Shalama: An Epic Story of Family, Community, and Survival in Republican-era China
Jan 15, 2025
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Jean Hoffman Lewanda, author of "Shalama: My 96 Seasons in China," shares her family's gripping saga of survival as Jewish refugees in 20th-century China. She highlights the transition from historical biography to storytelling, drawing from her mother's perspective. Topics include the dangers faced during their migration from Harbin to Shanghai, the struggle for cultural identity, and the concept of statelessness amidst WWII. Lewanda emphasizes the importance of preserving family history and honoring legacy through intergenerational dialogue and creative projects.
Jean Hoffman Lewanda chose to write her mother's story as historical fiction to creatively interpret and fill narrative gaps from family storytelling.
The podcast emphasizes the thriving Jewish community in Harbin and Shanghai, showcasing their cultural resilience during socio-political upheaval and danger.
Deep dives
Historical Fiction as a Creative Approach
Jean Hoffman Lawanda chose to write her mother's story as historical fiction instead of a traditional biography due to the lack of a detailed manuscript. Unlike her father's memoir, which relied heavily on existing documents and personal narratives, this new work emerged from a combination of family storytelling and historical research. She unearthed a wealth of photographs and official documents that provided context and detail but required creative interpretation to fill in narrative gaps, particularly around moments that were not explicitly documented. This choice allowed her to explore the emotional ground of her family's story more freely, creating a nuanced portrayal of their experiences rather than sticking to strictly factual recounting.
Navigating the Jewish Diaspora in China
The podcast highlights the thriving Jewish community in Harbin and Shanghai during the early to mid-20th century, illustrating how socio-political conditions allowed for a semblance of stability amidst turmoil. Jean elaborates on her family's journey from Harbin to Shanghai, emphasizing the cultural richness and complexities of being Jewish in a predominantly non-Jewish society. Despite the constant backdrop of danger, particularly during the Japanese occupation, the community found ways to maintain their cultural identity and prosper economically. This historical context sheds light on the significance of these diaspora communities and their impact on the Jewish experience during that era.
Family Connections and Unexpected Discoveries
Towards the end of the discussion, Jean recounts a significant discovery about her family that surfaced two years after her mother's death, when her brother received a call from a distant cousin in the United States. This revelation opened a chapter of mystery, connecting Jean with a part of her family's history that had been unknown to them until then. The cousin's arrival brought validation to their family's narrative, as he had documents and photos that confirmed their shared lineage. This unexpected connection adds an emotional depth to the story, revealing the enduring ties of family and the importance of uncovering and acknowledging one's heritage.
In this episode, we are thrilled to welcome Jean Hoffman Lewanda back to the podcast to discuss her new book, Shalama: My 96 Seasons in China, published by Earnshaw Books. Listeners may recall Jean's previous appearance, where she shared insights about her father, Paul Hoffman's memoir, Witness to History: From Vienna to Shanghai—A Memoir of Escape, Survival, and Resilience. That captivating memoir details how Paul fled Vienna at the age of 18 to escape the rise of Nazism, arrived in Shanghai in 1938, and became part of the historic wave of Jewish refugees who found a safe haven in China during World War II.
Jean's new book enriches this family saga by recounting events from her mother Shalama's perspective but presented as historical fiction. Drawing on firsthand accounts, including her mother's, Jean tells the story in Shalama's voice, tracing the family's journey from Harbin to Shanghai during the war-torn decades of the mid-20th century. The book interweaves the family's history with major historical events, including the Sungari River flood of 1932, the Japanese occupation, and the Communist takeover of China.