In the early days of World War II, artist Hans Jacoby and his wife, Emma, are desperate to flee Germany. Most of the world has shut its doors to European Jews, yet there’s one surprising exception: Shanghai. Along with thousands of other Jews, they arrive in Shanghai, believing they’re safe. But even this far from home, they can’t escape the horrors of the war. 

Hans Jacoby brought his handwritten diaries from Shanghai to the US, where they found their way into the LBI Archives along with some of his artworks, photographs, and other mementos of his time in China. The Archives also include the personal papers, artworks, and newspapers published by dozens of other Jewish refugees in Shanghai that provide vivid insights into the struggles of this community. Learn more at www.lbi.org/jacoby.

Exile is a production of the Leo Baeck Institute, New York | Berlin and Antica Productions. 

It’s narrated by Mandy Patinkin. 

Executive Producers include Katrina Onstad, Stuart Coxe, and Bernie Blum. Senior Producer is Debbie Pacheco. Produced by Ed Hatton. Associate Producers are Hailey Choi and Emily Morantz. Research and translation by Isabella Kempf. Sound design and audio mix by Philip Wilson, with help from Cameron McIver. Additional sound by Michael Hough. Theme music by Oliver Wickham. Voice acting by Alexander Crowther. 

Special thanks to Patrick Cranley of Historic Shanghai, the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, and Soundtrack New York.