Why is Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum special?
The museum was housed in the former Ohel Moshe Synagogue, which was built by Russian Jews in the late 1920s in Hongkou District. Through collections of photographs and written documents, the museum a history of the residents of Shanghai helped the Jewish refugees from Europe. Russian Jews and then European Jewish refugees worshiped in the synagogue until the end of the Second World War. Today, the synagogue itself doesn’t function as place of worship any longer, but showcasing a unique period of the city's history.
Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum Highlights
The site encompasses the former synagogue as well as a small art gallery.
The original mosaic floors and the ark can be seen on the first floor. The walls and pillars of stone-arched door way have been repainted. Seats and hanging lamps have been added instead of the old furniture. Old pictures of Jewish halls and houses built by Jewish tycoon David Sassoon are hanging on the wall. Next to the sanctuary, in the synagogue's former kitchen, is now a showroom for Jewish art exhibits.
The second floor is divided into a gallery of photos and stories brought by former Jewish residents. A large conference table and articles from refugee families are exhibited in the third floor.
An interactive database was launched in June 2008 to complete the name list of Jewish refugees in the area. So far, more than 14000 names have been stored in it.