Kaifeng Descendants Today

Kaifeng Jewish Community Suffers New Suppression

by Wang Yichi

Reprinted from Bitter Winter: A Magazine on Religious Liberty and Human Rights

December 23, 2020

Under the pretext of “religious infiltration,” the CCP’s crackdown against religious groups has hit again the oldest community of Jews in the country.

Since Xi Jinping took power, the repression of religion has been increasingly vigorous. Religious movements that are non-officially approved or considered to be influenced by foreign forces have been subjected to the government’s heavy crackdown. Even small religious groups like the tiny community of Kaifeng Jews are deemed as threats and thus persecuted by the CCP. (Read more ...)

The Changing Status of the Chinese Jews

by Anson Laytner

The status and identity of the Kaifeng Jews has progressed through a number of historical stages: the formative years, the open door era, and the period from around the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Israel down to 2015, and the present situation.  (Read more ...)

The Kaifeng Suppression - Update

by Anson Laytner

In 2015, the Chinese authorities cracked down on the Jewish community in Kaifeng for reasons best known only to them although it is assumed to be part of the government's crackdown on unauthorized religions.  They closed the Jewish school, expelled  the foreign teachers, prohibited communal gatherings, took down all historical signs and markers, shut down access to the three museum exhibits, sealed off the well on the ancient synagogue site, and forbade group tours by foreign Jews.  Only small family observance was still allowed and individual/family visits by foreign Jews were still permitted.