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Xinyao Chen

Chinese New Year

Although there are huge differences between Chinese in cheongsam dress and long sleeves and Jews in suits, the Chinese culture and Jewish culture had communicated and mutually trusted during the difficult years of war. The Shanghai residents taught traditional Chinese cultural practices and rituals to Jews at that time, and hospitable Chinese always ask neighbour Jews for dinner to celebrate Chinese traditional festivals, and taught them some simple words for blessing, such as “Surpluses every year” and “Peace all year round”. Chinese and Jews sit together around the table and enjoyed the atmosphere.

Oil painting, Chinese New Year (Photo Credit: CC - BY Zhang Ping, Chinese Jewish Cultural Foundation)
Oil painting, Chinese New Year (Photo Credit: CC – BY Zhang Ping, Chinese Jewish Cultural Foundation)
Friedrich Schiff's cartoon: I like the Chinese (Photo Credit: CC - BY Kaminski, Gerd and Unterrieder, Else, Von Oesterreichern und Chinesen, Wien, !980)
Friedrich Schiff’s cartoon: I like the Chinese (Photo Credit: CC – BY Kaminski, Gerd and Unterrieder, Else, Von Oesterreichern und Chinesen, Wien, !980)

Special thanks to Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum for providing the sources of literature and photo on this topic. Further contact with Chinese Jewish Cultural Foundation (CJCF) via email: postmaster@cjcf.org.cn‍.

About the Author
Graduate of M.A. in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Graduate of B.B.A. in Business Administration from Macau University of Science and Technology.
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