Jewish stories date back over two thousand years. But there are countless stories that are still waiting to be told. Like the story of Hans Shippe, a Jewish reporter from Poland who ultimately sacrificed his life to report on the struggles of the Chinese fight against fascism. Shippe was a man who embraced the Jewish values of fighting for justice for all mankind, no matter their background.
With your help, Shippe’s story will be told through a stage play! The play will be filmed and shared with audiences around the world so that we can remember Shippe’s contribution and selfless devotion to others. Even others who are not from his hometown, his religion, or his culture. The play will shine a light on this kind, Jewish soul who should be remembered and celebrated around the world.
About the play
The play is based on excerpts from the book Sarah’s Shadow, written by social activist Mark Liu. Liu has transformed his book into a script for a play which will tell the tale about Hans Shippe’s journey to China, his interviews with prominent Chinese communists, and his efforts to use journalism to fight Japanese fascism. His work shaped the lives of many in China during World War II. His dedication and passion for justice held strong until the end of his life in 1941. While reporting in the northern province of Shandong, Shippe was killed during a Japanese attack. At the time, he was the only international journalist to die in combat.
Photo credit: “Hans Shippe (far left) poses for a photo during an interview with Chen Yi (second from left) and Su Yu (second from right) at the headquarters of the New Fourth Army, 1939. Courtesy of Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum.”
Today, a statue and monument of Shippe resides in the small town of Yimeng, China. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese people around that area pay tribute to him annually. However, many of Shippe’s own countrymen and fellow Jews around the world do not know about him. This play will share his contribution to the Chinese people. Shippe was a man who followed his calling, and fought against fascism on a quest of Jewish righteousness.
Play details
The play’s script is based on four chapters excerpted from Sarah’s Shadow, which Liu plans to adjust and refine as he, his team, and the actors rehearse and run lines. Liu wants this project to be a collaborative experience in which the Jewish actors provide insight and feedback throughout the creation and finalization of the play. Liu plans to hire a documentary film crew to record this process and share it along with the final filming of the performance.
The crew will capture the development and rehearsal process of the play as the volunteer actors and behind the scenes crew learn more about this historic time. As they rehearse, build, and improve the play, they will build a stronger connection to this crucial Jewish man’s story. Therefore, the experience of producing the play itself will also be a part of our shared Jewish and Chinese histories. Audiences will get a chance to see how participation in the play impacted the lives of the Jewish actors and everyone else involved in its creation.
The play will be performed in Los Angeles by Jewish student volunteers. Liu will be in contact with performing arts schools in Los Angeles, specifically Jewish drama clubs, to ask for volunteers. The play will provide aspiring theater actors, directors, and set designers with practical experience in performing arts. RQF and Liu hope it will support the student’s goals of working professionally in the entertainment business or Broadway after they graduate.
Honor the Jewish stories of our past
Your support will help honor, educate, and raise awareness about the Hans Shippe story and the importance of helping those in need. It will also inspire others to continue seeking the incredible untold Jewish stories that are out there. Through the documentary film, this project will add yet another important story into Jewish history. Audiences will discover the in’s and out’s of creating a cross-cultural play about the past in today’s day and age. As we can continue to share and tell stories about our history, the Jewish community can grow stronger and more united across the globe.
Although the play will only be performed in Los Angeles, it will be recorded so that those in the Chinese community, the Polish community, and the Jewish world at large can watch and learn the story too. The film of the play will be uploaded to social media and sent to schools and public libraries. It will be free for anyone to watch and enjoy for generations to come.
Your impact on this project
Your support will affect three major areas of the completion of this project: the preparation and rehearsal, the show’s promotion, and the editing and distribution of the film.
- Preparation & rehearsal – room rental for rehearsal, auditorium rental for the live performance (this will be a college or theater from a performing arts institute), volunteer actors, director, and stage staff recruitment, snacks and water during the rehearsals, and stage and set design (including costumes, makeup, lighting, and audio equipment).
- Promotion & marketing – fliers, social media promotions, press release, and collaborations with Jewish theater groups and organizations to help promote the show.
- Documentary, filming and editing – film production crew for documenting the creation and rehearsal of the show as well as the recording of the final performance, including post-processing, editing, and DVD duplication and distribution.
Behind the scenes
The organization behind this project is the Righteous Quest Foundation (RQF), a non-profit organization 501(c)3, founded in Los Angeles in 2014. RQF has collaborated with the Jewish community for many years. Due to the pandemic and financial strains, RQF had to cancel many of their plans and take down their website. However, they are currently working on restoring the website, which is still under construction.
About Mark Liu
Mark Liu is a social activist and the founder and president of RQF. He has been recognized by Los Angeles County and City of Arcadia for his work in community service. The earliest certificate he received was for “Civic Pride” in 1997, and his most recent recognition was in 2017 for his community service work in the City of Arcadia.
