Shanghai and the Jews

Back in Shanghai, that congested, consumer crazy city of futuristic high rises and the eternally young -- we met up with Tom. Susan worked a trade show with him for three days, and I did some exploring on my own.

I spent half of one day in the old Jewish quarter. Shanghai sheltered many thousands of Jews through WWII. In spite of the fact that the Japanese had invaded and the Jews were pretty much held in this ghetto, they were not turneed over to the Nazis, who were very much present and strongly suggesting their local "plan" be carried out. The old Ohel Moshe synagogue is now a museum to that era, and local streets still have vestiges. I found the museum exhibit glosses over how hungry people were. Many died of starvation. There was one comment recorded by an old resident who returned that the difference now is he doesn't see anyone dying in the streets. Still, it's relative to the certain death so many escaped...