Former Site of the Moses Synagogue

The former site of the Moses Synagogue

The former site of the Moses Synagogue is a protected cultural heritage site of Shanghai.

The former site of the Moses Synagogue is located at No. 62 Changyang Road. Also known as the Ward Road Synagogue, it was funded by Russian Jews and completed in 1927. Covering a land area of 660 square meters with a floor space of 1,074 square meters, this three-story brick-and-wood structure faces south and features a late colonial veranda-style architecture. During World War II, a large number of Jews fled to Shanghai. Most of the Jewish refugees who arrived in Shanghai settled in the Hongkou District, and the Moses Synagogue became an important venue for religious activities among Shanghai’s Jewish community at the time.

During World War II, the German fascist regime implemented anti-Jewish policies that forced large numbers of European Jews to leave their homes in search of refuge. At the time, Shanghai was the only city in the world that did not require an entry visa or property guarantee, making it a settlement destination for many Jewish people.

In 1938 and 1939, about 18,000 Jewish refugees arrived in Shanghai. Most of them settled in neighborhoods along Changyang Road, Zhoushan Road, Dongchangzhi Road, Tangshan Road, Huoshan Road, Gaoyang Road, and Pingliang Road. To accommodate these refugees, centers and shelters were established at locations such as No. 138 Ward Road (now Lane 138, Changyang Road), Ehrlich Road (now Anguo Road), Zhaofeng Road (now Gaoyang Road), and Huishan Road (now Huoshan Road).

By December 1940, the registered number of Jewish refugees had reached over 20,000, with approximately 14,000 to 15,000 living in the Tilanqiao area of Hongkou. To facilitate communication and mutual support, the refugees built several synagogues. At the time, the Moses Synagogue served as a Hebrew school and prayer hall, and it remains one of the most well-preserved Jewish synagogues today.

This is an orthodox synagogue used by Russian and Central European Jews and also stands as a significant testament to the history of Jews in Shanghai. When Hitler was carrying out his brutal persecution and extermination of Jews, many European Jewish refugees who fled to Shanghai settled in Hongkou. The Moses Synagogue became a key venue for religious activities among Shanghai’s Jewish population. The largest Jewish organization in Shanghai—the Shanghai Jewish Religious Community—was based here for a long time (it moved to the Lador Road Synagogue in 1941).

After the end of World War II until the 1960s, Jewish refugees gradually left China and resettled around the world. However, they found it difficult to forget their life in Shanghai and often referred to themselves as “Shanghai Jews,” considering Shanghai their “second hometown.”

On October 14, 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin visited the Moses Synagogue and wrote in the guestbook: “When the Jewish people were being slaughtered and driven out by the Nazis and wandered the world, they found shelter among the people of Shanghai. My fellow Jewish people and the government of Israel are deeply grateful for your help from the bottom of our hearts!”

In 1992, the Moses Synagogue was approved as the “Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum” and has since hosted visits from numerous distinguished guests. On January 13, 2004, it was designated by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government as part of the fourth group of Outstanding Historical Buildings. The Hongkou District People’s Government declared the former site of the Moses Synagogue a cultural heritage site of Hongkou District; in 2014, it was elevated to a municipal-level cultural heritage site.