The Kaifeng Jews(开封的犹太人).docVIP

The Kaifeng Jews Available information, though fragmentary, indicates that Kaifeng Jewry was predominantly of Persian origin around the 11th century(Song Dynasty). It seems certain that the Silk Road, a major throughway between China and Persia at the time, was the route, and business opportunities was one of the attractions. After their arrival in Kaifeng, then the capital of China, the Jews adopted themselves very quickly and successfully in the new environment and lived peacefully with the local people. Through their own efforts, they built up homes and businesses and began to enjoy a secure and stable life. According to their own records, they built a synagogue in 1163. ever since then, the synagogue has been renovated or rebuilt for at least 10 times. In the second half of the 14th century, Chinese society once again underwent a major change. Han Chinese overthrew the Mongols who ruled China between 1279-1368 and established the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644). During this period, the Kaifeng Jewish community entered a Golden Age. The measures taken by the Ming opened the political door for Jews along with others, providing a ladder by which Jews could rise in Chinese society. Unlike the Jews of Europe and the Middle East in the same period, they were encouraged to fully engage in the local society, including public affairs and government service. Already allied with the powerful feudal ruling class, the Jews of Kaifeng involved themselves ever more in the city’s commerce and learning. The 1489 inscription on a memorial stele provides some insights into the center of this expanding Jewry. Its commercial activities were probably not just local. Connections with Jews in other Chinese cities-Ningbo, Ningxia, Yangzhou, and Hangzhou-seem to have been commercial as well as religious. Success in the civil service examination system meant wealth, Security, and recognition. It is not surprising that many Jews flocked to enroll in Chinese schools, studied diligently, and p