1924 May 22nd: Berthel
Chinese Hebrews
On 22nd May 1924, E. M. Berthel published the article, Chinese Hebrews, in the North China Daily News (字林西报), an English-language newspaper in Shanghai. It was considered the most influential foreign newspaper of its time.
Sabbath dinner at a well-furnished private house
In this article, Berthel claimed that he was invited into the house of an accountant of a large oil firm for "an old Sabbath-eve dinner … in a well-furnished private house." He garbed in Chinese dress "apparently belonging to the better class" and met numerous people during the event. No pork was served during the meal.
Large chest filled with ancient scrolls and Hebrew books
Berthel recalled, “After dinner my venerable host permitted me to inspect a large chest filled with ancient scrolls and books in Hebrew characters. My query whether these documents were for sale met with a refusal and a hasty closing of the chest.”
Hangzhou synagogue was larger than Kaifeng’s
Berthel also learned that there was another Jewish colony in Hangzhou (杭州), with a synagogue that was larger than that in Kaifeng. The synagogue, he claimed, was destroyed in the 1860s by the anti-foreigner Taiping rebels and was never rebuilt.
Berthel claimed that during the Taiping Rebellion (太平天国之乱, 1850–1864), the Jews of Hangzhou were massacred along with other forces who sought to prevent the movement from advancing towards the capital city. As a result, there have been no Jews in Hangzhou ever since.