Metro
where it will do
•
the most
Shanghai
Connection
Local author provides stories of fews' escape
from Nazi oppression.
ents, Salomon and Henny
Falbaum, who escaped from
World War II histo-
Berlin in August 1939 when
ry — and little
he
was 9 months old. They
known — that about
immigrated
to the United
20,000 Jews fled Nazi
States just before his 10th
Europe to escape to
birthday in 1948.
Shanghai.
The book recounts how
In an effort to save this
Shanghai
was an open city
history, Bed Falbaum —
—
it
did
not
require any
longtime journalist and
visas
or
other
documenta-
author from West
tion
for
entry
— and how
Bloomfield — has com-
the
refugees
developed
a
piled and edited a book
Berl Falbaum
self-contained community
Shanghai Remembered:
in the Hongkew Ghetto
Stories of Jews Who
in which they were
Escaped from Nazi
restricted after 1943 by
Europe to Shanghai,
tIGINAT.
the Japanese occupiers.
published by
Despite extreme
Momentum Books
poverty,
rampant dis-
of Royal Oak.
eases, a wartime setting,
The book contains
a strange and foreign
24 first-person
culture, a difficult lan-
accounts of former
guage
and intense heat
refugees who called
and
humidity,
the
themselves
refugees
created
a com-
"Shanghailanders" as
munity
with
secular
and
-
SHANGHAI
well as rare docu-
religious schools, syna-
- REMEMBERED.
ments and photos. It
goguenewspapers, the-
also contains a
aters, cafes and high-cal-
speech delivered to a
iber sports teams. They
reunion of
accomplished all of this
Shanghailanders in
within
a 10-year period,
2002 by the secretary
arriving
around 1938-39
of the treasury in the
and
emigrating
from
Carter administra-
China after the war between 1946-48.
tion, W. Michael Blumenthal, who was
"The book adds a dimension to the
one of the refugees.
literature of Holocaust survivor mem-
In devoting more than two years to
oirs," says Oak Park resident Sidney
the project, Falbaum said: "While there
Bolkosky, Ph.D., William E. Stirton
have been books and articles written
Professor in the Social Sciences and pro-
about this experience, I wanted to save
fessor
of history at the University of
more of this history. It is important to
Michigan-Dearborn.
save as much as possible to assure that
Falbaum spent 10 years as a reporter
these stories are not lost."
at the Detroit News, four years as admin-
Among those featured in the book are
istrative aide to Michigan's lieutenant
Ernest Eick of West Bloomfield, whose
governor
and 15 years as a corporate
mother "gave" him away for six months
public
relations
executive. In 1989, he
because she could not feed him, and
founded
Falbaum
& Associates Inc., a
Bobby Salomon of West Bloomfield,
whose father was killed in a bombing by Farmington Hills public relations firm.
He's a frequent contributor to the op-
American planes targeting Japanese mili-
ed pages of Michigan newspapers,
tary facilities. Harry Lowenberg of
including the IN He has taught journal-
Farmington Hills also is featured.
ism part time since 1968 at Wayne State
A former Shanghailander himself,
University
in Detroit and is a former
Falbaum lived in Shanghai with his par-
instructor at Oakland University in
I
t is a little quirk of
1.5 0.1•1•411,14
42..r
inC.
4 Animal
Percentage Yitici
12 months
$500
MICHIGAN HERITAGE
Let us lend a hand
*Annual Percenipge _Yield is eifectiw as of March 21. 2005. Penalty
for t'.arly Broltacd amounts not clit bic.
subjmi to
change wfthout notice. Minis nun deposit of .55D0.00 required.
FDI C
Farmington Hills
28300 Orchard Lk. Rd.
(800) 914-3524
4/ 7
2005
38
Livonia
18770 Farmingion Rd.
(248) 442-9650
Troy
1917 E. Rig Beaver
(248) 619-0264
/14.7
Storioa of. Sa. tho Sacepod to
Snanghai fr. nazi Sur..
V••
,
DMA.
CoapittO
1st.
Mit. 5, Sari nth..