Fred Lazin Lectures on JDC and European Refugees in Postwar Shanghai

Fred Lazin, Professor Emeritus at Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, lectured on JDC’s efforts to assist Jewish (and other) European refugees in Shanghai, China, following the Japanese surrender in August 1945.

In this lecture, Fred Lazin covered the tenure of the first two postwar American directors of JDC operations in Shanghai—Manuel Siegel and Charles Jordan. The lecture explored the changing perceptions of these directors about the plight of the refugees during this period and the perceived attitudes and preferences for resettlement among the refugees. The lecture also shed light on the policies of the American Consulate in Shanghai, as well as those of the UNRRA, CNRRA, Nationalist Government, and local municipal authorities.