The indissoluble relationship between the Jews and China originated very early, and there are three views in academic research: the Zhou Dynasty or the Zhou Dynasty before the Zhou Dynasty, the Han Dynasty, and the Tang Dynasty. Whichever of these three views is correct, there is no doubt that Kaifeng, the capital of the Song Dynasty, was the main center of Jewish settlement in ancient China. At the time of the Boxer Rebellion at the end of the Qing Dynasty, the International Jewish Organization was concerned about the living conditions of the Jews in Kaifeng. Of course, to the surprise of the international Jewish organization, Jews with such strong religious cohesion were assimilated on Chinese soil. There was not a single purebred Jew to be found in Kaifeng. The assimilation power of the Han nation and culture is like a vast sea, absorbing the trickle of ancient Jews.

Since the Opium War in 1840, there have been three Jewish immigrants in Shanghai's history, namely the Middle Eastern Sephardic Jews from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century, the Russian Jews from the early 20th century to the late 30s, and the Jewish refugees from German, Austrian and other Central European countries from the 30s to the present.

The Sephardic Jews in the Middle East belonged to the economic immigration, first started by selling opium, and then invested in real estate in Shanghai after becoming rich, and then gradually expanded to foreign trade, public utilities, finance, manufacturing and other fields, forming several famous Jewish business groups such as the Sassoon family, Hartung & Co., the Arnold brothers, and the Kadoori family. They have abundant capital and extensive networks, which have had an impact on the economic lifeline and development of modern Shanghai to a certain extent. This group numbered about 1,000 people and formed the Sephardi Middle Eastern Jewish Community.

Russian Jews belong to the category of political immigrants. This group of Jews traveled from Russia to Harbin, and from Harbin to Shanghai by sea or rail. Divided into three groups, the first group were Jews who fled to Harbin and quietly moved to Shanghai before the October Revolution because of the anti-Jewish exclusion of Tsarist Russia. The second group was the Jews who flocked to Harbin after the October Revolution, some of whom moved to Shanghai. The third group were Russian Jews who fled from Harbin to Shanghai after the September 18 Incident. There were about 4,000 Russian Jews in Shanghai, and the Ashkenazi Russian Jewish Society was formed.

The problem of Jewish refugees in Central Europe was born out of the anti-Semitic wave that followed Hitler's rise to power in 1933.

Due to religious beliefs, etc. Anti-Semitic and anti-Semitic sentiment is widespread in European countries. Hitler took advantage of this sentiment. and to speak of the Jews as the enemy of the whole world, the root of all evil, the seed of all evil, the destroyer of the order of life of any people. By the time Hitler convened the Nuremberg Congress of the Nazi Party on September 15, 1935, he had enacted new laws that blatantly deprived Jews of their civil rights.

On October 28, 1938, 17,000 German Jews were deported to Poland by the German government at midnight without notice. Due to the refusal of the Polish government to accept them, the Jews could only stay at the German-Polish border.

By November 7, the young Jewish Herscher, who was living in France? Greenspan was sending a message to the third secretary of the German embassy in France, Ernst Brown, for his family stranded on the German-Polish border. Feng? After Lat's request for help was denied. Three shots in a row, seriously wounding Ernst? Feng? Lat, resulting in his subsequent death. On November 9, Hitler uttered the infamous massacre of Jews that "the SA should be allowed to act." That night, the Hitler Youth, the Gestapo and the SS across Germany disguised themselves as civilians took to the streets, brandishing clubs and frantically beating, smashing, looting and burning Jewish homes, shops, and churches, and about 267 synagogues, more than 7,000 Jewish shops, and 29 department stores were set on fire or destroyed, and about 30,000 Jewish men between the ages of 16 and 60 were arrested in their own homes. Sent to Dachau, Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen concentration camps. This is the infamous Kristallnacht event. From now on. Hitler's purpose of exterminating the Jews was laid bare. The result was a great exodus of the Jews.

