Fred Lazin Lectures on Jewish Immigration from China to Israel, 1945–1951

This lecture, delivered on March 2, 2026, examines the migration of Jews from China to Israel between 1945 and 1951, a period when roughly 20,000 Jews—European, Russian, and Iraqi—were living in Shanghai and smaller communities resided in Tientsin and Harbin. As both the Nationalist and later Communist governments encouraged foreigners to leave China after World War II, Jewish refugees considered various resettlement options. Initially, many preferred the United States or Australia, but tightening immigration policies by 1948 led more to consider Aliyah. Still, some repatriated, emigrated elsewhere, or remained in China. The lecture highlights the central role of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), working with the International Refugee Organization (IRO), in facilitating Aliyah during this period and explores the factors shaping Jews’ decisions to immigrate to Israel or resettle in other countries.

This is the first program in a JDC Archives webinar series, Across Oceans, Across Cultures: Jewish Refuge in East Asia and the Role of JDC.

Fred Lazin is Professor Emeritus at Ben Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel.