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CoverStoryby Erica LyonsFive Star RefugeA Week at The PenA refugee family at The Peninsula Hong Kong20
CoverStoryby Erica LyonsHigh Holidays at The Peninsula, 1946The lobby of Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotel (or “ThePen” as it is often fondly referred to as) suggeststhe height of colonial elegance, framed by gildedcolumns with its marble flooring and high ceilingscomplete with ornately carved scenes. As the string quartethums from the grand balcony above, over shiny silver threetierstands of high-tea treats, with its grandeur and elegance,it is difficult to imagine that the Peninsula Hotel was once atemporary shelter for post-World War II Jewish refugees.And while Hong Kong’s Peninsula Hotel is but a very small partof the larger story of the Jewish refugees in China, it bringstogether the best of Hong Kong in the most unexpected way.In recent years, there has been considerable attention drawnto the remarkable history of Jews who escaped the Holocaustby fleeing to Shanghai. Beautiful stories emerge of two diversepeoples coming together in trying times in an effort to survivethe darkest period in history.Left on their own, the Jewish refugees lucky enough to makeit to Shanghai faced seemingly unbearable obstacles andchallenges. These burdens were however eased by the reliefwork of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee(JDC) with assistance from the established Jewish communityof Shanghai, and most notably through the efforts andresources of Horace Kadoorie.The end of the war marked the beginning of a massiverelocation plan for the nearly sixteen thousand Jewish refugeesin Shanghai. Though eager to leave Shanghai, especially inthe shadow of the looming internal upheaval in China, theyrequired documentation and visas for their final destination aswell as transportation arrangements and the necessary fundsto pay for their journey.For many of the refugees, passage was secured using HongKong as a transit port. This was far from ideal as they lackedthe necessary paperwork to even stop over in the colony. Onthe Hong Kong side, Lawrence (later Lord) Kadoorie, Horace’sbrother, worked with the JDC who was coordinating thetransportation as well as sponsoring it in most cases. Kadooriealso interceded on the refugees’ behalf before the local HongKong government to obtain the proper authorization for therefugees to stay in Hong Kong while in transit.Special arrangements, however, were required for eventhe short accommodation of the refugees. LawrenceKadoorie responded to the crisis by coordinating temporaryaccommodations for refugees in the Peninsula Hotel inKowloon. A letter from Horace Kadoorie, in Shanghai, to hisbrother in Hong Kong dated 7 May 1946 references some22 Jewish refugees that had secured visas and passage toAustralia but their route would require them to stay over inASIAN JEWISH LIFE ISSUE 1121
Page 3 and 4: ASIAN JEWISH LIFEA JOURNAL OF SPIRI
Page 5 and 6: EditorMissionDear Readers:Happy 201
Page 10 and 11: Best of AJLby Erica LyonsFeeding th
Page 12: Best of AJLby Erica Lyonson five co
Page 15: Writer’sDeskby Sophie Judah“Tha
Page 20 and 21: Travel Diaryby Irene Orleanskycommu
Page 24 and 25: CoverStoryby Erica LyonsHong Kong f
Page 26: CoverStoryby Erica LyonsHigh Holida
Page 29: Lo Mein to Laksaby Yardena Ben-Isra
Page 32 and 33: Featureby Gedaliah GurfeinDuring my
Page 34 and 35: Viewpointby Tiberiu WeiszBiblical I
Page 36: Viewpointby Tiberiu WeiszIncidental
Page 40 and 41: Interviewby Susan Blumberg-KasonKon
Page 42: BookReviewsby Susan Blumberg-KasonV

AJL magazine - Asian Jewish Life

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