Reluctant Relocator: Elizabeth tours the Jewish Settlement Oct 25, 2010

"What is the Jewish Settlement?" Good question. The Jewish Settlement was a designated area for stateless refugees, namely Jews, from 1937 to 1941. Thousands of Jews came to Shanghai fleeing from Nazi persecution. The Japanese occupiers looked on them as "stateless refugees" and designated an area for them to restrict their residences and businesses.

"Why Shanghai?" Even better question. Shanghai remained one of the rare free transit ports. Explains The Muses Flee Hitler, a book by Washington's Smithsonian Institute released to honor the centennial of the birth of Albert Einstein (who visited Shanghai twice in the 1920s): "Shanghai required neither visas nor police certificates. It did not ask for affidavits of health, nor proof of financial independence. There were no quotas."

Yes, I lifted the two previous paragraphs from another website. There is so much more to the history of Jews in Shanghai, this is just the Readers' Digest version. Of course, life was not easy for the Jews in Shanghai. They suffered, but they survived, unlike so many of their unfortunate brethren in Europe.

Quick, change the topic, the computer screen is misting over.

This was a professionally led tour, you'll be relieved to know. One of my favourite guides, Lily, was our fearless leader. Let's start with some street scenes from the 'hood.

Typical housing of the area.

Corner shot

Notice the detail in the railings? Lily told us why this motif was chosen, because I asked, but the answer now slips my mind. Still fun to look at.

What tour in an old part of Shanghai would be complete without ducking down an alleyway or two? Remember the French Concession lilong alleyways I already showed you? Yes, of course you do. Same thing in this neighbourhood, but with a Jewish flair.

Can you make out the stylized Star of David?

How about this? What used to be nailed to the door frame here?

If you said mezuzah, give yourself a pat on the back. If you're a Gentile, bonus points. Super duper bonus points if you spelt it correctly in your mind. Intergalactic points if you actually know what it is. Here's a hint: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 That's as far as I go, my little heathen friends.

We bumped into a group from Israel who was making the same rounds. I thought that was pretty cool; people would come all the way to Shanghai to tour these alleyways.

Detail from alleyway entrance arch. Love the dangling squash!

Back onto the street proper, we made our way to Huo Shan Park. The park was used as a gathering place for Jewish people in the '30's and '40's. There is a building in this park that was used by the JDC (Joint Distribution Committee, a Jewish-American-run relief organization that helped the Jewish people coming to Shanghai).

Moving out of the park, we saw buildings like this.

Another building of note. Originally a rest home for Russian merchants, this became the largest asylum in the Jewish Settlement during World War II.

Continuing on our tour, we came across a typical Shanghai food vendor.

Yes, those are chillies floating around in that broth.

You buy a few skewers of your favourite food and have him cook it in the broth.

Seeing as how I have the whitest palate in the world, I let this one go. Just for the record, so did everyone else, including Lily!

This is where another restaurant had their "kitchen".

Yes, that's charcoal that's being used. No, we didn't eat here either.

Onwards and upwards, we arrived at the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, former site of the Ohel Moshe Synagogue.

Built in 1910, this building is deemed verandah-style architecture. During World War II, a number of Jewish refugees lived here, including Michael Blumenthal, who went on to become the United States

Secretary of the Treasury under President Carter.