SHANGHAI NIGHTS
Nightlife in the Shanghai Jewish Ghetto 1930-1945
Got Time to Kill in 1940 Shanghai?
Shoot, you were digging around in your grandfather’s attic and you stumbled upon that old time machine of his. Now you find yourself transported back to the Jewish Ghetto in Shanghai in the year 1940, and you are bored out of your mind. Well, you are in luck because this blog is dedicated to exploring the nightlife in the Shanghai Jewish Ghetto from 1930-1945. Want to go grab and drink and listen to some music? Check out our section on the Nightclub scene. Or if the theater is more your thing, take a look at our posts on the productions going on in the Ghetto at that time.
Jewish Theatrical Performances
Despite their refugee status, the Jewish community of Shanghai managed to put on several theatrical productions during their exile. In an interview, Gerard Slaxon, a Jewish man who lived in the Shanghai Ghetto during World War II, talked about how while many of the productions were put on at the Jewish Camp in Shanghai, a place in the Jewish Ghetto where Jews could eat, sleep, and keep in touch with the community, there were some plays put on by independent producers at private theatres in Shanghai (Slaxon Interview). The theater productions took a couple of different forms such as Yiddish plays and cabaret performances. Also popular were shows known as Bunte Abende, a type of variety show in which plays, musicians, magicians, comedians, and cabaret performers would all take the stage in the same night (Slaxon Interview). As you make your way through this vein of the blog you will learn more about the specifics of the productions, such as who was involved as well as what these performances meant for the spirit of the Jewish people while in exile.
The Where and Who of Jewish Theater in Shanghai
As previously mentioned, many of the theatrical performances were put on at the Jewish camp inside the Jewish Ghetto. The camp was located in a large building which had previously been a factory, and there was room enough for a permanent stage in the camp. The stage was used for Friday night and Saturday religious services, but doubled as a stage for community productions (Slaxon Interview). It was often that the Bunte Abende shows were put on at this community stage. Another path that productions could take is through independent producers. One of these producers was named Boris Sapiro, a Jewish man originally from Poland, who put on several productions of Yiddish plays at a small theatre inside of a cafe in Shanghai (Slaxon Interview).
Community Theater Bringing the Community Together
Exiled from their homeland, the theatrical productions of the Jewish community in Shanghai provided not only entertainment, but also a sense of togetherness for the refugees. As Gerard Slaxon explains in an interview, “Everybody went to the Bunte Abende because it was entertainment. It was cheap. If you didn’t have the money, I think you could get tickets from the committee [sic]. They weren’t very hard-nosed about it.” The productions were not just limited to those who could afford to pay for tickets, showing that the Jewish community really cared for every member and made sure that events like the Bunte Abende were open to all.
The Nightclub Scene
“Well, a good night club to play was one that, where the money was good and, a job was a job, really. I performed in not just in night clubs. I worked in vaudeville houses, where the audience consisted of factory workers and rickshaw coolies. Good audiences by the way.” (Slaxon Interview)
Though not all of the night clubs were up to the same standards as the ones the Jewish exiles left behind in Europe, many were still well-maintained and luxurious enough to serve as places of relaxation for both the wealthy refugees and factory workers. Most nightclubs and bars were smaller scale buildings, though this was rarely a problem as it created a more intimate atmosphere. Staying inside a club was even less of a concern during the hot summer months when many nightclubs and bars opened rooftop service areas where patrons could enjoy the cool night air.
