The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1907-08-09
JEWS OF CHINA.
!Kaifengfu Colony That Marco
F; Polo Saw is All But Lost.


one of the most curious and unex-
plained things In the world, a colony
of Chinese Jews planted In the mid
;dle Of vast empire. and possessing
mo 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 a 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,
Jail 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
rered China through the northwest
lern route during the Han dynasty,
(which was 1000 years ago"
It was not until the year 100 that
these curious persons were first seen
.by white man. Then a Jesuit IA
lther, Pierre Gozani, visited Kaifeng-
lfu and wrote the earliest existing de-
Iscription Of the colony. The syna-
Igogue, called the Ching Seu,
l'the pure and true temple" was then
"a 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
iby double row Of stone columns
standing before 1t. 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 it
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 n 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 i'm 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
Pekin determined to investigate the
whole matter most thoroughly and
IN what Iu ~
former synagogue he found that only
one solitary stone remained, but on
this stone he was able to declpher
an inscription commemoratlng the
erection of the synagogue I'm A. ID.
11S3, and its rebuilding in 1883. He
also learned that the colony, sunk i'm
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 AID that of the
ancient faith nothing remained. It
was this knowledge which urged the
Jewish Association Of Shanghai few
years ago to attempt a rescue. Mem
bers of the Jewish community I'm
London were interested in the under
taking and a mission sent to Kai-
rengfu, which brought back six
Chinese Jews. These are now being
instructed, and ii is hoped that this
ancient community, which has tray
eled so far and whose history is a
mystery, may regain something Of
It's lost position. But this hope
seems to be optimistic.
IL was with this story in my head
that | set out with a Mohammadan
from the inn TO see what there was TO
be seen. We arrived in the Moham-
medan quarter, which practically sur
rounds the sometime Jewish quarter.
but there was little TO learn My
Chinese Mohammedan was merely
amused, knowing nothing of history
excepting the history Of cash. and
told me that the only thing he knew
was that the people | sought were
formerly called lan-mao hui-tzu. or
blue-capped Mohammedans, but that
now they and the ordinary Chinese
Moslems were Zone people"
1t was only after a lot Of trouble
that an old woman was discovered
whose appearance promised well.
Her nose was hooked and her man
ners expansive, but alas! when |
used three entirely different Chinese
expressions for Jew, she understood
none of them. but still YOU are not
Mohammedan, | urged "No. am
not, it is true, but am not what YOU
say ! am" Presently she went in
doors and fetched out small boy
with a nose which no Chinaman
could possess were he OF the pure
race. What is he?" she asked. The
shape of the head was not that of n
Chinaman. the lips were thick, the
nose curved and the pigtail looked
odd enough. Gle is a Jew" | an
swered. The old woman chuckled:
This is a true Mohammedan who
eats no pork"
Ii is evidently an undeniable fact:
the Chinese Mohammedans and the
af int,