Shanghai plans to erect a monument to its Jewish immigrants who had fled from Nazi persecution the Shanghai Daily reported Thursday. The district of Hongkou was planning this year to renovate its Ohel Moshe Synagogue and turn it into a memorial. According to reports, the building’s restoration would follow designs from 1928.
German historians estimate that up to 20,000 Jews sought refuge in the seaport between the early 1930s and the end of WWII.
From the late 1930s onwards, Shanghai had been one of the few places still accepting Jewish refugees. The seaport was largely controlled by western colonial powers at the time.
Eventually, during World War Two, the area became known as the “Shanghai Ghetto,” when all emigrants were forcibly resettled to this part of the city by the Japanese occupation.
Students and teachers of the exiled Mir yeshiva studied in the sanctuary of the Bais Aharon Shul on Museum Road in Shanghai in 1941.
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8 Responses
does anybody use the shul now? or will it be turned into a museum?
Thank you Shanghai for being a safe haven for our parents and grandparents during WW2. So many MEMORIALS are established in memory and to honor Jews, how lucky can we be! Did you notice that the only time countries are interested in Jews is when they can build a MONUMENT (sort of like a headstone for a grave) for us?
Bklynmom –
I echo your thoughts 100%
YW: the picture of the Mirrer Yeshiva is not your picture exclusevly, why aren’t you allowing us to enlarge it?
The shul was converted into printing house last I heard. It has a fascinating story attached to it. A sephardi jew from israel, married to a goyta, living and doing business in Shanghai, realizing that he was getting on in years without leaving alot behind spiritually, wrote to his chacham in israel and asked what he should do. The chacham told him to build a large shul, stock it with sefarim and make sure it had a large kitchen. There wasn’t even a minyan in Shanghai when the shul was completed around 1921. It remained that way for 19 years. When the bochrim from Mir, Lubavitch, Amshinov, and Yachal came to Shangahi in 1940-1, they fit perfectly.
I dont know anything about this building, but I recently got back from China and there are 2 very big Chabad shuls on each side of Shainghai.
2 Comments. I just got back from Shanghai too. There is only one big Chabad, which is super nice, friendly, helpful, and an awesome place to spend Shabbos. The Chabad in Pudong (the other side of Shanghai) at the present doesnt get a minyan on Shabbos, although the Rabbi is super nice too.
The Mir Yeshiva bldg has been torn down and is now a high rise building.
The Shul will be a museum, however the govmt allows them to be opened about 6 times a year for the major holidays.
TZEE KLUG, i had no problem enlarging the picture. but even once enlarged, you cant see any faces, so it doesnt really matter.