The process of mass immigration of Central European Jews to Shanghai from 1933 to the present in 1941 can be divided into four stages: the first stage began in 1933 to August 1937, mainly Jewish intellectuals from Germany, numbering about 1,500 people, who went directly to Shanghai by sea; The second phase, which began in August 1937 and lasted in August 1939, saw a large exodus of Jews as a result of Germany's annexation of neighboring countries such as Austria and Czechoslovakia. As countries around the world began to restrict the number of Jewish refugees entering the country, large numbers of Jews flocked to Shanghai, mainly from Germany and the German-occupied territories to Italy, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the port cities of the Balkan countries. Then take a boat to Shanghai. The escape route is Trieste - Alexandria - Suez - Mumbai - Hong Kong - Shanghai, and sometimes Genoa - Suez - Port Said - Singapore - Colombo - Hong Kong - Manila - Shanghai. The total number of refugees ranges from 21,000 to 22,000. In the third stage, from August 1939 to June 1940, due to the German blitzkrieg on Poland and the outbreak of World War II, the Japanese occupation forces in control of Shanghai were only allowed to conditionally accept Jewish refugees, a considerable number of whom were German Jews expelled from the Allied sphere of influence, numbering about 2-3,000. The fourth phase runs from June 1940 to the present. Due to the German invasion of the Soviet Union, many European countries have fallen into the clutches of the Nazis, resulting in a wave of Jewish exodus, the sea route was cut off by the war, most of the Jewish refugees to Shanghai arrived in Shanghai through the Russian Trans-Siberian Railway, the number is 4,000, most of them are Jewish refugees from Eastern European countries.

So far, the total number of European refugees in Shanghai has exceeded 30,000.

When it comes to the mass exodus of Jewish refugees to China, two reasons must be made clear.

One reason is the Japanese factor. The Jews were a people of great talent, and they were best at doing business and accumulating wealth. After the September 18 Incident, Japan occupied Northeast China, and the resource-rich land of Northeast China made the eyes of the Japanese red, and they were eager to develop the resources of Northeast China in order to support Japan's further expansion of aggression. At the beginning, the Kwantung Army experimented with immigrating from Japan to Tohoku, but the first resettlement plan failed, and in the end, only two families remained in the resettlement village. At this time, the Japanese targeted wealthy Jews. Some Japanese experts on Jewish issues began to study and try to use Jewish capital to build the Tohoku issue. Because this has the advantage of pleasing the United States. The Jews have a lot of influence in the United States, and the Japanese do this, which is easy to arouse the favor of the American Jewish capitalists.

There is a basis for Japan to have such an idea. At the time of the Russo-Japanese War, the Jewish billionaire in the American financial world, Jacob? Out of hatred for the anti-Jewish policies of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Scheuv raised a loan of $20 million and offered to finance Japan. Emperor Meiji made an exception to invite Jacob in the Imperial Palace? Sheff had lunch together. That is, the Japanese believed that there was a traditional friendship between them and the Jews.

When Hitler came to power, he launched an anti-Semitic campaign. Japan has developed a "Fugu Project". In 1934, Ayukawa Yoshisuke, a Japanese steel magnum, published an article in a diplomatic journal called "A Plan to Invite 50,000 German Jews to Manchukuo." This is the indiscriminate nature of the puffer fish program. At the same time, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed the embassies in Europe to collect a large amount of information on Jews, and also set up a special office for the study of Jewish issues in the country. Japanese intelligence agencies also sent spies such as "expert on Jewish issues" Yasue Senhiro Daisa to Europe. Finally, Yasue and others presented a detailed plan for Jewish immigration. In the same year, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved the plan and named it the "Fugu Project".

The reason why it is called the Fugu Project is because the Japanese like to eat fugu and know that it is highly poisonous. Without the chef's correct, careful cooking. It will poison people to death. The Japanese believed that Jews would be very beneficial to Japan, but they were also very dangerous, like pufferfish. The Jews who had been reformed by Japanese immigrants were like the puffer fish that had been cooked by a chef, and it was good for Japan.

The core of the Japanese Fugu Project is to establish a Jewish settlement in Tohoku and use Jewish capital to build Tohoku. To this end, the Japanese took many measures to publicize the situation in the United States and invited representatives of American Jewish organizations to visit Northeast China and Japan. Medals were awarded to Jews, and so on.

