Shanghai French Concession
The New Synagogue was built by the Russian Jewish community of Shanghai. During the 1930s, the number of Russian Jews in the city increased to more than 4,000, exceeding the capacity of the existing Ohel Moshe Synagogue in Hongkew. After years of fundraising and construction under the leadership of Rabbi Ashkenazi, the synagogue was opened just in time for Passover in 1941. Ashkenazi served as its rabbi, and the Shanghai Ashkenazi Jewish Communal Association (SAJCA) also moved to the New Synagogue. It was located at 102 rue Tenant de la Tour (Ladu Lu in Chinese, now South Xiangyang Road) in the Shanghai French Concession, and was commonly called the Tenant de la Tour or Ladu Synagogue.