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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-19th century through World War II, touching on today. Early Sephardic and Mizrahi traders and later Ashkenazi refugees established communities in Nagasaki and Yokohama, with Kobe emerging as the center by the early 20th century and home to Jewish families from Iraq, Syria, Russia and elsewhere. Through engaging stories, we examine Jewish contributions to Japan by figures such as Jacob Schiff, as well as the miraculous rescue of the Mir Yeshiva with support from the JDC, diplomat Chiune Sugihara, Japanese authorities, and others. Despite its alliance with Nazi Germany, we will learn how Japanese territory (including Shanghai) became a Jewish refuge. This talk highlights resilience, the impact of individual action to save lives, and the roots of Japan's small Jewish community today.
About Harley
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.
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 the JDC.
