China's righteous path: Generosity and suffering in the WWII fight against fascism

My name is Rabbi Shimon Freundlich, and I have had the privilege of serving as the rabbi of the Beijing Jewish community since September 3, 2001. When we first arrived with our two young daughters, we could not have foreseen the life we would build here. Over the years, our family has grown to six children and four grandchildren, all of whom have known China as their home. During these nearly 24 years, we have experienced first-hand not only the greatness of this country, but also the warmth, kindness, and generosity of its people. Giving back in friendship, in service, and in shared purpose is part of who we are as a people, and it has created a bond with the Chinese people that is profound, inspiring, and life-affirming.

I am writing this letter on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression during World War II. This commemoration reminds us of the courage, resilience, and sacrifices of the Chinese people during those dark years. First and foremost, I wish to honor and express my deep appreciation for the heroism and determination of the Chinese people in defending their country. I also wish to highlight China's extraordinary role as a safe haven for Jewish refugees during the war, a generosity for which the Jewish people remain forever grateful.

China played a pivotal role in the efforts that contributed to the conclusion of World War II. Through sustained resistance and steadfast determination, the nation significantly impacted the broader struggle that ultimately brought the conflict to an end. Official records indicate that more than 35 million Chinese troops and civilians were killed and injured during the war.

When Beijing, then known as Peiping, fell to the Japanese army on July 29, 1937, more than 10,000 civilians were killed or went missing during the city's capture. This event prompted the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China to cooperate in resisting Japanese aggression, marking the commencement of China's nationwide resistance against invasion, Japanese imperialism, and the forces of global fascism during World War II.

The Japanese invasion of Shanghai in August 1937 was followed by the Nanking (Nanjing) Massacre, infamously known as the Rape of Nanking in the West. Over a six-week reign of terror, Chinese soldiers and civilians were subjected to widespread looting, torture, beheadings, live burials, burning, and sexual violence. It is estimated that about 300,000 Chinese civilians and unarmed soldiers were killed, while tens of thousands of women and girls were raped, with many mutilated or murdered.

In Harbin, Heilongjiang province, the Exhibition Hall of Evidence of Crimes Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army publicly released for the first time complete video material of oral testimony from Masakuni Kurumizawa, a former member of the notorious Unit 731 germ-warfare division. In these recordings, Kurumizawa confessed to human dissections, conducting experiments on prisoners, and waging biological warfare. Between 1939 and 1945, 400 to 600 individuals were imprisoned annually for such experiments. He noted that the unit's strict secrecy measures meant that even his own family was unaware of his criminal actions, which contributed to the prolonged concealment of Unit 731's atrocities after the war.

We give thanks to the Chinese people for their heroic efforts. As a nation, countless Chinese people sacrificed and made contributions toward world peace. We should keep their memories alive by remembering and sharing the stories of the many unsung heroes who fell during this time. May they rest in peace.

Throughout the darkest years of World War II, when Jewish men, women, and children were being hunted across Europe, much of the world turned its back. Ships carrying desperate refugees were turned away from Western ports. Entire families were sent back to almost certain death. But in the East, in Shanghai, Tianjin, and Harbin, doors were opened, and human dignity was preserved. Tens of thousands of Jewish refugees were saved because the Chinese people welcomed them into their country, their homes, and their communities.

China itself was suffering immensely, facing brutal occupation, devastation, and atrocities on its own soil. Yet in the midst of this, the Chinese people showed the world the meaning of compassion, tolerance, and moral courage. You not only accepted Jewish refugees, you welcomed them, gave them a place to live, and allowed them to rebuild their lives, even as your own cities burned.

This sanctuary changed the course of Jewish history. The Mir Yeshiva (rabbinical college), one of Europe's great centers of Torah (the central text of Jewish teaching) learning, fled to Shanghai. At that time, there were just 400 students. Today, in Jerusalem, the Mir Yeshiva numbers over 12,500 students, with branches around the world. Its survival, and the generations of spiritual leadership it has produced, would have been impossible without the refuge China provided.

Similarly, the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, the largest Jewish outreach organization in the world today, sent a group of 46 students to Harbin and Shanghai during the war, where they studied in the Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva (rabbinical college). After four years, they resettled in Montreal, Canada, and established what has become a flagship Chabad community, a beacon of Jewish life across North America. This was only possible because China gave them shelter when the rest of the world's doors were closed.

The Jewish people have never forgotten this. In a time when human life was cheapened and cruelty was rampant; the Chinese people chose humanity. You chose life. And because of that, our communities, our schools, our families, and our future were given the chance to flourish.

We will always remember the courage, sacrifice, and determination of the Chinese people. Your heroism not only preserved your own nation but contributed significantly to the eventual end of World War II. Your generosity saved lives, preserved hope, and allowed entire communities to flourish. As a family, as a community, and as part of the Jewish people, we remain eternally grateful. May the bonds forged through these acts of humanity continue to grow, and may nations around the world learn from China, her people, her culture, and her enduring example of moral courage.

Rabbi Shimon Freundlich is with the Beijing Jewish Community Chabad. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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