Israel's Messenger Online

Israel's Messenger

Shanghai, 1904-1941

Started biweekly, later turned onto a monthly.

The English language Zionist periodical Israel's Messenger was the largest and oldest Shanghai Jewish community newspaper. Started in 1904 by N.E.B. Ezra, it was published uninterruptedly for 37 years in the interest of providing the Sephardic community in Shanghai with local, national and international news and background information.

Israel's Messenger contains a wealth of articles not only covering world politics, world Zionism and local Zionist activities, but also Jewish religious subjects, Christian attitudes towards the Jews and their religion, the ins and outs of Shanghai Jewish welfare organizations, local business activities, relations with the Jewish communities in Baghdad, India and Israel, and of course: lots of who's who. The paper is characterized by its international orientation, open-mindedness and critical and thorough background information.

Israel's Messenger is an important source of knowledge about the Shanghai Jewish community in the years predating the establishment of the Jewish state and the role Jews of the time played in politics, science and international trade.