Salem Shaloam David

Who is Salem Shaloam David?

David Salem Shaloam was a Chinese convert to Judaism.

He was born at Hankow, China, of Chinese parents in 1853, and named Feba. Feba remained with his parents till 1861, when his family were murdered during the Taeping rebellion. He, along with other boys, was held captive by the rebels until they came within a short distance of Shanghai, where the rebels were routed and scattered by British soldiers under "Chinese" Gordon. Feba, being left helpless, sought protection of Solomon Reuben, one of the volunteers, who presented him to David Sassoon & Co., Shanghai. Here S. H. David took him under his care; and in 1862 he sent him to Bombay, where he was admitted to the Jewish faith and named Salem Shaloam David. He was educated at the David Sassoon Benevolent Institution, and joined the firm of Elias David Sassoon & Co. in 1872; served in their Shanghai house from 1874 to 1882; and since 1882 has been in their Bombay establishment. As a communal worker he is equally popular with the Jews and Beni-Israel. He is honorary secretary to the Magen David Synagogue Byculla and to the Jacob Sassoon Jewish Charity Fund, as well as to the Hebrath Kehat-Kadosh, Bombay. He was unanimously appointed by the last-named as visitor to the Jewish patients in the hospitals. He is, besides, a member of the Shanghai Society for Rescuing the Chinese Jews.