Museum
Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum
Chinese name
上海犹太难民纪念馆
Chinese address
上海市虹口区长阳路62号
Opening hours: 09:00 - 16:00
The Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum centers around the historic Ohel Moshe Synagogue, which was built in 1927 by Russian Jewish immigrants. During the 1930s and 1940s, this area in the Hongkou (Hóngkǒu) district became a sanctuary for about twenty thousand Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution in Europe.
At the time, Shanghai was one of the very few destinations in the world that did not require an entry visa or proof of financial means. When ports across the globe closed their doors to European Jews, thousands traveled by sea or overland via the Trans-Siberian Railway to seek safety here.
During the Japanese occupation in 1943, the Japanese authorities established the Designated Area for Stateless Refugees, confining the Jewish population to a dense, restricted quarter of about one square mile. The refugees lived alongside local Chinese residents in traditional lilong (lǐlòng) lane housing, sharing kitchens and water taps while building their own schools, newspapers, shops, and social institutions. The Ohel Moshe Synagogue served as a vital community hub and place of worship throughout those difficult years.
The site officially opened as a museum in 2007 to preserve this chapter of World War II history. The complex now features the restored synagogue, historical exhibition galleries, and a memorial wall inscribed with the names of thousands of refugees who found shelter here. Through photographs, personal artifacts, diaries, and recorded testimonies, the museum documents the daily lives of the refugees and their shared coexistence with the local Chinese community.