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Jewish Literary Voices: A Federation Series in collaboration with The Jewish Book Council
Bernardine Szold Fritz arrived in Shanghai in 1929 to marry her fourth husband. Only thirty-three years old, she found herself in a time and place like no other. Yet from the night of their wedding, Bernardine’s new husband did not live up to his promises. Instead of feeling sorry for herself or leaving Shanghai, Bernardine decided to make a place for herself.
Like other Jewish women before her, she started a salon in her home, introducing Emily Hahn, the charismatic writer for The New Yorker, to hotelier Sir Victor Sassoon and legendary poet Sinmay Zau. And when Hollywood stars Anna May Wong and Charlie Chaplin passed through Shanghai, Bernardine organized gatherings to introduce them to their Shanghai contemporaries.
When Bernardine’s salon could not accommodate all who wished to attend, she founded the International Arts Theater to produce avant-garde plays, ballets, and lectures, often pushing audiences beyond their comfort zones. As WWII loomed, Bernardine’s devotion to the arts and the people of Shanghai brought joy to the city just before it would change forever.
Susan Blumberg-Kason is a memoirist and biographer and co-editor of an anthology set in Hong Kong. She is a regular contributor to the Asian Review of Books and World Literature Today.
Purchase the book HERE and a portion of the proceeds will be donated back to a local independent bookstore in the Berkshires.
