Thanks for all those who joined our Mid-Autumn Festival gathering, held in the Chinese Cultural Center in Tel Aviv. Alongside the celebration itself, the evening included a presentation on the history of Jews in China by ICFS Chairman, Gal Furer, 高乐, and Daniel Dorfman, 丹尼尔. Their talk added an important historical dimension to the event and connected the holiday to a broader story of cultural contact, migration, and community.

About the Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most widely celebrated traditional holidays in China. It follows the lunar calendar and is marked on the night of the full moon. At its core, the festival is associated with reunion, gratitude, and the changing of the seasons. Its origins lie in ancient harvest and moon-related traditions that developed over time, particularly during the Tang and Song periods.

Today, many families celebrate by gathering for a festive meal, spending time outdoors under the full moon, and sharing stories connected to the holiday, including the well-known legend of Chang’e and Hou Yi. The festival is both seasonal and personal, centered on family, memory, and hope for the year ahead.

Customs and traditions

One of the most familiar symbols of the festival is the mooncake, a round pastry traditionally shared among family and friends. Mooncakes come in a variety of fillings, including lotus seed paste, red bean, mixed nuts, and sometimes salted egg yolk. They are often served with tea and form an important part of the holiday experience.

In many places, the evening also includes lanterns, neighborhood performances, small gatherings, and moon-viewing walks. The overall atmosphere is usually quiet, festive, and family-oriented.

Why we included the history of Jews in China

The theme of reunion across time and distance made the Mid-Autumn Festival a meaningful setting for a discussion of the long history of Jews in China. The presentation highlighted several key chapters in that story.

The first was the Jewish community of Kaifeng, which emerged roughly a thousand years ago through Silk Road connections and developed into a small but enduring community with its own synagogue and traditions.

The second focused on Baghdadi-Sephardi families in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, especially in Shanghai and Hong Kong, where they played a visible role in trade, education, philanthropy, and communal life.

The third looked at Russian-Jewish communities in northeastern China, particularly in Harbin, Tianjin, and later Shanghai, where railways and migration routes helped shape new centers of Jewish cultural and economic activity.

The fourth addressed Shanghai during the Second World War, when the city remained open to Jewish refugees at a time when many borders were closed. Around 18,000 to 20,000 Jews found refuge there and built schools, aid networks, and a strong communal presence in the Hongkou area.

The final part of the presentation considered the modern period, from the 1980s to the present, in which academic exchange, research, business, and cultural activity have continued to connect Israel and China.

A meaningful evening of culture and history

Bringing the festival together with these historical chapters gave the evening a deeper sense of meaning. It was not only a celebration of a traditional holiday, but also an opportunity to reflect on shared histories of hospitality, movement, and cultural connection.

We are grateful to everyone who took part and helped create a warm and thoughtful atmosphere. Events of this kind are an important part of the Society’s work to encourage understanding, exchange, and lasting friendship between Israelis and Chinese.