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Legends of the Chinese Jews of Kaifeng Hardcover – January 1, 1995

by Xu Xin (Author), Ting Cheng (Illustrator), Beverly Friend (Contributor)

4.2 12 ratings

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Chinese Jews! A curious pairing, but strange as it may seem, there have been Jews in China for more than a thousand years. The country's Jewish community, located in Kaifeng, once the capital city, numbered several thousand at its height. Because of China's tolerance and openness, its members attained success in many fields - commerce, crafts, government service, the military. Their synagogue, a unique amalgam of Chinese architecture with Judaic tradition, was one of the city's most striking sights.
The story of Chinese Jewry is both historically interesting and profoundly inspiring. Long isolated from other Jews because they were living in a land that sought to cut itself off from the rest of the world, they tenaciously maintained their traditions and identity. Though they adopted Chinese customs and intermarried with their neighbors, Kaifeng's Jews held together as a community until well into modern times. Even today there are people in Kaifeng who remain aware of their ancestry and register as Jews on official census forms.
Of the many fascinating tales related in this beautifully illustrated, lovingly written book, perhaps the most touching is the one about Kaifeng's Jews and the first Christian missionaries in China. The Jews, never having heard of Christianity, assumed that anyone who believed in one God must be a coreligionist. The missionaries, never having imagined there might be Jews in China, assumed they were lost Christians. When the misunderstanding was cleared up, the Christians set about trying to convert the Jewsbut to no avail, because Kaifeng's Jews were adamantly loyal to their heritage.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 6 Up-The anti-Semitic fervor of 11th-century Crusaders drove a community of Jews from their home on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, in what is now Turkey. They eventually settled in Kaifeng, then the capital of China under the Song Dynasty. There they built a synagogue in 1163, and maintained their cultural and religious identity into the 19th century. By the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Kaifeng Jews reached a population peak of 5000. Using oral histories collected in China, the authors distill 900 years of memory into 20 chronological stories about major events in the life of the community. Unfortunately, they are better historians than storytellers. Invented dialogue is transparently written to convey factual information, not to delineate character. The narration is clear but dry, lacking the drama and specific details needed to bring a story to life. Handsome full-color illustrations embellish each chapter. Libraries with extensive collections in Jewish or Chinese history will want this title, but the writing style isn't compelling enough to interest general readers in this fascinating, but obscure, footnote to history.-Margaret A. Chang, North Adams State College, MA

About the Author

Beverly Friend, Ph.D., is a Professor of English at Oakton Community College.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ktav Pub & Distributors Inc; First Edition (January 1, 1995)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 140 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0881255289
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0881255287
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 7 - 9
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.35 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 0.75 x 10.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,183,677 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,375 in History for Teens & Young Adults
- #9,500 in Folklore (Books)

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4.2 12 ratings

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MSS

Interesting read

Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2019

Verified Purchase

The stories were very interesting. Not too many books about Jews in China so I was glad to find this one.

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A. Ho

When Levi and Chen meet

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2007

Verified Purchase

The author describes why and how a group of Jews moved from the Levant to China and settled in Kaifeng, the ancient capital of the Chinese empire. He follows their struggle to remain as a group within a kind and welcoming society, prominent families and individual in the last 1000 years. A fascinating and unknown historical account that is only lately has come to the public's knowledge.

2 people found this helpful

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dwelsh@wgn.net

Authentic representation.

Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 1998

I am a docent at the Skirball Museum, Los Angeles where one of the remaining "Tiq's" of the synagogue in Kaifeng is displayed. We have had many lectures by visitors who are both residents of Kaifeng and experts in the history of the Jewish Community there.
The book paints an excellent picture of the history of a people, cut off from outside world contacts for 500+ years but still able to maintain their strict Jewish values.
One story that is not told is that, when the word got back to Europe, many years later, that the Missionary Matteo Ricci had found Jews in China Oliver Cromwell, the pretender to the throne of England, allowed the Jews to resettle in that country after being exiled in 1290CE. The re-addmission was done without an Act of Parliament. Cromwell was aware fof the prophesy in the bible which states that the messiah cannot come/return ubtil the Jews are scattered to all the countries of the earth.
The Kaifeng community had a Rabbi until 18! 50CE and the names given to them by the emperor are still used, very few are aware of their Jewish Heritage.

30 people found this helpful

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steve ristagno

Truth in publishing and selling

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2010

Verified Purchase

Book ," Chinese Jews of Kaifeng". was advertised as used book "signed" by author , ExcellentCond." It was actually a new "POD" ( print on demand)
It should have been advertised as such , since there are people who buy books for collections and reference and historic value . I hope this does not mean I have
to by-pass Amazon and head back to the bookstores ( new & used)

3 people found this helpful

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David Welsh

Legends Of Chinese Jews of Kaifeng

Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2002

This is the ONLY book I have read that paints a lucid picture of this part of Jewish history which is of interest to so few people.
The Journeys of the 12th century traders from Persia, many years before Marco Polo "discovered" China is a fascinating story beautifully told by Professor Xu Xin.

7 people found this helpful

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Traveler

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2016

Verified Purchase

Interesting history and story

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Eric Maroney

Legend, Fiction, and History. But Where?

Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2019

I stayed away from Legends of the Chinese Jews of Kaifeng by Xu Xin, despite my abiding interest in the Jewish community in Kaifeng, China. Some of my wariness was correct, but overall, if you let go of assumptions of historical accuracy, this is an enjoyable book.

The author cites sources for many of these tales stories from interviews of Kaifeng descendants. He obviously uses historical sources as well, and in many places (he tells us this in the intro) engages in a bit of fiction writing. This would have been a better book had he made very slight notations of source materials.

If this is actually a book of legends from the community, it would be great to know where legend ends and history or /or fiction begins.

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2014

This is very fun and informative book,.It gives many different stories about the Kaifeng Chinese Jewish community.I highly enjoyed this book

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