Join the Sino-Judaic Institute

16 Points East JOIN THE SINO-JUDAIC INSTITUTE The Sino-Judaic Institute is a non-denominational, non-profit, and non-political organization, founded on June 27, 1985, in Palo Alto, California, by an international group of scholars and lay Vol. 26 No. 3 A Publication of the Sino-Judaic Institute persons, to promote friendship and understanding between the Chinese and Jewish peoples and to November 2011 encourage and develop their cooperation in matters of mutual historical and cultural interest. Its objectives are: BACK TO THE FUTURE THE NEW WAVE OF JEWISH 1) The study of the ancient Jewish community of Kaifeng and assisting its descendents as appropriate. IN KAIFENG MIGRATION TO CHINA SINCE THE by Moshe Yehuda Bernstein 2) The study of Jewish life in Shanghai, Harbin, Tianjin and elsewhere in the 19th and 20th centuries. REFORM AND OPENING-UP by Pan Guang, Wang Jiam & Wang Shuming 3) The support of Jewish studies programs in China. My first visit to Kaifeng and encounter with the community of http://www.cjss.org.cn/200706205.htm its Jewish descendants was in July 2009. At that time, I had translated and adapted to English 4) The study of cultural intersections between Chinese and Jews, for example adoptions, literature, come to Beijing to explore options for a semester of student by Tiberiu Weisz diasporas, etc. exchange as part of the Chinese language major in which I was then enrolled at Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia. [About the translation: I translated this article with the Western 5) The study of Sino-Israeli relations. Although my main focus then was Beijing Language & Culture reader in mind yet stayed as close to the original Chinese text University (BLCU), where I ended up studying for the first half as I dared. The Chinese text is written for Chinese audiences, 6) To cooperate with other groups whose interests lie in Sinitic and Judaic matters. of 2010, I also made inquiries into the Chinese language pro- not necessarily following the Western train of thought. I made gram at Henan University in Kaifeng. some adaptations, eliminated some redundancies and tried keep the flavor of the original Chinese text.] Membership in the Institute is open and we cordially invite you to join in supporting our endeavor. My main interest in Henan University, however, was not so Our annual dues structure is as follows: much its program of Chinese language, which was not as de- (Background note: Two years after the death of Mao Zedong in veloped as that of BLCU, but rather its proximity to the com- 1976, China has initiated the Four Modernizations – Agricul- munity. I had first heard about the existence of such a commu- ture, Industry, National Defense and Science and Technology Benefactor ......................................... $1,000 nity of self-proclaimed Kaifeng Jews over a decade before from that evolved in what later they called Reform and Opening-up.) Patron ..................................................... 500 Professor Xu Xin of Nanjing University, where I was then a guest lecturer to a large and enthusiastic audience during China opened her doors to the world after the Reform and Corporate Patron .................................... 500 Hanukah 2000 on “The Survival of Jewish Culture in Diaspora”. Opening-up. Chinese society underwent previously unheard Corporate Sponsor ........................250 to 499 My subsequent investigations on this tiny minority, a drop in changes that gradually influenced the political and economic Corporate Member .......................250 to 499 the ocean of China’s vast populace, who managed to preserve landscape of the world. The economic development of the Re- a strong sense of their ancestral identity in the wake of massive form and the Opening-up movement focused the eyes of the Sponsor .................................................. 100 acculturation, only increased my fascination with their unique world on China for future opportunities. The Jews, as the world Regular Member ....................................... 50 story. Unlike in Europe, where a narrative of persecution and most internationalized people, have also been watching intensely segregation facilitated the perpetuation of distinct Jewish reli- China’s peaceful development and opportunities. In Nov. 2004 Libraries .................................................... 50 gion and culture until the Enlightenment, China welcomed its Prof. Shalom Salomon Wald of “The Jewish People Policy Plan- Academic ................................................. 30 Jewish inhabitants, an embrace that gradually led the Kaifeng ning Institute” said in his report China and the Jews: Old Cul- Senior Citizens .......................................... 25 Jews to adapt to those syncretistic elements in Confucianism tures in Modern Times that the world Jewry is paying close and Taoism that were viewed as compatible with their eroding attention to China’s peaceful development. The report pointed Students .................................................... 