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 persons, to promote friendship and understanding between the Chinese and Jewish peoples and to Vol. 24 No. 2 A Publication of the Sino-Judaic Institute encourage and develop their cooperation in matters of mutual historical and cultural interest. Its July 2009 objectives are: CHINA REVISITED SIR MATTHEW NATHAN: HONG 1) The study of the ancient Jewish community of Kaifeng and assisting its descendents as appropriate. by Anson Laytner KONGS JEWISH GOVERNOR 2) The study of Jewish life in Shanghai, Harbin, Tianjin and elsewhere in the 19th and 20th centuries. Introduction by Alfred Luk I traveled to China this past spring as President of the Sino- Nathan Road in Kowloon, Hong Kong, 3) The support of Jewish studies programs in China. Judaic Institute primarily to assess firsthand the status of the is the major thoroughfare of Hong Kong Kaifeng Jewish descendants through an extended stay there and 4) The study of cultural intersections between Chinese and Jews, for example adoptions, literature, and locals sometimes refer it to as the also to witness the remarkable growth of Jewish Studies pro- diasporas, etc. Golden Mile for its bustling commercial grams at select Chinese universities. Thirty-five years ago, when activities flanking its two sides. Nathan 5) The study of Sino-Israeli relations. I was a student at the Beijing Yuyan Xueyuan on the first Road was originally named Robinson Canada-China Student Exchange Programme, I had tried to visit Road after its early Hong Kong governor. Kaifeng but was told it was a closed city. By contrast, today 6) To cooperate with other groups whose interests lie in Sinitic and Judaic matters. In recognition of the monumental the city is accessible and it is most easy to meet people. achievement of another Hong Kong gov- ernor, Sir Matthew Nathan, the British After an absence of thirty-five years, the first thing I noticed Membership in the Institute is open and we cordially invite you to join in supporting our endeavor. Colonial office made the switch from about China was the change in choice of transportation. Then, Robinson Road to Nathan Road. Our annual dues structure is as follows: bicycles were everywhere; today cars predominate. The Chi- nese drive both the same way, but it is a lot more frightening to In spite of the popularity of Nathan Road, few locals as well see the take no prisoners style applied to motor vehicles, be Benefactor ......................................... $1,000 as the former residents of Hong Kong know little about the they trucks, buses, cars or motor-bikes. Thankfully, the more protagonist of the Nathan Road, Sir Matthew Nathan. Re- Patron..................................................... 500 cars there are, the more restrained the drivers are, so Shanghai ports of his governorship in Hong Kong are often trivial and Corporate Patron .................................... 500 drivers operated their vehicles more sanely than did their coun- revealed very little of his immense achievement in Hong Kong terparts in Kaifeng. Corporate Sponsor ........................250 to 499 and character. Corporate Member .......................250 to 499 The second thing I noticed was the building boom. Thirty-five Unlike his predecessors as well as the Hong Kong governors years ago, Pudong in Shanghai was agricultural; today it is a Sponsor .................................................. 100 after him during the British administration, Sir Matthew Nathan forest of skyscrapers. Then the Bunds towers, built early in the Regular Member ....................................... 50 did not rise steadily through the ranks of British colonial ad- last century, were its high points; today Shanghai goes on for- ministration, and had little experience as colonial governor ever and there are many clusters of competing high buildings. Libraries.................................................... 50 before assuming the governorship of Hong Kong. He was Even inland, in Kaifeng, construction is happening everywhere. Academic ................................................. 30 trained as an engineer and held the position of major in the Royal Engineers. Among all the governors of Hong Kong, he Senior Citizens .......................................... 25 The third thing I noticed, sadly, was the smog. In over two was also the only Jew and the youngest governor. He was weeks in China, I never saw a clear day. The day I left, our Students.................................................... 