Jews and Judaism in China

This bachelor's thesis deals with the presence of Jews and Judaism in China. The work is divided into three parts and includes an introduction and a conclusion. The first part deals with the history of the original Jewish settlements (approximately 8th - 19th century). It discusses the various theories of its origin and focuses especially on the Jewish community in Kaifeng. An individual chapter is dedicated to the issues of Christian mission in China and its contribution to our awareness of the local Jewish settlements. The second part focuses on the phenomenon of the theology of the Chinese Jews. After basic characteristic, the thesis deals with the degree of the assimilation of the Jewish religion in China, which is labelled by the term "the sinification of Judaism". In several subchapters, the thesis analyses essential concepts of the Jewish religion with an emphasis on their local interpretation in China. In the conclusion of the second part, the thesis deals with the appearance of the synagogue in Kaifeng that no longer exists. The third part deals with the past and present of modern Jewish settlements in China. It includes the information about the Jewish immigration to China in the first part of 20th century, the situation of the local Jews during the Second World War and their post-war development..