Dear Friend,
On this day in 1948, the State of Israel was born.
Or reborn, I would say, because we once had our own state 2,000 years ago, on the very same land, speaking the same language, and observing the same religious traditions and rituals that we observe today.
Today is Yom HaAtzmaut, Independence Day. It’s a day of celebration in Israel and among the Jewish diaspora around the world. On this day, we celebrate the miracle of the rebirth of our nation in our ancestral homeland.
Independence Day follows on the heels of one of the saddest days on the Israeli calendar, which we observed only yesterday: Yom HaZikaron. Yom HaZikaron, Israeli Memorial Day, is the day when families gather to remember and celebrate the lives of loved ones lost to the many wars and terrorist strikes over the decades before and since the rebirth of the State of Israel in 1948.
And just a week ago, we observed Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, a time when the entire nation pauses to mourn the unspeakable tragedy that befell our people. Over 6 million innocent Jewish lives, of which 1.5 million were children, were tragically lost. Many of us in the Jewish community here in Taiwan count relatives among those who perished.
So today, let’s join in celebrating the State of Israel, the fulfillment of the prayers and dreams of the Jewish people throughout the past two millennia, and the realization of visionaries such as Theodor Herzl, who worked tirelessly to establish a permanent homeland for the Jewish people, a place where we could live in peace and prosperity once and for all.
יום העצמאות שמח! Yom HaAtzmaut Sameach! Happy Israel Independence Day!
Jeffrey D. Schwartz & NaTang
Co-Founders, Jeffrey D. Schwartz & NaTang Jewish Taiwan Cultural Association (JTCA)
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The power of a good education
The JTCA is once again a proud sponsor of the annual Breakthrough Schools Bash, their annual fund-raising event. As part of our ongoing support of this remarkable organization, and as part of JTCA’s broader philanthropic initiatives, this year we are a Magna Cum Laude Sponsor.
For the past 12 years, Breakthrough Schools has been led by our long-time family friend, Alan Rosskamm, founding CEO. Alan has taken Breakthrough from strength to strength, growing their network of top-performing public charter schools. With Alan recently handing the baton of leadership to a new CEO, this year’s Bash will celebrate Alan’s transformational contributions to urban education in Cleveland.
You can read about Alan’s remarkable story in this Times of Israel article.
Support Breakthrough Schools by joining them for their 11th annual Breakthrough Bash on Friday, May 6 (US time), which will be live-streamed on YouTube. Click here for more information and to register.
And do consider making a donation, which will go a long way toward supporting the educational needs of a group of enormously talented young kids.
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Celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month
May is Jewish American Heritage Month in the US. This month, we’ll be sharing brief stories on Facebook and Instagram of Jewish Americans who have had an impact on the world, starting with Albert Einstein (who was invited to serve as Israel’s first President after the establishment of the new state), and Dr. Jonas Salk, the inventor of the polio vaccine.
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Membership has its privileges
We’re thrilled to welcome several new members to the JCC: 盧采葳, 藍玉婷, 許宏源, 王慧真, 張守慧, 黃育汝, 李明依 and Patricia Chen
Enjoy year-round pre-cleared access to the center, discounts on events and museum tours, 10% off the Kosher Culinary Lab, and more.
In addition to these discounts, you’ll receive a personalized membership card.
Click here to sign-up in English, or click here to register in Chinese.
