On The Jewish-run Newspapers In Shanghai(1904-1949)

In the century following the Opium War,modern China has witnessed three peak periods of Jews’ immigration to the country.Three different types of Jewish groups,namely,the Sephardi Jews,the Ashkenazi Jews and the European Jewish refugees carried out activities of publishing newspapers broadly in China especially in Shanghai.More than 50 Jewish newspapers were published by Jews in Shanghai from1904 to 1949.Israel’s Messenger,as the pioneer of Jewish-run newspapers in Shanghai and as the longest-running Jewish newspaper in the history of modern Chinese journalism,was a unique record of the historical conditions of Jews living in Shanghai and the Far East between 1904 and 1941,and served as an important means for Jewish communities in the diaspora around the world to learn about the living conditions of Jews in the Far East.Taking Israel’s Messenger as the main historical basis of the research,this paper mainly analyzes and summarizes its background,mission,development course and journalism operation,outlines the economic,political,spiritual and cultural life of Jews in modern Shanghai and around the world to a certain extent,presents the historical development of the city of Shanghai and the changes of Chinese society,and further discusses what role Israel’s Messenger played in Shanghai Jewish community and what impact it had on the newspaper industry and society in modern China.In this paper,it is found that the publication of Israel’s Messenger was inseparable from the development of the world Zionist movement.The World Zionist Congress held in Basel,Switzerland,in 1903 directly gave birth to Israel’s Messenger,and the issuance of the Balfour Declaration in 1917 led to the resume publication of it,which had been discontinued from 1910 to 1918,continuing to serve the Jewish community and the cause of Jewish national aspirations.Meanwhile,the urban modernization course of Shanghai and the Jews’ tradition of running newspapers provided favorable conditions for the Jewish newspaper to develop in Shanghai.Under such historical background,Israel’s Messenger with its mission to be “devoted to the interests of Jews and Judaism in the East” and “a fearless exponent of traditional Judaism and Jewish nationalism” played a pivotal role in the Shanghai Jewish community,serving as a representative of public opinion for the Jewish community,a window of information to the world for the Jewish residents of Shanghai,an emotional bond to promote unity and harmony within the Shanghai Jewish community,and a bond that took place between the Shanghai Jewish community and the outside world.In addition,Israel’s Messenger played a progressive role in the development of the modern Chinese journalism and Chinese society.In terms of influencing the modern Chinese journalism,it infused new blood into and enriched the Shanghai newspaper industry,brought in the American editorial and typographical style,influenced other newspapers,and brought progressive ideas of clean and honest journalism to China.In terms of influencing the development of Chinese society,it not only introduced Jewish wisdom and advanced scientific and cultural knowledge to Shanghai and China,but also influenced the attitudes of imperialist powers toward China and China’s attitudes toward the Great Powers through its journalism operation,thus deescalating the conflicts between China and the Great Powers and,to a certain extent,promoting relations between China and the Great Powers.Moreover,through its vigorous propagation of Zionist ideas,the newspaper stimulated the development of the national democratic movement in modern China and promoted the the Chinese national cause.