The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has praised the city of
Shanghai for its help to Jewish people in World War II.
Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the New York-based
organization, made the comments yesterday during a visit to
Shanghai.
The group was established in 1913, and is an international
non-governmental organization dedicated to stopping the defamation
of the Jewish people and to securing justice and fair treatment for
all.
Twenty-five members of the group visited Shanghai yesterday, and
the two-week tour will also take them to Hong Kong, Beijing, Harbin
and Xi'an.
Foxman said, "For us, Shanghai is an important city. During
World War II, when most of the world closed its doors to Jewish
people, China permitted Jewish people to come."
"They accepted Jewish people, they treated them well and they
took care of them."
He added there were three reasons for the group's tour of the
country.
"The first is for a better relationship between Jewish people
and Chinese people, the second is for a better relationship between
China and the US.
"And the last is to strengthen the relationship between China
and Israel," he said.
The delegation visited the former synagogues and residences of
Jewish people in Shanghai during the war. Many members in the group
were visiting these sites for the first time, and were impressed by
the buildings.
"This is my second time in China, but my first time to visit the
synagogues in Shanghai. Chinese were really very kind in the war.
Even when they were suffering from the invasion of Japanese, they
still helped us," said Irving Geszel, a member of the group.
"I do have good feelings towards Chinese."
"Even now, they still preserve these buildings for us."
He added, "In the past, both Jewish people and Chinese suffered
from wars and injustice. But now we are pleased to see that both
peoples have developed greatly. This trip is a good opportunity for
us to find out about the development in China."
Foxman said the visit would help Jewish society have a deeper
and more profound understanding about today's China, which would
benefit the relationship between Chinese and Jewish people.
"I have a feeling that Jewish society will become larger in
Shanghai and China in the future. We would like to be of more help
to China," he said.
(China Daily March 27, 2006)