The Jews are bent on establishing a ** country and ending their wandering-like life, and when they meet the Japanese so enthusiastically, they suddenly have a good feeling. At that time, the Jews in Harbin had reached 20,000 people. Dr. Kaufman and Rabbi Gyselev were the leaders and established an entire Jewish community in Harbin. Get along with the locals. At the beheaval of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spy Yasue Senhiro Osa, Kaufman and others convened the first meeting of the Jewish community in the Far East at the Modern Hotel in Harbin in December 1937 and passed a resolution: "We, the Jews present at this national conference, hereby declare that we enjoy racial equality and justice under the laws of the state, and that we will cooperate with Japan and 'Manchukuo' to establish a new order in Asia." We ask for help from our co-religionists. ”

After the Kristallnacht Incident in November 1938, Japan saw the economic power of the Jews in the unanimous resistance of Jews around the world to German goods, and immediately convened a five-phase meeting to formally approve the Fugu Project, but demanded that no action should damage relations with Germany.

Under the guidance of this spirit, Jewish capital was tied to Japan's invasion of Northeast China, and promoted the completion of industrialization in Northeast China.

Implementing the Fugu plan in the Tohoku were Lieutenant General Kiichiro Higuchi and Takehiro Yasue, who are currently the commanders of the 9th Division.

The Jewish capital of Northeast China assisted the Japanese army in developing the industry of Northeast China, and after a long time, a cancer would be born in Northeast China - a country within a Jewish state. Naturally, this was intended to cause the people of Northeast China to revolt, and they also became the targets of the anti-Japanese armed forces of the Northeast People, and suffered heavy losses.

American Jews opposed the cooperation of Far Eastern Jews with the Japanese invaders.

Stephen, president of the American Jewish Congress? Rabbi Waithi wrote to Jewish leaders in various countries, saying that "it is a complete depravity for the Jews to support the Japanese, and Japan, like Germany and Italy, is a truly fascist state." I do not wish to discuss this matter any further, and I will deeply regret that for whatever reason you want to get support for Japan from the Jews. I assure you that I will do my best to oppose your plans. You are doing something extremely harmful to the Jews......"

The opposition of American Jews, coupled with Japan's later military alliances with Germany and Italy, forced the Fugu Project to fail. By this time, the Kwantung Army was throwing away the Jews of Harbin, who had run out of funds for the industrialization of Northeast China, just like throwing away a rag. The men had to flee to various parts of China and other countries, and some of them flocked to Shanghai.

It was also because of the Fugu Project that Japan was trying to establish a Jewish settlement in Shanghai while attracting Jews in Northeast China. Coupled with the fact that the Shanghai Concession was the only area in the world that could be directly entered without a visa, it was only natural that Jews would emigrate to Shanghai en masse.

Another reason that led to the mass exodus of European Jewish refugees to China was China's sympathy for the Jews.

At a time when the Jews of Europe were in trouble. China has extended a hand of sympathy and assistance. The Chinese ambassador to Austria, He Fengshan, could not bear to watch the Jews in Austria being slaughtered. Without hesitation, he issued 11 visas to a young Jew, and it was with these 11 visas that the young Jewish went to the concentration to rescue his 11 relatives and friends. As word spread, Jews lined up in front of the Chinese embassy in Austria to receive life-saving visas and travel to China and other countries.

This is true of the foreign envoys, and the Chinese government has shown concern for the Jews. In February 1939, in view of the large number of Jewish refugees and the great difficulties, Sun Ke, President of the Legislative Council, proposed a bill proposing the designation of a ghetto in the southwestern border of China. Accommodating homeless Jews. He also envisaged demarcating an area of several square kilometers in southwest China, close to the international passage, as a Jewish residential area, and the Nationalist Government or local government would be responsible for planning the construction and management of the area. Long Yun, the chairman of Yunnan Province, also proposed a plan to use Jewish resources to help develop Yunnan. Although these two plans were not really implemented in the end due to the aggravation of the war situation. But the willingness of the Chinese government and people to help the Jewish refugees is real. The Jews had finally found a country free from discrimination, and it was only natural that they would flock to China, to the most convenient concession of Shanghai.

