Harbin Museum of Jewish History and Culture

The Harbin Museum of Jewish History and Culture occupies the old New Synagogue building in Daoli, one of two Jewish houses of worship that have survived in the city. The exhibition documents the remarkable story of Harbin's Jewish community, which flourished here in the early 20th century and produced diaspora figures who went on to shape the modern Middle East and beyond.

The displays cover the community's religious life, business networks, newspapers, schools, and eventual dispersal. There is also material on the broader context of Jewish migration through Manchuria and on to Shanghai and beyond. The building itself — a handsome Moorish-Romanesque structure dating to 1921 — is worth a visit for its architecture alone. The Old Synagogue, nearby on Tongjiang Street, has also been restored and is now a concert hall.

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A story
At its peak in the early 20th century, Harbin had one of the largest Jewish communities in East Asia, with around 20,000 residents. The community produced Avraham Harman, who became Israel's president, and was home to several synagogues, schools, and newspapers. Most left after the Japanese occupation and the Communist revolution, but two synagogues survive.