IJS SUMMER PARTY - Chinese-Jewish Life and Music in Kaifeng

Presentation by Dr Alexander Knapp, followed by kosher Chinese refreshments. 

The music of the ethnically Chinese Jews (You Tai Ren) is among the few remaining enigmas in the field of Jewish ethnomusicology. Whereas the social, cultural, religious and musical history of Ashkenazi and Sephardi immigrants and refugees living in China during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has been covered in detail by Chinese and Western commentators, Chinese-Jewish music is relatively undiscovered. This audio-visual presentation begins with a brief historical and geographical description of Jewish entry into China, including contemporary accounts of everyday life in Kaifeng (Henan Province) in the twelfth century, and leads to more detailed observations about the religious life of the Jews. The speaker will pay special attention to the vocal and instrumental practices associated with the synagogue in the city of Kaifeng – one-time capital of China, and centre of Jewish life for many centuries. He will also share some of the fascinating personal insights he gained from meetings with Chinese academics and informants during visits to Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Kaifeng from the early 1990s till 2010. The talk concludes with an assessment of the present-day situation in Kaifeng, the Central Asian connection, and the potential for new discoveries.