Judaism in China

Abstract

Judaism in China is a unique topic for Jewish religion as China is the only country in East Asia that has had Jews living in its society for one thousand years. Various Jewish communities existed in various places at different times. Since Judaism is not a proselytizing religion, there were no activities of converting any Chinese into Judaism, but there was intermarriage between Jews and Chinese. Therefore, “Judaism in China” refers to the religious practices of Jews who had lived or are now living in China. In order to understand or present the theme, it is necessary to briefly explain the relationship between Jewish people and Judaism, because it is different from that of any other religion. In Judaism, founded by Jews, the devotion object is God. As the earliest monotheistic religion, Judaism had great impacts on the rise of both Christianity and Islam. Because of the uniqueness of the history and cultural developments of the Jewish people, the nuances of the term “Judaism” are very broad. Its basic meaning is “all Jewish.” In other words, it includes the whole of Jewish civilization. So Judaism does not merely refer to the religious beliefs of Jews but also—maybe more importantly—the visible daily life of the Jewish people, and indicates Jewish culture or the kernel of Jewish culture. Further, in the course of a very long history, Jewish thought, spirit, religion, and culture includes all aspects of the people who were bound together and it would be very difficult to separate them. It is often said: Jews cannot separate from their religion, for if they do then there would be no Jewish people. Furthermore, for Jews Judaism is the manner of their life. The life of the Jews, observant or not, is inextricably bound to their religion, from their eating and drinking to marriage and death, and all are connected with their religion. Therefore, one may very well say that Judaism has also continued in Chinese society for over a thousand years due to the fact that Judaism is indigenous to Jews and is inconceivable without it, as Judaism and Jews entered history simultaneously. Talking about Jewish Diaspora in China, there is a significant distinction between Jews in premodern China (before 1840) and modern China (since 1840). Those who came before modern times became part of Chinese society without distinct features while those who came since modern times remained as aliens. The practices of Judaism by those two groups of Jews were carried out under different circumstances. Therefore, it is necessary to address them separately. Finally, Judaism in China must include books and articles, written either by Chinese or by foreign scholars whose works were translated into Chinese.