William Charles White’s Chinese Jews: A compilation of matters relating to the Jews of Kai-feng Fu was originally published in three parts in 1940. Part One relates to historical matters of the Chinese Jews. Most of the secondary sources White features are out of date, and in many cases, just plain racist in language and intent.
But White’s book is really key to any understanding of the Kaifeng Jews. As an Anglican clergyman, he lived in Kaifeng for nearly twenty years, interacted with the descendants of the Kaifeng Jews, and took amazing photographs of their physical legacy. He was the last westerner to have contact the Chinese Jews before the Japanese occupation, Communist rule and capitalist modernity swamped them and their city.
But White’s book is really key to any understanding of the Kaifeng Jews. As an Anglican clergyman, he lived in Kaifeng for nearly twenty years, interacted with the descendants of the Kaifeng Jews, and took amazing photographs of their physical legacy. He was the last westerner to have contact the Chinese Jews before the Japanese occupation, Communist rule and capitalist modernity swamped them and their city.
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