Threads of Memory: Jewish Migration Stories from Imperial Russia to China
Jean Hoffmann Lewanda, born in New York City in 1954, is an author and retired special educator. Her parents, Paul and Shulamis Hoffmann, fled communist China in 1952, eventually settling in the United States. Inspired by her family’s history, Lewanda published Witness to History—From Vienna to Shanghai: A Memoir of Escape, Survival and Resilience in 2021, based on her late father’s manuscript.
The overwhelming response to that memoir led her to explore her mother’s story through historical fiction. Her latest book, Shalama: My 96 Seasons in China, published by Earnshaw Books, sheds light on the experiences of the Jewish Russian community in China, a vibrant and often overlooked chapter in 20th-century history.
Featured image: Boston- Spring 1954- Shalama, Abe, Paul, Jeanie, Licci (Paul’s sister), Jack( Licci’s son)
What inspired you to transform your family’s history into a work of historical fiction rather than a memoir?
For my previous book, Witness to History: From Vienna to Shanghai, my father, Paul Hoffmann, had left a very well-developed manuscript that was a nonfiction memoir. The work on Witness convinced me that my Mom’s story was another dramatic and inspirational story, but I had little written content to draw upon. For Shalama: My 96 Seasons in China, I had brief additions and postscripts written by my Mom to letters written by my Dad to relatives that left China prior to my parents leaving. Other than that, I had photographs, oral stories, and a 90-minute audio interview that my daughter conducted with her grandmother in the early 2000s. There were pieces of the story that I felt had to be told that I only could imagine. Writing as historical fiction gave me the freedom to create the links between the individuals and the events.
What was the most challenging aspect of piecing together your mother’s life story and historical context?
The most challenging and time-consuming aspect was the research necessary to develop the events in the story and ensure their accuracy as best as possible. I grew to love this task. The Internet makes it so easy to find photographs and details about places and events in specific time periods. I never imagined that I would be able to see the interior of the ships my parents took on their world travels, but a simple Google search allowed me to travel back through time.
How did archival discoveries, like the Khabarovsk files and photos, shape or alter the narrative you had initially envisioned?
The Khabarovsk Archive was a huge find. It is not an exaggeration to say that my mother knew only four facts about her father’s background: Avram left home around the age of 19. His home was somewhere near St. Petersburg. There were baby siblings at home when he left. He hitchhiked to Harbin over the course of a year. The photographs saved by my family over the years were invaluable. They are an excellent record of both day-to-day life as well as celebrations. I also have birth, marriage, death, and circumcision certificates issued by the Jewish community and the Russian community in Harbin. Immigration documents to both Israel and the United States also provided a wealth of information.
What role did storytelling play in your family growing up, and how did it influence your writing process?
I was fortunate in that my parents spoke about their experiences. Many children of Holocaust survivors did not hear the firsthand accounts, clearly because they were too painful to retell. Having escaped Europe to China, my father’s family was very lucky compared to those that were unable to leave. My mother’s family lived in a rather insulated community in China where they did not feel threatened. My parents spoke openly throughout my lifetime, including coming to schools to speak about their experiences. As an adult, I would create opportunities for them to share their stories. It was not until after they passed that I became involved in public speaking, which then led to the writing.
Shalama’s journey spans several countries and cultures. How did you approach portraying such diverse settings authentically?
Once again, the Internet has been extremely helpful in this process. Also, I was fortunate to visit China in 2019 and devoted my time in Harbin and Shanghai to visiting the places that were part of my parents’ daily lives. Dan Ben-Canaan, who has been responsible for preserving Jewish history in Harbin, walked the streets with us and took us back in time. In Shanghai, Patrick Cranley, of Historic Shanghai, found every building where my family lived and worked. My Russian friends who fled the Soviet Union in 1990 were my fact-checkers on all the Russian traditions. I also read every firsthand account of the Harbin and Shanghai communities I could find. I am still reading today as there are still hidden gems out there.
What was the most surprising or emotional discovery you made while researching your family history?
Finding out who my grandfather really was tops the list for both surprise and emotional value. Avram died before I was born, and my brother was named for him. He was a constant presence in our lives despite the fact we never knew him and knew so little about him. Both my parents spoke about the kind of person he was—a kind man with a quiet intelligence. There are still so many lingering questions.
What role did women, like your mother Shalama, play in preserving Jewish traditions and resilience during these turbulent times?
It never ceases to amaze me how Jewish traditions have survived. Because of the close-knit Russian Jewish community and their acceptance within Chinese society, Jewish life was able to thrive in China. My mother loved being Jewish. She loved the traditions, and her involvement in both family and community strengthened her belief in preserving Jewish heritage. She was an ardent Zionist and practiced Judaism in a way that made sense within the context of the time and place. She was very successful in transmitting this to my brother and me.
The book intertwines major historical events with personal stories. How did you decide which events to highlight?
If my mother spoke about an event, it was included in the book. I wanted it to be a retelling of her life, and the historical content was an excellent foundation.
Do you have plans to explore other untold stories from your family history or similar lesser-known communities in your future works? If so, could you share a glimpse of what might be next?
While researching this book, I became interested in the story of Laura Kadoorie, the wife of Elly Kadoorie. Laura, an Anglo-Portuguese Jew who married Elly in 1897, died tragically in a fire in 1919. She has been referred to as “the most independent woman in Shanghai.” I am really intrigued by who she was, how she came to Shanghai, her charitable work, and her untimely death. This will be quite a challenge since I do not have a direct personal connection, but I have begun researching and hope I will be able to move forward with this.
Photos courtesy of Jean Hoffmann Lewanda
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