Ester Benjamin Shifren

Ester Benjamin Shifren was the fifth generation of a prominent British Jewish family that lived and thrived in Shanghai for more than a century.

Foreigners in Shanghai, a treaty port with no visa requirement, led a privileged lifestyle. The city was often called the "Paris of the East" because of it's beauty and sophistication. It was an exciting environment, pulsating with life's extreme spectrum.

The Benjamins enjoyed great wealth and lived in a huge mansion on large ground, with swimming pool and tennis court. They owned six racehorses and regularly attended races, often returning home with bags bulging with their winnings.

Immediately after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor the Benjamin family's privileged lifestyle, and that of all other allied foreigners in Shanghai, came to an abrupt halt with the decree that they were to be interned during WWII. They lost all worldly possessions and suffered loss of optimum health.

Ester Benjamin Shifren portrays a vivid picture of the multi-ethnic culture of the city's population, the street scenes, and life's daily struggles for the poorer classes.