Project to Study Chinese Perceptions of Jews and Judaism

By Al Dien

This project, titled "Youtai Presence: The Perception of Jews and Judaism in China", will be led by Prof. Dr. Peter Kupfer from Johannes Gutenberg-University, FB 23 Angewandte Sprach-und Kulturwissenschaft, IK-Chinesisch, and Prof. Dr. Roman Malek, SVD, Institut Monumenta Serica, Theologische Fakultaet, Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule St. Augustin.

It has three components:
1. Research Project: January 1st - December 31, 2003
2. International Symposium: September 22 - 26, 2003
3. Exhibition: September 22 - October 10, 2003

1. Research Project: January 1st - December 31, 2003
In recent years, research on the history and culture of the Kaifeng Jews has been carried out not only in China, but also abroad. Increasing academic interest in relevant subjects is also expected in the future. This research project shall be a contribution to the discussions about the questions mentioned above. It will concentrate on the topic of the social status and the assimilation of the Kaifeng Jews into Chinese society. On the basis of the latest sources and research results, the following questions will be systematically discussed and analyzed:

• The current status of the descendants of the Kaifeng Jews in present modern Chinese society, which is now heavily influenced by globalization.
• Presentation of related questions, such as the Chinese perception of the Jews and Judaism, not only in society itself, but also among scholars, from the historical, sociological, religious, ethnic and ethnological perspectives.
• The self-reflections of the older and the younger generations among the descendents of the Kaifeng Jews.
• Debate on the implications associated with Jews and Judaism as an "Other", "a distant mirror in the construction of the Self" in the context of an emergent national identity and self-contemplation amongst various social groups in modern China.

This project has the following aims:

• to continue and to process the research results gained during and after the conference in Sankt Augustin 1997. The relevant data, which were not, or only slightly, taken into consideration, shall be evaluated and analyzed. New knowledge from several international scholars shall be introduced during the discussion.
• to investigate the Chinese image of Jews, paraphrased as "Youtai" by the Chinese public and among the descendants of the Kaifeng Jews themselves: Since its reform and opening policy in 1979, China has pursued a new policy of nationalities which does not officially recognize "Jews" as one of its 55 minorities. Nevertheless, the
  descendants of the Jews in Kaifeng have become increasingly recognized. For example, they are allowed to keep contacts with Jewish communities abroad, to have the possibility to travel to Israel, and to enjoy the privileges for minorities. A personal document, which we obtained in recent years, shows that the term "Youtai" (Jew) was even accepted in the family books of individual descendants. This shows that, under the current relatively liberal conditions, and through encouragement from contacts abroad, the descendants of the Kaifeng Jews may be looking for a new identity in order to develop themselves. This project plans to invite one or two Chinese scholars from the Academy of Social Science of China to participate in the symposium. They shall represent the official policy of the nationalities and minorities in China.
• to continue the current debate among Chinese intellectuals and the younger generation of scholars in China on the Youtai phenomenon within the framework of Chinese history, culture and society. This project plans to invite young scholars from China, as well as from Israel (Hebrew University) and Great Britain (SOAS) who have been doing research on Judaism, to take part into the discussion.

2. International Symposium: September 22 - 26, 2003
A three- or four-day symposium on this topic, with 30-40 participants, is planned for the end of September or the beginning of October 2003 in Fachbereich Angewandte Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaft of the University Mainz in Germersheim. Around 15 international, mainly Chinese, scholars will be participating in the symposium and will give lectures on the relevant topics. This event will be based on the latest research results, especially on the state of discussion which was reached during the international colloquiums From Kaifeng to Shanghai. Jews in China in the year of 1997 in Sankt Augustin in Germany and International Symposium on History of Jewish Diaspora in China in May 2002 in Nanjing, China. In addition to prominent international scholars, younger scholars will be invited to participate in this symposium, so that they may have their first chance to present their research at an international forum. The symposium is open not only to students and teachers from the university, but also open to the regional public.

3. Exhibition: September 22 - October 10, 2003
Also at the symposium, an exhibition on Jewish culture in Kaifeng will be held for a couple of weeks to present the documents and objects from the exhibition in Sankt Augustin 1997, From Kaifeng to Shanghai. Jews in China.