the shanghai OTV is broadcasting the commemoration in auschwitz.
this event offers a good opportunity to look back to a special period of histroy between Jewish people and shanghai.
Before 10 November 1938, although a lot of Jews emigrated to other countries because they could not bear any more persecution of the Nazis, most Jews did not wish to leave the country for all sorts of reasons. But on that day, when they heard that they did not belong anymore to the country they loved, everyone felt losing their head with fright, especially when they heard that the Germans sent a great number of Jews into the camps and killed them with poison gas, then burnt their bodies in the furnace. Everyone became too impatient to leave their home town. At that time, all visa offices were full of Jewish applicants; to them each earlier date of departing meant more possibility for surviving.
However, at that time, more and more countries refused to accept Jewish people, except Palestine and Dominica. At last, the only hope left for the Jews is to go to Shanghai which is 7,000 miles away. At that time, the public concession of Shanghai was the only place in the world where no visa was needed. Then, thousands of Jews gushed into Shanghai one after another. 'Welcome to Shanghai! From now on, you are not anymore a German, Austrian, Czechoslovakian or Romanian. You are only Jews. The Jews around the world have already prepared a home for you here.' This is the very familiar address by the representative of the economic relief committee.
With the help from the Sassoons, Hardouns, Kadoories and all the other Jews in Shanghai and with the help from Shanghai people, the Jews who came to Shanghai earlier organised receptions in Shanghai. Hardoun's River Building by the Suzhou River was a big reception stations. Whenever the exiled Jews reached Shanghai, they first went to do the 'check in' in that reception station. They were arranged to live according to their economic ability, health condition and age. Those who had a better economic ability mainly lived around Huaihai Street, Fushou Street and Nanking Street. Those who had lower economic ability lived in Hongkou District. Those old, ill and poor refugees were arranged to live in 5 reception centres.
In the following several years, depending on their intelligence and business talent, Jews created miracles in those districts. The appearance of many streets became completely renovated along Hongkou - North of Suzhou River. The Tangshan, Gongping, Changzhi, Huoshan and other streets became similar to European type; Zhoushan Road became the business centre of 'Little Vienna' type.
In other districts, Jews also built up successfully several hundreds of enterprises. According to local statistics, until 18 February 1943, 307 enterprises were forced to close and move to the insulation camp by the Japanese Army. Those enterprises included 68 fabric stores, 50 coffee houses and restaurants, 26 economy shops, 24 groceries, 19 tailor shops, 14 book shops, 12 porcelain shops, 9 drug stores and factories, 9 electrical appliance shops, 8 leather shops, 7 jewellery shops and 61 other shops including shoe shops, photo studios, rubber factories etc. Those were only part of all the enterprises built up by Jewish people.
As some of the exiled Jews were teachers, editors, reporters, writers, painters, musicians and sportsmen, they became active as they settled down. They opened schools, organised playing teams, built up the moving library and they even started the band and football teams. It is worthwhile to mention that even under such hard conditions, the Jews unexpectedly published tens of newspapers and magazines.
Most of the Jews believed in religion. After they arrived to Shanghai, the Jews built up Synagogues. There were four more comparatively famous Synagogues, such as 'Jews Synagogue,' 'Moses Synagogue' etc. The 'Moses Synagogue' was located at 62 Changyang Road. It was the activity centre of Jews in the 2nd World War. Lots of Jews liked to pray there.