Tracing Judaism in China

Abstract

中国是唯一一个犹太人在此连续生活过一千多年的远东国家。由于犹太人与犹太 教密不可分，犹太教也在中国社会存在了一千多年。犹太教不仅仅指犹太人的宗教信 仰，也构成犹太人日常生活的重要组成部分。本文追溯了犹太人在中国生活的时代背 景，以及他们的日常生活，如宗教仪式、教育、饮食、丧葬等，力图为犹太教在中国 的具体实践提供佐证。文章还从历史角度讨论了中国官方对犹太教的态度。 关键词: 犹太教 宗教生活 犹太人大流散 中国 China is the only country in the Far East in which Jews have lived continuously for over a thousand years. Because Judaism is inseparable from the Jews, it has also continued in Chinese society for over a thousand years. Judaism refers not only to the religious beliefs of the Jews but also – maybe more importantly – to the visible shape of the daily life of Jewish people. Therefore, in order to trace and present Judaism in China, this paper will focus on two issues: the presence of the Jews in China to provide the background, and their daily life such as holiday rituals, education, dietary laws and burial customs to present evidence of the actual practice of Judaism in China. In addition, the paper addresses official Chinese attitudes toward Judaism from a historical perspective.