Cart
0
$0.00
The Life of Jews in Japan
Thursday, May 28
USA 12:00 pm PT / 3:00 pm ET
UK 8:00 pm / France 9:00 pm / Israel 10:00 pm
The talk will last approximately 90 minutes
About this talk
This talk explores the history of Jewish life in Japan from the mid 18th century through World War II until the present day. Early Sephardic exiles and later Ashkenazi Jews established communities in Nagasaki and Yokohama, with Kobe emerging as the main center by the early 20th century, home to families from Iraq, Syria, and Russia. Through engaging stories, we examine Jewish contributions to Japan and figures like Jacob Schiff, as well as the rescue of the Mir Yeshiva with support from the JDC and Japanese authorities. Despite its alliance with Nazi Germany, Japan became a refuge for Jewish refugees, aided by diplomat Chiune Sugihara. After Pearl Harbor, many were sent to Shanghai. This talk highlights resilience, cross-cultural ties, and Japan's small Jewish community today.
In the second half of the talk, you will meet Rachel Wahba, who grew up stateless in the city of Kobe. Rachel will share how her Iraqi mother and Egyptian father ended up in this unique international Jewish community, and she will provide insight through her personal experiences about growing up Jewish in Japan.
About Harley and Rachel
Harley Michael Rosnow, the child of German and Polish Holocaust survivors, lives in Kirkland, Washington with his wife, Yuriko Sugihara Rosnow. They raised two Jewpanese American children and now have a granddaughter. Harley graduated with high honors from Harvard College with a degree in Applied Math, where he developed a lasting interest in Japanese history. A lifelong student of Japanese language and culture, he has lived, worked, and traveled extensively in Japan and is a member of the Jewish Community of Tokyo. He retired in 2023 after a 40-year career in high-tech at Microsoft and Kurzweil Applied Intelligence. Since retiring, he has focused on researching Japanese and Jewish history.
Rachel Wahba is a San Francisco Bay Area based writer and psychotherapist. An Egyptian-Iraqi Jew, Rachel was born in India and grew up stateless in Japan within an international community based in Kobe. The wait to immigrate to the United States took twenty years. The many dimensions of her exile and displacement are a constant theme in her professional work as well as her activism as an advisory board member for JIMENA (Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa).
RECORDING INFORMATION
This talk will be recorded and shared with registrants the day after.
It will be available for 3 days, and 7 days for members.
Click here to register
You will be asked to select one of these options:
General admission - $18
Supported admission - $9
Sponsor this talk - $36
With your contribution, you will also be donating to JIMENA, an organization founded with the mission to preserve and protect the heritage of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews.
