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he stayed for two months to help with Shanghai and put forward a plan for the Far East, including China. He con-
relief, because there was a need for the “Final Solution” in Shanghai to the ducted services in Japan and worked in
food and medicine. Bernie discovered Japanese authorities. Why did the the evacuation of Seoul in 1952 during
that Jews in that area owned hotels. Japanese not carry out the “Meisinger the Korean War. Bernie traveled to DC
Near the end of WW II he attended a Plan”? Japanese factions in the govern- in 1953 and married Marlene.
yeshiva in Shanghai and seriously ment held out the idea of future peace-
thought about being a rabbi. ful relations with the U.S. and consid- In 1954, after his discharge from the
ered the Jews to be a means to this Air Force, the couple were reunited,
The war was coming to an end. The relationship. The Japanese were hoping and Bernie enrolled in a hotel training
people in Shanghai endured bombing to maintain good relationships with the school under the G.I. Bill. He subse-
by American planes and several Jewish Russians as well, and the slaughtering quently worked for the Washington
refugees were killed. Finally, Bernie, of Jews would damage this relationship. Daily News as a circulation manager.
who was living near a Japanese military Another factor may have been that the He then came to Baltimore in 1960
installation, found that the barracks Japanese had no tradition of anti- and was president of Adath Yeshuran
were empty and the Japanese had gone. Jewish prejudice, both intellectually and Synagogue and a JWV commander. He
The war was over for the people of emotionally. (The Holocaust and The was director of the Jewish National
Shanghai. The ghetto was liberated on United Nations Outreach Program: Fund from 1964 to 1985 and worked
September 3, 1945. Discussion Papers Series, Vol II, for many other Jewish organizations.
“Shanghai: A Haven For Holocaust
◆◆◆ Victims” by Pan Guang) Bernie’s brother Siegfried left
Shanghai in 1949 and came to Atlantic
The question arises: Why didn’t the We may never know exactly why the City; he has passed away. Bernie’s par-
Japanese act towards the Jews as they Japanese spared the Jews of Shanghai, ents Lesser and Ettel and brother Sol
had to so many others? They surely but we do know that Bernie, his family, went to Israel in 1951 and then settled
showed no mercy to many Chinese and thousands of his fellow Jews sur- in Atlantic City in 1954. His sister
civilians and allied soldiers. And as is vived and left Shanghai to eventually Selma went to Israel with her parents
well known, the Nazis stepped up pres- pursue productive lives elsewhere. and brother in 1951, married and then
sure on Japan to hand over the came with her husband and children to
Shanghai Jews and even sent represen- ◆◆◆ Atlantic City in 1955. Lesser, Ettel, and
tatives from the Gestapo to Shanghai. Selma have passed away. Sol became a
Bernie remained in Shanghai and school teacher, married, had children,
Some authors have speculated that continued to work for the German lan- and continues to live in Atlantic City.
the Chinese and Japanese interpreted guage newspaper. He came in contact
the anti-Semitic ideas of the Europeans with American Army officials and repre- ◆◆◆
differently: The Japanese thought that sentatives of the UN. Finally, in 1948,
the Jews’ wealth and power could be of he left Shanghai. He had earned money And now, we come full circle to the
use to them. They believed the anti- while working in Shanghai and was day of Bernie’s bar mitzva in Shanghai.
Semitic idea that the Jews controlled given several hundred additional funds It was Shabbos, parshat Noach. The
the world’s economy and politics, and by Silas Hardoon. He was able to book previous day’s rain had ended, and the
wanted to use this “Jewish power” passage by ship to San Francisco and sun shone brightly. Bernie was well pre-
towards the creation of a Japanese then traveled by train to Atlantic City, pared to recite his maftir by Rev. Cantor
empire. (Ian Deeks, Unlikely where his aunt lived. He worked as a Ashendorf of Shanghai’s Ohel Moshe
Assistance: How The Chinese and waiter and in a Venetian blind factory. Synagogue (he was killed in a B-29
Japanese Saved 20.000 Jews in bombing raid in 1945), and after the
Shanghai During WWII) The Japanese Bernie became a speaker in syna- Shabbat service, a kiddush was held.
were unwilling to liquidate the Jews as gogues and joined Young Israel while
the Nazi allies urged and were con- living in Atlantic City. There he met The celebrant is also required to
vinced, despite all the evidence to the Marlene Schulman, who was 14 years make a speech, which often begins with
contrary, that the Jews were powerful old at the time and was later to become the phrase, “Today I am a man.” We can
and well connected. With little experi- his wife. Marlene remarked that she see that Bernie’s experiences in
ence and few policies to govern their was very impressed with his maturity Shanghai laid the foundation to fulfill
actions, the Japanese adopted a laissez- when she first met him. this phrase in the fullest sense, not only
faire attitude towards the Jewish com- as a member of the Jewish community
munity. (Antisemitism: a Historical Bernie enlisted in the Air Force in but as a person who became a valued
Encyclopedia of Prejudice and 1950 and became engaged to Marlene and productive member in all the com-
Persecution, Vol. 1, edited by Richard in 1951, prior to going overseas. He munities in which he has lived.◆
Levy: article by David G. Goodman.) remained overseas for two-and-a-half Bernie and Marlene continue to live in
years, during which time, Marlene and Baltimore. They have been married 63
In July, 1942, Colonel Josef her family moved to D.C. In the Air years and have five sons. Albert
Meisinger, chief representative of the Force, Bernie became a chaplain’s Sherman is a freelance writer in
Nazi Gestapo in Japan, arrived in assistant and also lectured troops on Baltimore.
