Artist searches for former nanny in Shanghai_美文

Artist searches for former nanny in Shanghai

If he can find her, Max said: "I want to do everything I can to make her life better." He is ready to provide all possible help to her children and family too. But even if he cannot find her, "I'll love her all my life as a sister. She still lives in my mind," he said.

"Many Jewish people became very successful after living in Shanghai through the war," said Chen Jian, director of the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum. "Their achievements are largely because of their experience in Shanghai. The city nurtured them."

Shanghai hosted about 30,000 Jewish refugees during World War II, and more than 20,000 of them lived in Hongkou.

Max and his daughter Libra visited the former Jewish ghetto in Hongkou as soon as they arrived in Shanghai. This is the first time he has been back, but is unlikely to be the last.

Max will exhibit some of his work in Shanghai and plans to open his own studio in the city. He also plans more trips to China and hopes to bring more of his art in the future.

"I've heard about China all my life, from my father and my grandparents, how the beautiful Chinese people saved our lives," said Libra Max. "I've been very emotional the whole morning. It feels like coming home."

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.