Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum to be Expanded

By Urban Family, January 17, 2019

This article originally appeared on our sister website, Urban Family Shanghai.

By Yuzhou Hu

The Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum stores the most comprehensive information on the history of Jews in Shanghai, and is a must-visit for anyone interested in the city's past. And now, the museum is about to get expanded, reports Shine.

On January 11, the museum held a ceremony to usher in the latest exhibits, a collection of paintings from four renowned painters. Dubbed Righteous Action, Rose, Rose, I Love You, Brethren and Sound of Victory, the illustrations reflect the interaction between Jewish and Chinese people during that tumultuous period.

Image via JFDaily

The expansion project was revealed by Chen Jian, curator of the museum. "The museum currently occupies an area of 900 square meters," Chen said. "The figure is expected to reach 4,000 after the expansion. By then we will have the opportunity to tell more tales from that period. In addition, there will also be a multi-functional room designed for kids."

Image via JFDaily

Erected in 1927, the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum was formerly the Moishe Synagogue for the Jewish community who settled in Hongkou District. In 2007, the Government of Hongkou District reopened it as a museum to commemorate the Jewish refugees who took shelter in Shanghai during the Second World War. Over the past 10 years, the number of annual visitors has risen from 10,000 to 100,000.

The expansion is slated to complete in 2020. By then, the aforementioned paintings will officially make their debut to the public as well.

[Cover image via Wikipedia]

This article was originally published by our sister magazine Urban Family Shanghai. For more articles like this, visit the Urban Family website, or follow the Urban Family WeChat account (ID: urbanfamilyshanghai).