The Jewish’s Stories in Shanghai Reappear

Interactive Reading

At 10 p.m. on February 16, the documentary "Song of Survivors: Jews in Shanghai" premiered at Dragon Television. With the narration and visit of the writer Bei La, the stories of the Jews in Shanghai are presented to the audience again.

Bei La, whose real name is Shen Lei, was born in Shanghai. At a party with friends in 1996, Bei La met Arthur, a survivor of the Jiangya Ship’s Tragedy in 1948 and a descendant of Jewish refugees in Shanghai during World War II, and learned the story of Arthur's family in Shanghai. Since then, Bei La became interested in the stories of Jewish refugees in Shanghai and embarked on a journey to find more memories of the "Shanghai Ark".

Over the past 20 years, Bei La has visited Jews around the world who took refuge and were born in Shanghai during World War II, and she has collected a large quantity of first-hand historical materials and more than one million words of records, materials, outlines and first drafts, and launched a long series of "Jews in Shanghai" based on their lives. The novel Song of Survivors is one of them.

Song of Survivors is based on the real experience of famous Hollywood producer Mike's parents in Shanghai during World War II. In order to tell the story in more detail, Bei La visited Mike's mother Dora in the United States for several times to obtain first-hand information. Besides, she helped the old woman fulfill a long-term wish.

Mike's mother Dora missed living in Shanghai very much. In 1995, Mike, his father David and Dora came to Shanghai again. Although the family walked through the streets of Shanghai, they could not find the apartment where they lived, which was a pity for Dora.

Bei La wanted to help her realize the dream. She took the English home address in David's file, consulted experts familiar with Shanghai chronicles, and finally located the family’s old residence in Shanghai: Aiwen Apartment at the intersection of Tongren Road and West Beijing Road.

To Bei La's surprise, she found that the furniture, piano and even carved glass cups of Mike’s family were well preserved by the current owner when first visiting the apartment. When the photos of the apartment were sent to the other side of the ocean, Mike thanked excitedly.

The story and historical background in the novel are vividly restored in the documentary Song of Survivors with the same name. Old photos, files and street scenes once again show the audience the human brilliance behind the "Shanghai Ark".

According to Dora, the prototype of Song of Survivors, there was another place she missed. That was the Ohel Moishe Synagogue. Today, more historical details of the "Shanghai Ark" can still be found at the Shanghai Jewish Refugee Memorial Hall (the former site of the Ohel Moishe Synagogue), located at No. 62, Changyang Road, the North Bund. Meanwhile, the Memorial Hall is still excavating history and writing stories to show everyone the special friendship and unforgettable years across the nations on this land, and explain to the world what a community with a shared future for mankind is.