The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-08-28
JEWS OF CHINA.
Kailenglu Colony That Marco
Polo Saw is All But Lost.

Far East" thus describes his visit
There is here the latest remains of
one of the most curious and unex-
planned things in the world, colony
of Chinese Jews planted In the mid
die of vast empire and possessing
no history to explain how they got
there. Their existence has long been
known in China, for even Marco Polo,
that gossiping traveller, mentions
them in the thirteenth century. Then
they must have been powerful col
ony, for In the fourteenth century
they were invited by the Mongol en-
perors of China to send men and
| money to aid the imperial standards.
| For the last three centuries, however,
| all these Chinese Jews have lived in
Kaifengfu and no trace of others has
been found In any other part OF the
| empire. The only thing they them
selves claim to know is that they en-
tered China through the northwest
ern route during the Han dynasty,
which was 1000 years ago"
| 1t was not until the year 1900 that
these curious persons were first seen
| by white man. Then a Jesuit ia
ther, Pierre Gozani, visited Kaiteng-
fu and wrote the earliest existing de-
scription Of the colony. The syna-
gogue, called the Ch'ing-che Seu,
the pure and true temple" was then
large establishment, consisting of
four separate courts and various
buildings enclosed for residence, wor-
ship and work The synagogue itself
measured sixty feet in length and
forty in breadth, and was embellished
by a double row OF stone columns
! standing before II. In the centre OF
the building was the throne of Moses,
a magnificent and elevated chair with
an embroidered seat, on which was
placed The Book of the Law when IL
was read. But this was in the days
of two centuries ago.
Stirred by these accounts, in 1851
an English Bishop in China, Bishop
Smith, sent two native Christians
from Shanghai to learn the condition
of these Chinese Jews, but the mes
sengers after a prolonged absence re-
turned with the report that the Jews
were penniless, that their synagogue
had been practically destroyed and
that they had only succeeded in copy
ing some portions of the Old Testa-
ment which they found there written
on vellum of great age.
Finaly, in 1866, Dr.. Martin, an
American missionary, set out from
| pi Or M IN ta hA
whole matter most thoroughly and
to see what really remained OF the
former synagogue he found that only
, one solitary stone remained, but on
this stone he was able to decipher
, an inscription commemorating the
erection of the synagogue in A. D.
1888, and its rebuilding In 14SS He
, also learned that the colony, sunk in
the deepest poverty and having lost
all knowledge of their sacred tongue,
the traditions and the ritual worship,
had sold the ruins of their temple
, for building materials and that of the
ancient faith nothing remained. II
!. was this knowledge which urged the
Jewish Association Of Shanghai few
years ago to attempt a rescue. Mem
r bers of the Jewish community in
London were interested in the under
; taking and a mission sent to Kai-
rengfu, which brought back six
l | Chinese Jews. These are now being
r instructed, and it is hoped that this
, ancient community, which has trav-
, eled so far and whose history is a
| mystery, may regain something of
= its lost position. But this hope
, seems to be optimistic.
q 1t was with this story in my head
| that j set out with a Mohammadan
: from the inn to see what there was to
$ be seen. We arrived in the Moham-
1 medan quarter, which practically sur
D rounds the sometime Jewish quarter,
: but there was little to learn. My
: Chinese Mohammedan was merely
t amused, knowing nothing of history
{ excepting the history of cash, and
a told me that the only thing he knew
was that the people l sought were
formerly called lan-mao hui-tzu, or
blue-capped Mohammedans, but that
now they and the ordinary Chinese
: Moslems were "one people"
e 1t was only after a lot of trouble
: that an old woman was discovered
d whose appearance promised we'll
t Her nose was hooked and her man.
f ners expansive, but alas, when
S used three entirely different Chinese
v expressions for Jew, she understood
@ none of them. But still you are moi
: a Mohammedan," urged mo, am
i not, it is true, but l am not what you
=, say i am" Presently she went in
: doors and fetched out a small boy
t with nose which no Chinamar
n could possess were he of the pure
r race. What is he?" she asked. Tn,
y shape of the head was not that of ;
O Chinaman, the lips were thick, tn,
e nose curved and the pigtail looked
r odd enough. He is a Jew" I an
|. swered. The old woman chuckled
d This is true Mohammedan WHIT
d eats no pork"
Il 1t is evidently an undeniable fact
, | the Chinese Moha cd ans and IN,