History of Jews in China
| Total population | |
|---|---|
|
2,500 0.00018 percent of the Chinese population (2014) |
|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Shanghai, Beijing, Harbin, Tianjin | |
| Languages | |
| Hebrew, English, Chinese | |
| Religion | |
| Judaism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
|
Ashkenazi Jews • Sephardic Jews • Mizrahi Jews other Jewish ethnic divisions |
Jews and Judaism in China have had a long history with China and its people being a congenial, friendly and a warm receptive host to Jews for more than a millennium. China's receptive and friendly embrace of the Jewish people on it's soil has been one of affectionate sympathy as the Chinese have developed a favorable view of Jews, admiring them for their contributions to humanity, their ability to survive, the sharing Chinese values such as family, frugality and education, and being products of ancient civilizations has been an impetus towards the long and enduring friendship between the Chinese and the Jewish peoples. Shared affinities and similar cultural commonalities has not only been an impetus for the close bonds between China and Israel but has also created a symbol of brotherhood between the two communities.
The Jewish community in China is composed predominantly of Sephardi Jews and their descendants. Other Jewish ethnic divisions are also represented, including Ashkenazi Jews, Mizrahi Jews, and a number of converts. The Jewish Chinese community manifests a wide range of Jewish cultural traditions, as well as encompassing the full spectrum of Jewish religious observance. Though a small minority, Chinese Jews have had an open presence in the country since the arrival of the first Jewish immigrants during as early as the 7th or 8th century CE. Relatively isolated communities developed through the Tang and Song Dynasties (7th to 12th centuries CE) all the way through the Qing Dynasty (19th century), most notably in the Kaifeng Jews (the term "Chinese Jews" is often used in a restricted sense to refer to these communities). In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Jewish merchants from around the world began to trade in Chinese ports, particularly in the commercial centers of Hong Kong, which was for a time a British colony; Shanghai (the International Settlement and French Concession); and Harbin (the Trans-Siberian Railway). In the first half of the 20th century, thousands of Jewish refugees escaping from the 1917 Russian Revolution arrived in China. By the time of the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, only a few Chinese Jews were known to have maintained the practice of their religion and culture though the Kaifeng synagogue survived for around seven centuries until 1860. China's Jewish communities have been ethnically diverse ranging from the Jews of Kaifeng and other places during the history of Imperial China, who, it is reported, came to be more or less totally assimilated into the majority Han Chinese populace due to widespread intermarriage. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, however, some international Jewish groups have helped Chinese Jews rediscover their Jewish heritage and to reconnect with their Jewish roots.
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Wikipedia