25 only thirty-nine years old when he took office in 1904. plane flew up the coast before turning over the Pacific. We saw the land engulfed in a thick grey cloud with a charcoal- In spite of his youth and perhaps inexperience as governor- colored leading edge. Progress has its price. I wish to become a member of the Sino-Judaic Institute and receive Points East three times a year. Enclosed is ship, his legacy in Hong Kong is long lasting and illustrious. He advocated the technical training in Hong Kong and his my check for $ . The fourth thing I noticed was the people. Thirty-five years effort contributed enormously to the foundation of the Tech- PLEASE PRINT ago, everyone wore a Mao suit, usually blue and preferably nical Institute of Hong Kong. patched to show ones revolutionary frugality. Today clothing is as varied as people are individuals; colors and styles abound; Name: His technical training as an engineer also played a pivotal and women wear clothes that would make their Western coun- role in his contribution to the development of Hong Kongs terparts either turn green with envy or flush red with embarrass- Address: transportation system and development, particularly Kowloon. ment. During his reign as governor of Hong Kong, he pressed for Home Phone: Work Phone: widening of existing roads and laying down more roads and More significantly, the increased sense of happiness and free- mileage in Hong Kongand mainly in Kowloonthan most dom is palpable. This is not to say that the government isnt Fax: E-Mail: Hong Kong governors before 1950. Kowloon at the time of watchful. I heard of people being called in for questioning and his reign was virtually undeveloped, settled by small commu- websites being closed downbut thirty-five years ago, the popu- Mail to: The Sino-Judaic Institute, Prof. Steve Hochstadt, Dept. of History, Illinois College, nity of Europeans, Portuguese-Asian Mestizos from Macao, a 1101 West College Ave, Jacksonville IL 62650 (continued on page 6) (continued(continued on on page page 12) 6) 2 Points East Points East 15 of the Kaifeng community from Chinese The Chinese picked up many modern One of the great ironies of colonial his- TABLE OF CONTENTS FROM THE EDITOR Points East sources, traces its success to ascendancy Western ideas from the Japanese. Per- tory is the way in which colonised people Anson Laytner, Publisher of the Zhao family in the Ming and early haps this is how Jewish conspiracy theo- adopted some of the same prejudices that Qing periods and compares Jewish and ries were passed on as well. But South- justified colonial rule. Anti-Semitism ar- Featured Article: June was a blur. First I was visiting China Points East is published by the Sino-Judaic Muslim communities. It is marred only east Asians are not immune to this kind rived with a whole package of European for 2.5 weeks, then we had the annual SJI Institute, a tax-exempt, non-profit organization. by some inaccuracies, such as stating that of nonsense either. Former Malaysian race theories that have persisted in Asia Board meeting, then Ive been inundated China Revisited .............................. 1 The opinions and views expressed by the their Torah written in Persian letters. prime minister Mahathir Mohamed has well after they fell out of fashion in the with email correspondence from China, contributors and editor are their own and do said that the Jews rule the world by West. and lastly Ive been working to upgrade not necessarily express the viewpoints and Sir Matthew Nathan ....................... 1 Zhou Xun provides fascinating account proxy. They get others to fight and die our websiteoh yesand preparing this positions of the Sino-Judaic Institute. of the May 4th Movements embrace of for them. And a recent article in a lead- In some ways, Chinese minorities in issue of Points East! the Yiddish literary renaissance and its Southeast Asia have shared some of the ing business magazine in The Philippines translation (via English, Russian etc) in hostility suffered by Jews in the West. Letters to the Editor and articles for Points East explained how Jews had always con- SJI is gearing up for some significant work to Chinesebut without any reference Excluded from many occupations, they may be sent to: trolled the countries they lived in, includ- From The Editor ......................... 2 and we invite, nay we plead for, your sup- to Irene Ebers groundbreaking work! too survived by clannishness and trade. ing the US today. port above and beyond the cost of dues. Preferred Form: They too have been persecuted for not e-mail:[email protected] Shalom Salomon Wald offers survey of being sons of the soil. And they too In the case of Mahathir, a twisted kind To the Editor............................... 3 With your participation, we intend to: knowledge of Chinese Jews in the Euro- are thought to have superhuman powers or to: Rabbi Anson Laytner of Muslim solidarity is probably at work. ·Offer scholarships for students of Jew- pean consciousness with a sweep un- when it comes to making money. So 1823 East Prospect St. But, unlike European or Russian anti- ish Studies in China. matched since Pollak wrote his book when things go wrong, the Chinese are Seattle, WA 98112-3307 Semitism, the Asian variety has no reli- ·Offer scholarships for Kaifeng Jewish Mandarins, Missionaries and Jews.