Poster for the lecture

On May 4, Museum volunteer Yang Meng was invited to deliver a lecture titled "The Jewish People and China" at the Zekelman Holocaust Center in Michigan. The lecture aimed to share the history of European Jewish refugees who sought refuge in Shanghai and introduce the Museum’s establishment and development to the center’s volunteer docents team. At the request of the organizers, the presentation also covered the broader history of Jewish migration to China, including the three major waves of Jewish immigration to Shanghai and two other significant Jewish migration events in modern times. The goal was to provide attendees with a comprehensive historical framework.

The lecture at The Zekelman Holocaust Center

Among the attendees were Holocaust survivors and their descendants from the Greater Detroit area, including Bob Salomon, who had sought refuge in Shanghai, along with his daughter and grandson. The event host, Roz Leiser, also shared her father Rudolf Leiser’s experiences of taking refuge in Shanghai and later being resettled in Michigan after the war.

During the Q&A session, several audience members shared their personal stories of revisiting the Hongkou District in Shanghai in the early 2000s. Upon learning about the large-scale redevelopment in the former Jewish ghetto in Hongkou, Roz Leiser expressed her desire to visit again.

About The Zekelman Holocaust Center

The Zekelman Holocaust Center, established in 1984, initially opened as the Holocaust Memorial Center on the campus of the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield. In 2004, it relocated to its current location in Farmington Hills. Dedicated to preserving the stories of the Holocaust, the center features a Holocaust museum, a library, an archive, a special exhibition gallery, educational workshops, and a variety of public programs. Today, it welcomes over 150,000 visitors annually.