Despite its beauty and originality, this attraction is among the country's saddest monuments. Ohel Rachel recalls the shameful pages of history, when one person decided that by birth he was better than another.
This synagogue is considered the oldest in Shanghai; it was built back in 1920. One could say it was a symbol of the Chinese people's compassionate attitude toward a people persecuted by the whole world. Shanghai was almost the last city on the planet where Jews could hide from Nazi persecution. The country's authorities did not require entry visas from them, and over time a huge district formed here that was essentially considered a ghetto.
During the Second World War, more than 30 thousand Jews lived in Shanghai. It should be noted that although China saved the refugees, they were in a special position. The new settlers were allocated an area totaling just over 2 sq. km. One small room could be shared by 30 people, and the entire territory was patrolled by guards. To leave the ghetto, one had to obtain permission. And yet, the Jews received the main thing here – the unconditional right to exist.
In this difficult time, the synagogue became the center of Jewish life. Here one could not only satisfy spiritual hunger through prayer, but also simply talk with people of a similar fate. In total, 7 synagogues were operating in the city during that period, and only two of them have survived to this day. Why? When the communists came to power in 1949, they restricted the Jews' freedom, and their religion and culture were persecuted. In part, this period turned out to be a happy one for the wanderers, since many of them moved to their homeland, Israel. Meanwhile, synagogues in Shanghai were being destroyed, and in those that miraculously survived, warehouses and granaries were set up.
In 1996, Ohel Moishe Synagogue became a museum of Jewish refugees. And Ohel Rachel, which had previously housed the city public education administration, gradually began to be restored. Over time, gatherings resumed there, and in 2009 the first Jewish wedding in 60 years was celebrated.
