Page 96 - issue
P. 96
relatively untouched by the cruel laws the perhaps 100 families staying there, Eventually all three settled in Israel.
passed against the German Jews (there and they ate in a joint kitchen. The Japanese declared what they
were about 10,000 Jews in Eventually, they were able to rent a
Koenigsberg), and Mr. Kiewe continued three-room apartment with a kitchen. referred to as the “Designated Area for
to work in the clothing factory. Mrs. Kiewe obtained a job as a helper Stateless Refugees” and moved the
However, Jewish children were excluded in a community kitchen, and Mr. Kiewe Jewish refugees and others to this area,
from public schools, and when Bernie was paid to stand in line to get food for which was known to Bernie as the
started school, he went to a Talmud people. ghetto. Even though there were limits
Torah in Koenigsberg. on who could exit the Ghetto, Bernie
◆◆◆ had a pass which enabled him to con-
◆◆◆ tact news offices and obtain informa-
The situation in Shanghai from tion, which he brought back to his
The Kiewes’ lives changed after the 1937 to 1941 was one of repeated bat- newspaper.
fateful events of November 9 and 10, tles between Chinese forces and the
1938, known as Kristallnacht. The Japanese army, though certain enclaves Life in the ghetto was hard, but Jews
Gestapo came to the Kiewe house at in Shanghai remained havens for were able to maintain a reasonably var-
4:00 a.m. and arrested Lesser and took refugees from the war in Europe. ied and stable life. There was monetary
him to jail (possibly because he was a Finally, by 1941, the Japanese took over support from overseas Jewish commu-
member of the Social Democratic complete control and governing of nities and from the Chinese who lived
Party). Mrs. Kiewe was allowed to visit Shanghai. in Shanghai. (The Holocaust and the
and bring him food because of her United Nations Outreach Program:
friendship with the police. This was the Into this mix, several hundred stu- Discussion Papers Series, Vol. II,
final straw for Mrs. Kiewe, and she dents from the Mir Yeshiva came to “Shanghai: A Haven for Holocaust
decided it was time to leave Germany. Shanghai with Rabbi Chaim Victims” by Pan Guang)
She went to the Jewish Agency for help, Shmuelevitz, in 1941. Mr. Khadouri
and in July, 1939, the family, minus Mr. opened schools for the refugee chil- ◆◆◆
Kiewe, who remained in jail, began dren, including kindergarten through
their journey to Shanghai. high school and a Talmud Torah. Soon The Japanese official in constant
Jewish leaders were selected to work contact with the Jewish population was
First they went to Berlin to visit with the Japanese. The refugees were Major Kanoh Ghoya, who was known
Bernie’s grandfather, then took a train able to make the transition from being to all as “the King of the Jews.” Bernie
through the Brenner Pass in the Alps, supported by welfare agencies to estab- met Ghoya when he went to his office
then on to Trieste, in Italy. There they lishing a functioning community. Jewish to obtain a pass to leave the ghetto to
boarded a ship which passed through culture life flourished, schools were get bulletins from UPS, AP, Reuters,
the Suez Canal to India, Manila, and established, newspapers were pub- and the Chinese News Agency for the
finally to Shanghai. lished, theaters produced plays, and Shanghai Jewish Echo. It was rumored
sports teams participated in training that Ghoya was quite rude to everyone
When the family arrived, the and competition. (Holocaust and possibly cut beards off as a punish-
Chinese were nominally in charge of Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust ment. Nevertheless, Bernie took two
Shanghai, but the British and French Museum) rabbis to Ghoya’s office to discuss prob-
had considerable influence and power lems with rent from Korean landlords.
in that city, including operating their Bernie found a job at a German-lan- Ghoya spoke to Bernie in German and
own police forces. Middle Eastern and guage newspaper, the Shanghai Jewish English.
Russian Jews had settled in Shanghai Echo, with a circulation of about
many years before, and Sefardi families 15,000, putting newspapers in stands When the war ended, several people
such as the Sassoons, the Hardoons, and answering letters and phone calls. confronted Ghoya, and he was severely
and the Khadouris were very promi- According to Bernie, the editor of this beaten but apparently escaped any fur-
nent in business and civic affairs. paper was Ossie Levin, whose father ther punishment. Bernie was to have
was a rabbi. The Japanese allowed one more contact with him years later,
Later in 1939, Mr. Kiewe was printing of other newspapers in when Bernie was in Japan as a member
released from jail and, after agreeing to English, Russian, and Yiddish. of the U.S. Air Force. On an assignment
give up all their possessions as a condi- in 1952, he came upon Ghoya, who was
tion of release, joined his family in Bernie belonged to a Zionist Youth now the police chief in Fukuoka, Japan.
Shanghai. movement, Betar, that trained people He confronted him and said, “You are
for military activity and settlement in Mr. Ghoya,” but Ghoya didn’t respond.
