Editor's Note: During the World War II, more than 30,000 Jews, under attack by the Nazis in Europe, fled to Shanghai, China and 16,000 of them took refugee in this city. Meanwhile, the local Shanghai people were also in an abyss of pain inflicted by the Japanese invasion.  Though the time was difficult, gratitude and mutual friendship lived on in the heart of the Jewish and Chinese people. The Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum and Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) launched a initiative early this year to present those touching stories in Chinese, English, German and Hebrew. This is one of the selected stories in the project to commemorate the history of Jews in Shanghai.

era was born in May 1938 and came to Shanghai during the Second World War as a refugee when she was only 8 months old. She spent her childhood in Shanghai. She left after the war was over, and came back many years later.

As she recalled, Vera had a very kind Chinese neighbor, whom she called Uncle Zhou. Between these two families, deep friendship and affection grew gradually. Uncle Zhou was really kind and took good care of her. For example, Uncle Zhou would even rent a rickshaw to send her to school and bring her back from school. She had a “private” rickshaw and there was always the same puller waiting for her. She was at first curious, but later she learned that Uncle Zhou, her next door neighbor, arranged the warm service for her. After school, Vera would pass Uncle Zhou’s home, and Uncle Zhou would let her drop by and give her some delicacies, before she went back home for dinner. It is especially noteworthy that Uncle Zhou was not very well off at that time. Vera also got on very well with Uncle Zhou’s children. She often played with them and other Chinese kids in the lane yard. That’s why she spoke Chinese the best in the Kadoorie School, and she said she acted as a “translator” for many Jews in her school. She now still feels obliged to Uncle Zhou and his family, and wishes to find him some day.

Vera had an aunt who ran a restaurant at the intersection of Ward Road and Chusan Road. Although now the house has quite a few other residents and has been transformed accordingly, Vera could still recognize it with excitement; she could tell the position of the kitchen and the dining area.

She also remembered her childhood friends, including Peter Max, the world famous artist. She said they were in the same class in the Kadoorie School. To prove that she was not kidding, she showed a photo of her class taken in front of their classroom, and　found Peter very quickly. Her accounts of her experience in Shanghai showed a strong affection and attachment to the city.

Now that she had left China for decades, Vera wanted to find the uncle and his family in Shanghai and it was of course very difficult. She contacted Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum and asked for our help. The news that the former Jewish refugee was looking for her Chinese uncle spread very fast, and the museum finally found the family. Unfortunately, Uncle Zhou had already passed away.

One day, a woman called the Museum. She said her name is Zhou Huizhen. As she recalled, her family once lived at 423-4 Kunming Road and her neighbor was a Jewish family. Immediately, the Museum visited her to verify the information. After comparing the photos that Ms. Zhou showed of her father with the information provided by Vera, the staff of the Museum were sure that Ms. Zhou’s father, Mr. Zhou Zhiji, was Vera’s Uncle Zhou.

Mr. Zhou Zhiji was born on April 14, 1913 and passed away on June 118, 2001. He could speak English quite well and was always ready to help other people. So he had often translated or interpreted for the contacts between his neighbors and their foreign friends. Ms. Zhou also said that during those years she had often played with a Jewish girl in the same lane and the name of the Jewish girl was Vera. Vera’s mother was also very kind to her and gave her a lot of beautiful clothes belonging to Vera when they left Shanghai. As Ms. Zhou recalled, Vera didn’t have many friends in the neighborhood, and they got on very well with each other. They didn’t even need the common language.

Vera could still remember that Uncle Zhou had two sons and two daughters, and that Mrs. Zhou was pregnant. She said Uncle Zhou was usually dressed in traditionally Chinese clothes, while his father always wore a suit like a Western gentleman.

The Police Bureau of Hongkou District finally verified the information provided by Ms. Zhou Huizhen, and Vera finally found her Uncle Zhou, Mr. Zhou Zhiji.