Xu Xin, a pioneer in research

It is widely recognized that Judaism and Jewish culture is one of the major sources of Western civilization. But it was little known in China some 20 years ago, even in academic circles.

However, there has been a surge in Jewish studies in China since the 1980s with over 100 scholars doing work in the field.

Much of this can be attributed to the efforts of Xu Xin, a professor in the department of religious studies and dean of the Institute of Jewish Studies at Nanjing University, and president of the China Judaic Studies Association.