25 Judaism. At the time of that 2009 visit, I was preparing the out China’s development could have an impact on Jewish in- groundwork for an undergraduate research paper entitled “Lan- terests in the future and Jewish policy makers must have a Jew- guage Shift and the Maintenance of Cultural Identity: Kaifeng’s ish policy towards China. Apart from these broad policies and I wish to become a member of the Sino-Judaic Institute and receive Points East three times a year. Enclosed is Jewish Descendants”. Through her blog, I had made contact economic recognition of the Chinese market, the Jews came to my check for $ . with Guo Yan, a young woman who has dedicated her life to China from all over the world and they had extensively and PLEASE PRINT the promotion of Kaifeng Jewish culture. She in turn connected deeply influenced the development of the Eastern Seaboard of PLEASE PRINT me to Yaakov Wang, a bright young student in his early twen- China. More and more Jews live in various places in China, ties, who was my guide for the better part of that four day visit. and new Jewish communities are being developed and estab- Name: lished in the Eastern Seaboard. During that previous visit I observed classes of varying levels in Address: Hebrew taught by Zohar Milchgrub, an Israeli student of Chi- 1. Jewish life in early China nese language at Henan University. In my conversations with Since the 1970’s, Jews came to China in three waves: The first Home Phone: Work Phone: Ya’akov and several other young men studying Hebrew, I learned wave was in the 1980’s. The opening of China attracted some that they were hoping to go to Israel in the coming autumn to Jewish merchants and travelers, but there were not many long Fax: E-Mail: study in kibbutz ulpan. Ya’akov’s dream was to be ordained as time residents, very few workers and even fewer long-term in- a rabbi in Israel and then to return to Kaifeng in that role, vestors. The second wave was in the 1990’s. With the estab- Mail to: The Sino-Judaic Institute, Prof. Steve Hochstadt, Dept. of History, Illinois College, 1101 West College Ave, Jacksonville IL 62650 (continued on page 3) (continued on page 6) Points East 15 B. Grants Update · Zhang Ping: Garz suggests we give him * Abraham has 10 boxes of Al Dien’s SJI Points East SJI gives $5,000 per annum to Fu Xiaowei $2,000 to $5,000. Hochstadt says this papers. It was recommended that they TABLE OF CONTENTS FROM THE EDITOR Anson Laytner, Publisher at the Sichuan University of International needs to be a one-time only, seed grant, be donated to the Hoover Archives at We wrap up volume 26 of Points East with Studies in Chongqing. but it was left unclear whether Zhang Stanford U. Featured Article: a number of fine articles relating to the Points East is published by the Sino-Judaic · It runs an essay competition for gradu- should make a proposal to the Grants Jews of China, both the Kaifeng commu- Institute, a tax-exempt, non-profit organization. ate students, holds grad student meetings, Committee or the Board was recom- Back to the Future * Royal Ontario Museum’s Kaifeng Jew- nity and the contemporary ex-pat Jewish The opinions and views expressed by the and offers Israel studies. mending funding outright. ish collection would be ideal to offer as contributors and editor are their own and do in Kaifeng ................................. 1 communities of Eastern China. Also in- · It has empowered a group within the · Hochstadt wants Fu Xiaowei to write a special private tour fundraising tour. not necessarily express the viewpoints and cluded is a summary of the Sino-Judaic university and created opportunities for an article for Points East in near future. positions of the Sino-Judaic Institute. Trends in Immigration .................... 1 Institute’s annual board meeting, which them to go abroad. · Support Beit HaTikvah school: * Rothberg wondered if SJI could get a sparked some reflection on my part. Letters to the Editor and articles for Points East · Siddur—SJI can offer a bit of funding copy of the Jade Chime made as well as Over the years, SJI has gone from specu- may be sent to: Den Leventhal, head of Grants Commit- · Chinese language library of Judaica an actual Torah for Kaifeng Jews. lating whether or not there were still self- tee, reported on several prospective re- · Chinese-speaking, Jewishly knowl- From the Editor .......................... 2 identifying Jews in Kaifeng, to wondering Preferred Form: cipients: edgeable teachers are needed to help. * The Board discussed, without taking if they wanted—and if we could provide— e-mail:[email protected] · Zhang Ping is an academic who has · Jack Zeller of Kulanu has facilitated action, on the idea of developing a cur- To the Editor............................... 2 assistance in any way, to actually support- or to: Rabbi Anson Laytner been exploring the moral foundations of Birthright Israel trips from communities riculum on Jews in China (Kaifeng, ing cultural activities for a strong contin- 1823 East Prospect St.

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