Not long after getting the government support this year, Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum will begin expanding. According to the working plan, the expansion program will end in 2020. The museum was built on the original address of Ohel Moshe Synagogue, which has a history of more than 110 years. Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum was opened to the public in 2007 for the first time.
After this expansion, Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum will exhibit more historical relics. These historical relics include the refugee list, data bank, refugees’ oral speech and some video records, which can help visitors learn more about the Jewish refugees’ life in Shanghai during WWII. It is said that this newly expanded museum is a culture exploration to Jewish refugees.
Now, Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum has different kinds of historical exhibits, such as wedding dresses and toys, which are in total more than 600 pieces. They all reflect the Jewish refugees’ life condition during their sojourn in Shanghai.
At the same time, Shanghai is also suggested to apply for the Tilanqiao district. This district is the hiding place for Jewish refugees during WWII. The Tilanqiao district is an important culture district which is on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
During the WWII, there were nearly 20,000 Jewish refugees escaping to Shanghai in order to be away from the Nazi persecution. Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum well restores the history memory of the Jewish refugees. We are expected to see the newly expanded museum open in several years.