The Image of Jews in Contemporary China

Reviews / Votes

"You will not find a more revealing and useful series of portraits of Jewish life in China than this fascinating and expertly edited book. With it, a history and sociology of Chinese Jewry is now available for the English readers." -- Samuel Heilman, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Queens College, CUNY "The amazing surge of interest in all things Jewish-Judaism, Jewishness, Jewish Studies-in contemporary China is one of the most remarkable phenomena in the contemporary globalized world. This superb volume of essays is the first to offer a truly sophisticated survey of different aspects of the Chinese-Jewish phenomenon, from the state of the contemporary Chinese-Jewish community in Kaifeng to China-Israel relations to the rise of Jewish Studies as an academic field in Chinese universities. With its many contributions from Chinese scholars in particular, this volume demonstrates the truly advanced level of 'Jewish' discourse in contemporary Chinese academic and intellectual life." -- David Stern, Harry Starr Professor of Classical and Modern Hebrew and Jewish Literature, Harvard University "In this ground-breaking study, James Ross and Song Lihong have produced a masterfully edited volume covering a wide range of important topics in Jewish studies in China. Authored by leading American and Chinese scholars, the individual chapters of the book offer deep insights on Chinese perception of the Jews and the forces driving the growth of Jewish Studies in China. The Image of Jews in Contemporary China is an unrivaled text in its field." -- Minxin Pei, Tom and Margot Pritzker '72 Professor of Government, Claremont McKenna College "The Image of Jews in Contemporary China, an illuminating volume edited by James Ross and Song Lihong ... covers a great deal of ground in comprehensive fashion ... This surge of interest in all things Jewish among Chinese people is no minor development, and fortunately, it's neatly encapsulated in The Image of Jews in Contemporary China." -- Sheldon Kirshner, The Times of Israel, 5 Feb 2017 "This is an exciting collection of articles centered around a unique theme: the image of Jews in China. It is exciting because in most parts of the Jewish Diaspora the predominant religious culture is either Christian or Islamic. ... It is in the Sinitic sphere-consisting of China, Mongolia, Tibet, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan-where Jews and Judaism are a new import. It is this novelty that makes this collection so intriguing. ... This collection, then, is indispensable for outlining the field mapped out by its title and beyond. I highly recommend it for students of both Asian and Jewish Studies, as well as for general readers curious about China and the Jewish people."

- Noam Urbach, University of Haifa, Antisemitism Studies 6, no. 2 (Fall 2022)