Mark’s inspiring story
“I was brought up in a Christian family in Taiwan. When I was a kid my parents always took me to church for bible study on Sunday morning. There the stories we were taught are mostly from old Testament. Stories about King David, King Solomon, and Samson. My elder brother named himself Daniel, the younger brother took the name Isaac, they are all Hebrew names from the bible, as we have a special affinity for Jews and the Jewish culture.
I came to America in 1982. My first boss was Jewish and he became my mentor. Even today I still miss him and appreciate his guidance. Another lady that I always have in my mind was my landlady Rose Shippy in Alhambra, who was also Jewish. They both have had a huge impact on my life . . . it’s a long story that one day I hope to tell too.
In July 2014, a Chinese TV station (JSTV) came to visit the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles to interview Rabbi Abraham Cooper. I was there as their local co-producer. After the interview, I had a very pleasant conversation with Rabbi Cooper. He later happily showed me the two Oscar Awards they had won for Best Documentary at a famous international film festival!
Image on the left: JSTV Visiting Museum of Tolerance in 2014. Image on the right: Mark visiting Rabbi Cooper in 2016.
Images above: The RQF Team and the Shoah Foundation meeting in the USC Office.
In December 2014, during my trip in China, I decided to visit the Shanghai Jewish Refugee Museum. I was inspired by my conversation and the experience at the Museum of Tolerance and wanted to learn more about the Jewish history in China.
There I heard about a story of a friendship between a Chinese Christian and his friend, a Jewish principal. It astonished me, so I decided to write it down. After I came back to Los Angeles, I told the story to a friend of mine John Elder. John used to be the Chief of Police in Monterey Park city. After he retired, he worked as the chief of the security office at the Museum of Tolerance.
John was touched by the story. But he thought the story was too brief. Why not try to get more background of that era and make it a book of richer content?
I agreed. I bought all the books on Shanghai’s Jewish refugees. I read and studied these memoirs. They were amazing, I found so many stories that I was never aware of. And I wanted to tell them.
I began outlining the book in 2015. The content of the novel gradually became clearer, as the characters in the book came alive in my brain. But during this time, I was also very busy with my work and RQF. The book was written slowly, and intermittently, as I kept adding more substance over time.
Years passed and when the COVID-19 pandemic happened, we could no longer have public events. The Righteous Quest Foundation had to stop all activities. The silver lining was that it gave me enough reason to stay home and meditate alone. I started to write the book more frequently…day and night. And two years later, in 2021, the book “Sarah’s Shadow” was finally finished.
The book will be published in Chinese in November, 2022, while the English version will be published at a later date. The book tells a story of how a young Jewish girl and her family escaped from Nazi occupied Europe to Shanghai after Kristallnacht. It shares what a life during that time was, and how Jewish refugees built up “Little Vienna” in a ghetto under all that hardship. The story also introduces events that actually happened there during that time, like international conspiracies, the Fugu Plan, Nazi colonel Josef Meisinger, and—of course—the story of Hans Shippe.”
Prior Righteous Quest Foundation events
In the past, RQF has collaborated with the USC Shoah Foundation on many projects. Other events have been detailed below.
2013: RQF held an event honoring John Rabe, who was the chairman of the “International Committee.” He saved two hundred thousand more people’s lives during the Nanjing Massacre in 1937.
2014: RQF hosted the commemorative event for Dr. Richard Brady, who was a physician
that helped the refugees in Nanjing city.
2015: An event for Dr. Robert Wilson who was the only surgeon that remained in the war zone to help the refugees during the Nanjing massacre.
2015: Commemorative event with supervisors of the Shoah Foundation at the front gate of the hall.
2016: In collaboration with the USC Shoah foundation, making a 3D green screen video of the Nanjing Massacre survivor’s testimony.
Pictured above: RQF and the Shoah Foundation coordinating the 3D shooting of the survivor’s testimony.
Pictured above: RQF in collaboration with the Shoah Foundation and the Chinese American Community. A Camera Crew shoots the documentary film at USC.
2017: In collaboration with the City of Arcadia and the Methodist Church, RQF established a monument for Dr. Robert Wilson who used to be a resident of that city, and hosted an unveiling ceremony on November 12th of that year.
2018: Together with the city of Arcadia and mayor Sho Tay, we visited Nanjing city.
What’s next?
Pictured above: Chinese youngsters visit the Hans Shippe monument.
Picture above: People pay tribute to Hans Shippe’s monument as a narrator shares his incredible good deeds.
Hans Shippe was just one man with one story. But his story impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Chinese people. Through this re-telling of his story, the team at RQF hopes that his good deeds will live on and inspire others to pay it forward. Whether you are a Jew, a Christian, a Buddhist…it doesn’t matter. The sign of a true righteous person lies in their ability to face challenges on behalf of justice. When we choose to do what is right, rather than what is easy, we align ourselves with Jewish values and spread kindness throughout the world.
