote to express her concern for her Chinese friends.

　　 

　　

　　Claire took an interview from Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum

　　

　　The medal Claire won in a Ping Pong game held in Shanghai, 1941

　　

　　The passport of Claire

　　

　　The marriage certificate of Claire 

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