As Beijing’s persecution of its Muslim population has grown ever greater in scope and cruelty, and its persecution of Christians who dissent from the state-controlled denominations continues unabated, it has also repressed the practice of Judaism. The Jewish community of Kaifeng, which dates back to the Middle Ages, had been absorbed into the Gentile population by the 19th century, but in the 1990s a revival began among people of Jewish descent, some of whom began to use the site where the synagogue once stood for prayer. But no longer, writes Wang Yichi:
Their religious activities were tolerated at the beginning, but suppressed after 2015 by the authorities, fearing they would lead to a reawakening of the Jewish faith. Traditional Jewish festivals such as Passover and Sukkot were prohibited. All Hebrew signs were removed.
In 2019, the regime once again targeted the site of the Kaifeng synagogue on the grounds that Judaism was not among the “Five Authorized Religions” that are controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In April, personnel from the local [government] forced their way into the site and removed all Jewish signs, [identifying information], and Israeli flags from the doors and windows. Instead, signs promoting the government’s attacks on, and repression of, religion were hung everywhere in the site.
To restrict the growth of Judaism, the CCP has set up layers of obstacles to prevent international organizations and foreign visitors from having contact with the Kaifeng Jews. In the summer of 2019, the government rented a house next to the site of Kaifeng synagogue and converted it into “a “Community Comprehensive Cultural Service Center.” From Monday to Sunday, personnel assigned by the government are stationed there, taking turns monitoring the activities in the site and the movements of the passersby. A surveillance camera was installed at the entrance to the synagogue.
Read more on Bitter Winter: https://bitterwinter.org/kaifeng-jewish-community-suffers-new-suppression/