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 yea...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.展开更多
文摘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.
