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by Ester Benjamin Shifren (Author)
Hiding in a Cave of Trunks: A Prominent Jewish Family's Century in Shanghai and Internment in a WWII POW camp.Against an impressive historical background, China-born Ester Benjamin Shifren relates the saga of her family's century-long existence in Shanghai, the city often referred to as "The Paris of the East," and details the culture and tribulations of the colorful multi-ethnic population. In the 1840s a vessel brought the Benjamins from India to Shanghai, where they prospered for five generations. Some members of the family achieved high-level diplomatic positions. Owners of prize-winning horses, the family even conducted business at the race- track, sometimes on a handshake! World War II abruptly terminated their privileged lifestyle. In 1943, the Japanese interned the Benjamins for nearly three years in a POW camp. Along with other internees they endured great hardship and loss of all worldly possessions. In 1948, shortly before the Communist takeover, the Benjamins relocated to Hong Kong, where the ensuing Korean War embargo eventually caused their irreparable financial collapse. In 1951 the family immigrated to Israel. Ester served two years in the army, married a South African, and spent thirty-six years in South Africa.After spending five years in Canada Ester immigrated to the USA in 1997 and now lives in Los Angeles, California. Ester Benjamin Shifren is an author, artist, musician, and dynamic international speaker. In 2005, in England, she was featured in the BBC1 program "We'll Meet Again," and was a guest lecturer for several days at the Imperial War Museum.
Author Biography
Ester Benjamin Shifren is the descendant of five generations of British Jewish Nationals living in Shanghai for more than one century. She and her family were interned by the Japanese during WW II. After the war her family scattered to the four corners of the earth, many she would never see again. Ester managed, between 1987 and 2004, to tape three interviews of her parents, that yielded 100 transcribed pages of invaluable information for use in her book. She has lectured extensively internationally about her life, the multi ethnic groups and cultures, and the Japanese incarceration of Far Eastern Allies, in Shanghai. Ester lived in Hong Kong for three years before leaving China for Israel in 1951, embarking on a voyage that eventually led to more emigrations-the first in 1957, to South Africa, birthplace of her four children, then to Canada, and finally to Los Angeles, California. Ester is a journalist, loves the arts, and is a professional pianist and visual artist-all of which helped diminish unwelcome memories, and carry her through some extremely difficult life experiences. In 2005 Ester featured in England in the BBC1 program, "We'll Meet Again," and was a guest lecturer for several days at the Imperial war Museum. She has been interviewed extensively and featured in newspapers in South Africa, England, Canada, and in Chinese and English Newspapers in the US.
