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.

n June 23, 2014, the Jewish Refugees and Shanghai exhibition opened in Washington D. C on Capital Hill, and the opening ceremony caused a strong sensation among the politicians.

After the opening speech of AJC, Mr. Guan Weiyong was about to make his speech on behalf of Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, but he was interrupted by a lot of people, including US senators, advisors on Jewish affairs to President Obama and senior Israeli diplomats in the USA. It was amazing that they hastened to occupy the floor and seize every opportunity to speak. Mr. Guan was simply left out. When his turn finally came, Mr. Guan put aside his prepared speech, and spoke on the spur of the moment. He mainly responded to the speeches before him, and mentioned how the local residents of Hongkou had helped and befriended the Jewish refugees during the tough years and stressed the open and embracive character of the city of Shanghai. Then, Mr. Lu Kang, DCM of Chinese Embassy, spoke about the commitment of the Chinese government to international justice and peace.

One of the speakers who chipped in was a Shanghai Jew, an old lady. She was not on the list of speaker that day, but she seized her opportunity to speak. She said in the local dialect of Shanghai, “I went to Shanghai when I was 13, and I lived on Avenue Joffre. I can still speak the Shanghai dialect.”

The organizers had invited about 100 people to the opening ceremony, but over 200 people turned out at the cocktail party before the opening ceremony. Some former refugees had brought their family to the ceremony, because they wanted to let their children and grandchildren know more about their history in Shanghai.

The display boards led the visitors back over 70s years to the Little Vienna in Hongkou. The real people and real stories struck the visitors deeply. As an American speaker said, the Shanghai Stories were very moving and commanded their respect. He raised a very interesting question: “Why did Shanghai take in so many more refugees than the USA, Canada or Australia when the international community unanimously condemned the Holocaust?”

A display board told the story of “A Japanese Officer Cut off Rabbi’s Beard in a Swoop”. It was a new story, as new evidences had been found, and this new story was especially eye-catching, as it differed from the popular belief that the Japanese had not upset the Jewish refugees in Shanghai.

Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum has found a lot more evidences recently. The Museum has tried its best to collect evidences and stories, as not many people still remember this special history and those who had experienced this history are passing away. So whenever former Shanghai Jews visit the museum, its staff would come up to them and talk with them with the hope of stimulating new memories and mobilizing more real stories. For instance, according to Chaya Small, a Shanghai Jew, in 1943, the Japanese occupiers declared the restricted sector for stateless refugees, and Jewish refugees were forced to move into this area and subject to tough restrictions. In the restricted area, people suffered from lack of food and the spread of diseases. Once she was seriously ill when she was 7 years old, and must see the doctor outside the ghetto. Her father, Rabbi Walkin (one of the leaders of the Jewish refugee community in Shanghai), took her to the office of Ghoya, the Japanese “King” of Shanghai Ghetto. Then something horrible happened. Rabbi Walkin was ordered to put his head on Ghoya’s desk. He did, as no one could disobey Ghoya’s order. Then Ghoya took out a saber from the scabbard, held it high and then cut down. In a swoop, the Ghoya cut off Rabbi Walkin’s long beard. Immediately, the Japanese soldiers burst into laughter. It was definitely a horrible and humiliating experience for Chaya. She said she would tell her children in Chicago once and again, “Nothing would have been possible for us but for the acceptance, sympathy and help of the Chinese people.”

Ms. Judy May Chu, United States Representative from California, told another story after she visited the exhibition in Washington D. C. When she tried to get the US House of Representatives to apologize for the Chinese Exclusion Act, a famous Jewish lawyer gave her a great help free of charge. Finally, the US House of Representatives passed unanimously the resolution to apologize for this act. The grateful Jews are paying back the Chinese act of kindness.

Mr. Chen Jian, curator of Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, told yet another story of gratitude. In 2013, a former Jewish refugee insisted on coming back to Shanghai although he was already 92 years old. He did it and died half a year later. In his life after he left Shanghai, the old Shanghai Jew had sponsored a Chinese student through college in the USA. There are a lot more acts of gratitude. In March 2014, a Jewish delegation came to Shanghai to say “thank you” to the people here.

Mr. Cui Tiankai, the Chinese Ambassador to the United States, missed the opening ceremony as he was meeting with Dr. Henry Kissinger in New York. He came to the exhibition as soon as he got back. He said it was the first local exhibition to take place on Capital Hill and it was an effective diplomatic move to tell stories with photos and physical exhibits. He also mentioned that the presence of so many political celebrities, including the Jewish affairs advisor to President Obama and the Deputy Ambassador of Israel to the USA, as well as the enthusiasm of the America press, is a good indication of the influence of Jews in the USA. Of course, he felt very proud as a Shanghai native.

The opening ceremony lasted four hours until eight in the evening. No one seemed happy to leave.