2nd ACF delegation to China

Members of the ACF delegation: Rabbi Arthur Schneier, Rev. Herbert Anderson. Visited Peking, Shanghai and 2 other cities. Noted that several seminaries and more than 100 houses of worship have been added since 1981 to the 1000 already in existence. They attended very crowded church services, met with Protestant, Catholic, Taoist, Moslem and Buddhist clergy freely. The easing of restriction on religion and China’s 4th Communist constitution permits worship for everyone except for Communist Party Members stimulated public worship. Protestant worshippers were estimated to be over 1 million and formed a council based on the principles that China’s churches should be self-propogating, self governing and self-supporting. Photo of Rabbi Arthur Schneier at former Chapel at Jewish Shanghai Cemetery became a childrens playground. Rabbi Arthur Schneier reported Chinese Government officials responded favorably to his suggestion that former synagogues be preserved as national landmarks.