Across China: Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum hosts first wedding

The Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum has hosted its first wedding, a special moment for an Australian Jew and his Chinese bride.

The couple chose to hold Wednesday night's ceremony in the 90-year-old church that forms part of the museum because of the venue's significance for Jews.

When other countries shut their doors to Jews during the World Anti-Fascist War, Shanghai was one of the few cities to receive significant numbers of the refugees from Nazi persecution.

"Jewish people who took shelter in Shanghai were granted a lot of help by Chinese. As offspring, we are very grateful," said groom Doron Kalinko, whose Polish grandfather fled to South Africa after his seven brothers were all killed by the Nazis. His father later settled in Australia.

"Usually, our services do not include weddings. But for Jews who want to commemorate the past and request a wedding here, we won't reject them," said Chen Jian, curator of the Jewish Refugees Museum, which opened in 2007.

Chen said the wedding is especially significant as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the World Anti-Fascist War.

The wedding was attended by more than 70 foreigners, many of them relatives of the roughly 20,000 Jews who fled to Shanghai during the war.

A visitor surnamed Shen was surprised to see a wedding in the museum when she brought her daughter for a tour. "It's a delight to encounter such a thing," she said. Endi