The fact that Sh’ma chose the relations among China, Israel, and Judaism as the theme of this month’s issue may seem anomalous to some readers. The theme, though, is both provocative and increasingly timely in our changing world. The relationships between Jews and China and, more recently, Israel and China have deep historical roots. Sephardic … More »
China Marches West: Consequences for the Middle East and Israel
Shalom Salomon Wald: China’s rise as a global power has long-term geopolitical, economic, and military repercussions for the wider Middle East. Oil, supporting countervailing forces against the U.S., and cooperating with the Muslim world are three of the reasons China is drawn into the ME today. … More »
My Shul Is in Beijing
A recent report in The Wall Street Journal found that nearly one-third of Americans surveyed believe that China has surpassed the United States as the world’s “dominant economic power.” Never mind the fact that the United States has nearly twice China’s GDP or that our young country is no match for the thousands of years … More »
From the Tang Dynasty to Today
Jews have been coming to China as tradesmen for a very long time. Some may have arrived as early as the Tang dynasty (618-906) to do business at the lively Chang’an Market. One of the earliest records of a Jew in China — a written prayer for selichot — was found in Dunhuang, the traditional gateway … More »
An Unlikely Alliance: China and Iran
Given all the differences between China and Iran, it is fascinating to explore their quasi-alliance. While China is an avowedly secular Communist republic, often openly anti-religious, Iran is an Islamic republic promoting radical Shi’a Islam. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that 62 percent of Chinese dislike Iran. Although there are no recent polls in … More »
China, Israel and Judaism
How does a growing trade relationship between Israel and China serve both countries as well as the United States? Why are the Chinese so enamored of Jews and Jewish tradition? What complicates that interest? How do “memory” and “truth” link the two civilizations? Is there a role for China to play in the Middle East? … More »
Whither China? An Economic Perspective on Modern China
Modern China changed in 1978. In order to overcome the state of economic underdevelopment, the Communist Party of China, under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, launched a program of economic reform; the leadership decided it was time to open up to the world. As China emerged from a centrally planned economy to one governed by … More »
A Jewish Argument for ‘Savior Siblings’
As medical research and medical technology advance, inevitably difficult ethical questions will emerge. Like all serious ethical questions, medical issues do not present clear choices between right and wrong, but rather demand that we address competing commitments between two rights or two “goods.” How do we approach what has been called “savior siblings”? Here is … More »
Jewish Studies in China
“What is hateful unto you, do not do unto your neighbor.” — Hillel “Do not do unto others what you would not want them to do unto you.” — Confucius Our age of globalization is also an age of “localization” — that is, global markets are more successful when they adapt to local needs. … More »