Today, there are no remaining synagogues (or rabbis) in the city. Eventually Kaifeng Jews became indistinguishable in appearance and practice from their non-Jewish neighbors.Įventually the synagogue’s land was sold and the Torah scrolls taken to libraries in other countries. This, along with the increased tendency of Kaifeng Jews to intermarry with Han Chinese and assimilate, led to a decline in Jewish religious observance. Ultimately, intentional or not, this led to more assimilation.Ī difficult period of war and social upheaval in China began in 1644. ![]() Non-Jewish Kaifeng residents saw similarities between the Jews and themselves, and encouraged Jews to be part of the community. Historically, China has been one of the few countries in the world with virtually no anti-Semitism. ![]() Ricci’s account of his encounter with a Kaifeng Jew explained that the Jewish visitor had said he “worshipped one God.” Europeans did not even realize there was a Jewish community in China until 1605 when a Kaifeng Jew travelled to Beijing and met an Italian Jesuit named Matteo Ricci. Decline of the Kaifeng Jewish Communityįor years Kaifeng Jews were isolated from other Jewish communities around the world, and very few people knew of their existence. Much like Jews outside of China, for centuries, Kaifeng Jews centered their Jewish practices around the synagogue: observing Shabbat and other Jewish holidays, holding circumcisions for sons and giving their children Hebrew names in addition to Chinese names. Sketch of Kaifeng Jews worshipping, via Wikimedia Commons. Jews in Kaifeng faced westward when praying - the direction of Jerusalem. They wore blue head coverings while worshipping, which led misguided neighbors to call them “the Muslims with the blue caps” in order to differentiate these congregants from “the Muslims with the white caps” (actual Muslims who wore white headgear for prayer). Kaifeng Jews had prayed in their synagogue in both Hebrew and Mandarin. The community’s last religious leader died around the same time. Yet another flood wiped out Kaifeng’s last synagogue in the 1860’s. A second flood destroyed the third version of the synagogue in 1642. ![]() In 1600 a fire burned down the synagogue which had replaced the original building. Kaifeng’s first synagogue was built in 1163 and destroyed by a flood in 1461. While some Kaifeng Jews have discreetly recovered their lost Jewish identities, there is nothing close to a formal, organized Jewish community in the city today. To this day Kaifeng Jews can be recognized by their last names: Ai, Shi, Gao, Gan, Jin, Li, Zhang or Zhao.Īt its peak, the Kaifeng Jewish community had around 5,000 members. A bit later, during the Ming Dynasty, the emperor assigned Jews one of eight last names because he found Hebrew names confusing. During this period, the Chinese people called the Jews “Tiaojinjiao” (the religion that removes the tendon) because Jewish dietary law ( kashrut) forbids the consumption of the sciatic nerve. Most scholars believe that Jews first arrived during the Song Dynasty (960-1127 C.E.), from India or Persia (present day Iran), stops on the Silk Road. The exact time Jews arrived in Kaifeng is not entirely certain. This makes the Kaifeng Jews the oldest Jewish community in China. Jews have lived in Kaifeng, a city in central China’s Henan province, for over 1,000 years. ![]() My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help Donate
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |