Arriving in Shanghai

After months of drifting on the sea, the Jewish refugees finally came ashore to Shanghai. Shanghai seemed to be a little unfamiliar for these guests from afar, but it finally drew an end to the days on tenterhooks. Compared to the persecutions from Nazi, Shanghai was safe and peaceful that time. Chinese people embraced those homeless refugees with kindness and friendliness. Jewish refugees were assisted by many enthusiastic people and charity groups right after their arrival. Large number of food and humanitarian relief supplies were continuously provided to the seven Jewish refugee camps across the city where the Jewish refugees were properly resettled.

Oil Painting, Arriving in Shanghai (Photo Credit: CC – BY Zhang Ping, Chinese Jewish Cultural Foundation)

Refugees being loaded onto trucks (Photo Credit: CC – BY Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum)

Volunteers driving refugees to one of the processing centers (Photo Credit: CC – BY Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum)

Luggage of new arrivals on the grounds of Chaoufoong Road Heim (the German word ‘heim’ was the name used for the camp in Shanghai) (Photo Credit: CC – BY Kranzler, David, Japanese, Nazis and Jews: The Jewish Refugee Community of Shanghai, 1934 – 1945, New York, 1976)

This dormitory in the Heim had beds for 200 refugees (Photo Credit: Ginsbourg, Anna, Jewish Refugees in Shanghai, Shanghai, 1940)

Special thanks to Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum for providing the sources of literature and photo on this topic.