By this time, Shanghai was already overcrowded with Jewish refugees.

When the Jewish refugees arrived in Shanghai, they were destitute and beggars. All Jewish organizations, groups, and trading houses in Shanghai mobilized to set up a "Committee for the Relief of Jewish Refugees in Europe," and set up six large refugee centers to provide housing, food, and medical care to a steady stream of refugees, and also sent people to Shanghai and other parts of the world to collect donations. Shanghai residents have also actively assisted in the reception of refugees. These suffering Jews finally found a safe refuge in Shanghai.

After settling down, these European Jewish refugees established the Jewish Society of Central Europe, a community-based organization on East Heeward Road. Under the chairmanship of Steinhardt, he united Jewish refugees in Shanghai and Central Europe, carried out religious and other community activities, established the Ministry of Public Welfare, the Ministry of Religion, the Ministry of Law and other institutions, established the Arbitration Court, the Women's Union, the Holy Burial Society and other organizations to deal with various matters such as legal proceedings, religious activities, education and health, funerals, etc., and published the Jewish Newsletter covering the activities of associations and communities. June 29, 1941. The first elections were held, and more than 1,000 people voted. Lesser and Felix? Cadeg was elected president and vice president, and Kut? Ledish was elected Chairman of the Board of Governors.

At this time, there were three Jewish communities in Shanghai, namely the Sephardi Middle East Jewish Community, the Ashkenazi Russian Jewish Community, and the Central European Jewish Community.

One of Liu Yimin's main tasks in this attack and occupation of Shanghai was to recruit talents in the Jewish refugee camps in Shanghai. He knew, Jewish journalist Hans? Heber and the Physician Jacob? Rosenson had already joined the New Fourth Army. Jacob? Rosender changed his name to Rosente and worked in the New Fourth Army Military Hospital, where he was very skilled in medicine. This message shows that the Jews, devastated by fascism, were willing to rise up and destroy the invaders together with the Chinese.

On the afternoon of September 19, Liu Yimin drove to the Central European Jewish Association on Dongxihuade Road, and met with the president of the association, Lesser and Felix? Kadeg and the chairman of the board of directors, Kut? Meet Desh.

Zhou Yi, the chief of staff of the first column, has been working in the Hongkou Sino-European Jewish refugee camp with cadres and soldiers since he entered Shanghai last night, and has also made some achievements, but the results are not ideal, waiting for Liu Yimin to meet with the representative of the Central European Jewish refugees!

To tell the truth, so far, the Japanese army has also treated Jewish refugees well, and has implemented a policy of protection and assistance. Otherwise, the situation of the Jewish refugees in Shanghai would have been even worse, and it would have been a matter of getting out of the tiger's den and into the wolf's den. Historically, after the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Japanese army began to isolate Jewish refugees, confiscate the property of British and American Jewish refugees, and implement a system of examination certificates. The Japanese army even reorganized the Central European Jewish Association, making it a pro-Japanese agency for the management of Jewish refugees.

Under these circumstances, it was indeed quite difficult for the Eighth Route Army, which had invaded Shanghai, to mobilize a group of technical personnel from among the Jewish refugees to the base area overnight.

President of the Central European Refugee Association, Lesser, and Vice President Felix? Kadeg, Council Chairman Kut? Lai Di already knew about the Eighth Route Army and Liu Yimin, and he was waiting at the moment.

As soon as they met, Liu Yimin saluted and greeted the three of them.

Lesser took the leaflet distributed by Zhou Yi and said to Liu Yimin in English: "General Liu, do you make sure that what you say can be realized?" ”

The reason why Lesser asked this was because the conditions on the Eighth Route Army's propaganda leaflets were very real. The first article, which is clear at the beginning, says that China and the Eighth Route Army sympathize with and support the Jews' claim to statehood. This alone activates the hearts of the Jews, who have been wandering for more than 1,800 years, and the highest goal of their struggle is to establish a Jewish state.