The Jews first arrived in China during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD) and settled as businessmen, civil servants and professionals. They assimilated into Chinese society and lost their Jewish character. The next wave came in the mid-19th century with the opening of the treaty ports and settled in Shanghai. They went into trading, especially opium, and diversified into property, manufacturing, finance, public transport and retail. Another Jewish community settled in Harbin after the opening of the China Eastern Railway in 1903. They also prospered in trading and business. Both communities built synagogues, schools, social clubs and welfare institutions. During World War Two, 25,000 Jews from Nazi-occupied Europe took refuge in Shanghai, one of the few cities in the world open to them. Many received visas from Asian diplomats who defied their governments to issue them. The Japanese military refused the Nazi demand to carry out ‘the final solution’ of the Jews in Shanghai. After 1945, inflation, civil war and Communist rule made most Jews leave China for new homes in Israel, North America, Australia and elsewhere.

自建交以來，中國便成為以色列最大的外來投資國之一。好些猶太人的名字，在近代中國歷史留下深刻烙印，包括：沙遜、哈同、嘉道理家族，馬克思，基辛格，佛洛伊德等。其實，猶太人最早於唐朝來到中國定居。19世紀中葉西方列強以船堅炮利打開中國通商港口之時，隨大流而來的猶太人定居上海，從事貿易，然後進軍房地產、製造、金融、公共運輸及零售各業。1903年中東鐵路開通，在哈爾濱也有猶太人安寨扎營。他們安頓下來，就建會堂、蓋學校、設會所、辦福利。第二次世界大戰期間，歐洲猶太難民輾轉抵達上海──普天之下仍對他們敞開大門的城市之一。不少難民持有的救命簽證，是由少數亞洲駐歐外交官違反禁令而簽發。到了1992年1月，中以兩國正式建交。近年中國更在以色列積極投資，興建大型基建項目。本書整理紀錄了千百年來猶太人與中國人在社會、經濟、外交上的交往連結。為寫這非凡故事，作者馬克‧奧尼爾還專程遠赴北京、上海和以色列，與猶太拉比、商人、企業家、教授和記者進行面談，聽他們訴說在中國的難忘經歷。