Goodbye Shanghai

During his seventeen years in Shanghai, Sam experienced wars, changing regimes, different currencies and a variety of schools that reflected the evolving political landscape. In a world obsessed with conflicting nationalism, his family survived as stateless residents, neither beholden to, nor the responsibility of, any country. They were instead, sustained by their Russian Jewish culture and community.

Through Sam's memories of early life and his love of history, we learn of Shanghai's uniqueness as a home and haven to thousands of Jews over many centuries.

Sam was born in Shanghai and migrated to Australia in 1951, arriving in Melbourne in November of that year at the age of seventeen. He studied at Melbourne University where he obtained a Bachelor of Commerce Degree. He worked as a Chartered Accountant, a financial executive and as a professional director and adviser on a number of corporate boards. Sam was very active in a variety of causes and organisations in the Jewish, as well as, the general community. In June 2000 he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of his contributions to the community. He is married to Ada Moshinsky QC. They have three sons, who are all married and who, with their spouses have presented them with eight grandchildren.