Who are the Chinese Jews of Kaifeng? | Explained

In the ancient city of Kaifeng, China, Jewish life thrived for centuries, blending with Chinese culture while maintaining its unique identity. Today, with no synagogue, rabbi, or official state recognition, the community has dwindled, with some making their way to Israel to reclaim their Jewish roots. Meanwhile, those who remain in Kaifeng continue to live quietly, holding onto their ancient heritage in defiance of history’s attempts to erase it. Special thanks to the organization Shavei Israel, who provided much of the footage and images for this video. Learn more at Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:39 Arrival of Jews in Kaifeng, China 02:09 Reunification with other Jewish communities 04:09 Re-isolation from other Jewish communities 05:11 Preservation of Jewish identity 06:29 Attempts to reintroduce Jews of Kaifeng to Judaism 08:50 Are Kaifeng Jews really Jewish? 09:34 Conversion and immigration to Israel 10:31 Hardships Kaifeng Jews face today Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads! Recommended video—Are the Igbo People of Nigeria Really Jewish? We have merch! – Let’s connect: Website — Instagram — Twitter — TikTok — @jewishunpacked Facebook — ----------- Image and footage credits: Shavei Israel Un Topo por el Mundo David Rumsey Map Collection, David Rumsey Map Center, Stanford Libraries Zachi Evenor Shlomo Jin ----------- Executive Producer: — Barry Skolnick Co-Executive Producer: — Shmuel Katz ----------- Translation credits: Portuguese: Saymon Pires, , @safralivraria About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion. Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between. About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking. #china #secret #resilience