90 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
relief, because there was a need for the “Final Solution” in Shanghai to the ducted services in Japan and worked in
food and medicine. Bernie discovered Japanese authorities. Why did the the evacuation of Seoul in 1952 during
that Jews in that area owned hotels. Japanese not carry out the “Meisinger the Korean War. Bernie traveled to DC
Near the end of WW II he attended a Plan”? Japanese factions in the govern- in 1953 and married Marlene.
yeshiva in Shanghai and seriously ment held out the idea of future peace-
thought about being a rabbi. ful relations with the U.S. and consid- In 1954, after his discharge from the
ered the Jews to be a means to this Air Force, the couple were reunited,
The war was coming to an end. The relationship. The Japanese were hoping and Bernie enrolled in a hotel training
people in Shanghai endured bombing to maintain good relationships with the school under the G.I. Bill. He subse-
by American planes and several Jewish Russians as well, and the slaughtering quently worked for the Washington
refugees were killed. Finally, Bernie, of Jews would damage this relationship. Daily News as a circulation manager.
who was living near a Japanese military Another factor may have been that the He then came to Baltimore in 1960
installation, found that the barracks Japanese had no tradition of anti- and was president of Adath Yeshuran
were empty and the Japanese had gone. Jewish prejudice, both intellectually and Synagogue and a JWV commander. He
The war was over for the people of emotionally. (The Holocaust and The was director of the Jewish National
Shanghai. The ghetto was liberated on United Nations Outreach Program: Fund from 1964 to 1985 and worked
September 3, 1945. Discussion Papers Series, Vol II, for many other Jewish organizations.
“Shanghai: A Haven For Holocaust
◆◆◆ Victims” by Pan Guang) Bernie’s brother Siegfried left
Shanghai in 1949 and came to Atlantic
The question arises: Why didn’t the We may never know exactly why the City; he has passed away. Bernie’s par-
Japanese act towards the Jews as they Japanese spared the Jews of Shanghai, ents Lesser and Ettel and brother Sol
had to so many others? They surely but we do know that Bernie, his family, went to Israel in 1951 and then settled
showed no mercy to many Chinese and thousands of his fellow Jews sur- in Atlantic City in 1954. His sister
civilians and allied soldiers. And as is vived and left Shanghai to eventually Selma went to Israel with her parents
well known, the Nazis stepped up pres- pursue productive lives elsewhere. and brother in 1951, married and then
sure on Japan to hand over the came with her husband and children to
Shanghai Jews and even sent represen- ◆◆◆ Atlantic City in 1955. Lesser, Ettel, and
tatives from the Gestapo to Shanghai. Selma have passed away. Sol became a
Bernie remained in Shanghai and school teacher, married, had children,
Some authors have speculated that continued to work for the German lan- and continues to live in Atlantic City.
the Chinese and Japanese interpreted guage newspaper. He came in contact
the anti-Semitic ideas of the Europeans with American Army officials and repre- ◆◆◆
differently: The Japanese thought that sentatives of the UN. Finally, in 1948,
the Jews’ wealth and power could be of he left Shanghai. He had earned money And now, we come full circle to the
use to them. They believed the anti- while working in Shanghai and was day of Bernie’s bar mitzva in Shanghai.
Semitic idea that the Jews controlled given several hundred additional funds It was Shabbos, parshat Noach. The
the world’s economy and politics, and by Silas Hardoon. He was able to book previous day’s rain had ended, and the
wanted to use this “Jewish power” passage by ship to San Francisco and sun shone brightly. Bernie was well pre-
towards the creation of a Japanese then traveled by train to Atlantic City, pared to recite his maftir by Rev. Cantor
empire. (Ian Deeks, Unlikely where his aunt lived. He worked as a Ashendorf of Shanghai’s Ohel Moshe
Assistance: How The Chinese and waiter and in a Venetian blind factory. Synagogue (he was killed in a B-29
Japanese Saved 20.000 Jews in bombing raid in 1945), and after the
Shanghai During WWII) The Japanese Bernie became a speaker in syna- Shabbat service, a kiddush was held.
were unwilling to liquidate the Jews as gogues and joined Young Israel while
the Nazi allies urged and were con- living in Atlantic City. There he met The celebrant is also required to
vinced, despite all the evidence to the Marlene Schulman, who was 14 years make a speech, which often begins with
contrary, that the Jews were powerful old at the time and was later to become the phrase, “Today I am a man.” We can
and well connected. With little experi- his wife. Marlene remarked that she see that Bernie’s experiences in
ence and few policies to govern their was very impressed with his maturity Shanghai laid the foundation to fulfill
actions, the Japanese adopted a laissez- when she first met him. this phrase in the fullest sense, not only
faire attitude towards the Jewish com- as a member of the Jewish community
munity. (Antisemitism: a Historical Bernie enlisted in the Air Force in but as a person who became a valued
Encyclopedia of Prejudice and 1950 and became engaged to Marlene and productive member in all the com-
Persecution, Vol. 1, edited by Richard in 1951, prior to going overseas. He munities in which he has lived.◆
Levy: article by David G. Goodman.) remained overseas for two-and-a-half Bernie and Marlene continue to live in
years, during which time, Marlene and Baltimore. They have been married 63
In July, 1942, Colonel Josef her family moved to D.C. In the Air years and have five sons. Albert
Meisinger, chief representative of the Force, Bernie became a chaplain’s Sherman is a freelance writer in
Nazi Gestapo in Japan, arrived in assistant and also lectured troops on Baltimore.
90 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
