From 1933 to 1941, Shanghai became a modern-day “Noah’s Ark” accepting over 18,000 Jewish refugees fleeing the Holocaust in Europe. Most were from Germany and Austria, but the refugees also included students of the famed Mir Yeshiva, the only yeshiva in occupied Europe to survive the Holocaust.
In the “Designated Area for Stateless Refugees” in Ti Lan Qiao historic area of Shanghai, Jewish refugees lived harmoniously with local Chinese, overcoming numerous difficulties together. By the time the World War II ended in 1945, most of the Jewish refugees had survived.
The Confucius Institute of Washington will be hosting the Jewish Refugees in Shanghai Exhibition (1933-1941) which will bring together for the first time photos, personal stories, and artifacts from Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum. The exhibition will run in Hillel at UW from April 5 through April 30. It is free and open to the public Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A series of events will be organized during the exhibit.
For more information, visit http://confucius.washington.edu/shanghai-jewish-refugees-exhibit-1933-1941.