The Jews in China remained almost unknown to Chinese society until the beginning of the 20th century, although their presence had been attested in the country for over 700 years.
European Jews residing in Shanghai in the early 20th century are reported to have conducted research in Kaifeng but with little success.
Together with the growing interest in Western cultures among Chinese intellectuals during this time, the presence of the Jews, and Judaism, began to be realized by scholars in China. This subject had gradually developed into an independent field of research by the time ...
According to historical records, a Jewish community with a synagogue existed at Kaifeng from at least the 12th (Song Dynasty) until at least the late 19th century. Some accounts suggest they in fact had lived there since the 9th century.
It is surmised that the ancestors of the Kaifeng Jews came from Central Asia. The uninterrupted existence of this religious and ethnic group, lasting for more than 700 years in totally different socio-cultural surroundings strongly dominated by Confucian moral and ethical principles, is a unique phenomenon, not only in Chinese history, but also in the th ...