With the influx of German and Israel. Some of the members of this Bernie then went to the U.S. vice-coun-
Eastern European Jews to Shanghai group subsequently joined the Irgun. sel to report him but was told, “He is
after 1939 (eventually 20,000 Jews set- Bernie remembers fellow Betar mem- small fry. The war is over; leave it
tled there), the housing situation was at bers Kurt Maimen, Fritz Gottfried, and alone.”
first quite desperate. The Kiewe family Heinz Zimmerman, who were married
lived in a communal building with in Jewish weddings in Shanghai. In 1943, Bernie was allowed to go
bunk beds and blankets to separate on a trip to Chinese Manchuria, where
88 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
passed against the German Jews (there and they ate in a joint kitchen. The Japanese declared what they
were about 10,000 Jews in Eventually, they were able to rent a
Koenigsberg), and Mr. Kiewe continued three-room apartment with a kitchen. referred to as the “Designated Area for
to work in the clothing factory. Mrs. Kiewe obtained a job as a helper Stateless Refugees” and moved the
However, Jewish children were excluded in a community kitchen, and Mr. Kiewe Jewish refugees and others to this area,
from public schools, and when Bernie was paid to stand in line to get food for which was known to Bernie as the
started school, he went to a Talmud people. ghetto. Even though there were limits
Torah in Koenigsberg. on who could exit the Ghetto, Bernie
◆◆◆ had a pass which enabled him to con-
◆◆◆ tact news offices and obtain informa-
The situation in Shanghai from tion, which he brought back to his
The Kiewes’ lives changed after the 1937 to 1941 was one of repeated bat- newspaper.
fateful events of November 9 and 10, tles between Chinese forces and the
1938, known as Kristallnacht. The Japanese army, though certain enclaves Life in the ghetto was hard, but Jews
Gestapo came to the Kiewe house at in Shanghai remained havens for were able to maintain a reasonably var-
4:00 a.m. and arrested Lesser and took refugees from the war in Europe. ied and stable life. There was monetary
him to jail (possibly because he was a Finally, by 1941, the Japanese took over support from overseas Jewish commu-
member of the Social Democratic complete control and governing of nities and from the Chinese who lived
Party). Mrs. Kiewe was allowed to visit Shanghai. in Shanghai. (The Holocaust and the
and bring him food because of her United Nations Outreach Program:
friendship with the police. This was the Into this mix, several hundred stu- Discussion Papers Series, Vol. II,
final straw for Mrs. Kiewe, and she dents from the Mir Yeshiva came to “Shanghai: A Haven for Holocaust
decided it was time to leave Germany. Shanghai with Rabbi Chaim Victims” by Pan Guang)
She went to the Jewish Agency for help, Shmuelevitz, in 1941. Mr. Khadouri
and in July, 1939, the family, minus Mr. opened schools for the refugee chil- ◆◆◆
Kiewe, who remained in jail, began dren, including kindergarten through
their journey to Shanghai. high school and a Talmud Torah. Soon The Japanese official in constant
Jewish leaders were selected to work contact with the Jewish population was
First they went to Berlin to visit with the Japanese. The refugees were Major Kanoh Ghoya, who was known
Bernie’s grandfather, then took a train able to make the transition from being to all as “the King of the Jews.” Bernie
through the Brenner Pass in the Alps, supported by welfare agencies to estab- met Ghoya when he went to his office
then on to Trieste, in Italy. There they lishing a functioning community. Jewish to obtain a pass to leave the ghetto to
boarded a ship which passed through culture life flourished, schools were get bulletins from UPS, AP, Reuters,
the Suez Canal to India, Manila, and established, newspapers were pub- and the Chinese News Agency for the
finally to Shanghai. lished, theaters produced plays, and Shanghai Jewish Echo. It was rumored
sports teams participated in training that Ghoya was quite rude to everyone
When the family arrived, the and competition. (Holocaust and possibly cut beards off as a punish-
Chinese were nominally in charge of Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust ment. Nevertheless, Bernie took two
Shanghai, but the British and French Museum) rabbis to Ghoya’s office to discuss prob-
had considerable influence and power lems with rent from Korean landlords.
in that city, including operating their Bernie found a job at a German-lan- Ghoya spoke to Bernie in German and
own police forces. Middle Eastern and guage newspaper, the Shanghai Jewish English.
Russian Jews had settled in Shanghai Echo, with a circulation of about
many years before, and Sefardi families 15,000, putting newspapers in stands When the war ended, several people
such as the Sassoons, the Hardoons, and answering letters and phone calls. confronted Ghoya, and he was severely
and the Khadouris were very promi- According to Bernie, the editor of this beaten but apparently escaped any fur-
nent in business and civic affairs. paper was Ossie Levin, whose father ther punishment. Bernie was to have
was a rabbi. The Japanese allowed one more contact with him years later,
Later in 1939, Mr. Kiewe was printing of other newspapers in when Bernie was in Japan as a member
released from jail and, after agreeing to English, Russian, and Yiddish. of the U.S. Air Force. On an assignment
give up all their possessions as a condi- in 1952, he came upon Ghoya, who was
tion of release, joined his family in Bernie belonged to a Zionist Youth now the police chief in Fukuoka, Japan.
Shanghai. movement, Betar, that trained people He confronted him and said, “You are
for military activity and settlement in Mr. Ghoya,” but Ghoya didn’t respond.
With the influx of German and Israel. Some of the members of this Bernie then went to the U.S. vice-coun-
Eastern European Jews to Shanghai group subsequently joined the Irgun. sel to report him but was told, “He is
after 1939 (eventually 20,000 Jews set- Bernie remembers fellow Betar mem- small fry. The war is over; leave it
tled there), the housing situation was at bers Kurt Maimen, Fritz Gottfried, and alone.”
first quite desperate. The Kiewe family Heinz Zimmerman, who were married
lived in a communal building with in Jewish weddings in Shanghai. In 1943, Bernie was allowed to go
bunk beds and blankets to separate on a trip to Chinese Manchuria, where
88 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
