“A Jewish Girl in Shanghai” Film Screening and Discussion Panel

Interested in the diversity of the Jewish experience? Like niche history?

Join the Baltimore Jewish Council for a screening of the animated film “A Jewish Girl in Shanghai.”

After the film screening, participants will hear from a speaker panel featuring current Holocaust Remembrance Committee member, Lisa Sparks, whose mother, Yvonne Daniel, was born in the Shanghai Ghetto to parents who had fled Nazi-occupied Europe. Yvonne’s story was a part of the Jewish Museum of Maryland’s prior exhibit on the Jews of Shanghai. Lisa will join in facilitated conversation with Beth Israel Congregation’s Rabbi Rachel Safman.

Light kosher fare will be provided. Registration is highly encouraged.

“A Jewish Girl in Shanghai” is set primarily in the Shanghai Ghetto during the Japanese occupation in World War II. The film follows Rina, a young Jewish girl, and her younger brother Mishalli, who have fled Europe in search of safety but are separated from their parents. They encounter A-Gen, a Chinese orphan boy who helps them navigate the challenges of their new life in Shanghai. Together, they form a strong bond and face the dangers posed by the occupying forces, including the Japanese army and their Nazi allies.

This film is notable for being the first animated Chinese film to address the Holocaust, marking an important step in fostering Jewish-Chinese relations. It has been well-received both in China and internationally, praised for its sensitive portrayal of the experiences of Jewish refugees in Shanghai, a city that served as a haven for many during the war.