About 150 Jews, experts of Jewish culture and international celebrities have gathered in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, to discuss Jewish history and culture from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2.

Experts and scholars from China, Israel, the United States, Britain, France and Russia and diplomats from Israeli Embassy in China will exchange views on such topics as Jews community life in China, Zionism in Harbin, the Trend of Russian Jews flowing to China, Kaspe Incident, social and cultural organization of Jewish community at a three-day international seminar on Jewish history and culture.

The seminar is sponsored by the Jewish Studies Center with the Heilongjiang Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, the Association of Former Jewish Residents of China in Israel and Israel-China Friendship Society.

Sponsors of the seminar hope that the event will serve as a bridge in advancing the exchange among peoples of different countries.

Harbin used to be the largest resettlement center for Jews in 1920s in the Far East, with more than 20,000 people of Jewish origin living at this northeast Chinese city at the peak.

Attendees to the seminar will visit an exhibition titled "Jews in Harbin" and some historical site like former Jewish buildings, Jewish cemetery, Harbin Jewish General Synagogue, Harbin New Jewish Synagogue and a Jewish school.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 1, 2004)