Dear Friend,
NaTang and I are delighted to announce that the new Jewish Community Center is now complete!
The establishment of the center is our opportunity to leave a legacy for the Jewish community of Taiwan. It’s our chance—each one of us in our community—to perform a deeply meaningful “double Mitzvah”: Having a positive and enduring impact on Taiwan society, while contributing to the nourishment of the global Jewish diaspora.
To mark the occasion, we invited over 150 friends and community members to a special opening ceremony event, which we held in our new ballroom last Wednesday.
We were tremendously honored by the presence of several senior government officials from Taiwan’s central and city governments, as well as a number of senior international diplomats, each of whom provided the essential support we needed to turn our dream into a reality.
Watch a few highlights from this special event in this brief 3-minute video.
If you’d like to watch the entire event, we invite you to watch the full version (67 minutes).
Keynote speeches
We were especially honored by the presence of Vice President William Lai (賴清德). In his inspiring remarks, he said that the center would help “build a bridge for communication and interaction between Taiwanese and Jewish cultures.”
“It will also promote friendship between the people of Taiwan and the Jewish community,” he said, adding that both groups cherish the values of human rights and freedom.
As a token of our gratitude for his unwavering support, NaTang and I presented Vice President Lai with a framed print of Jewish-Chilean artist Mauricio Avayu’s beautiful mural depicting scenes from the Book of Genesis, the original hand-painted version of which now hangs on the wall of our ballroom.
We were also delighted and honored that Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) joined us for this special occasion. In his remarks, he noted that “The community center is at the center of Taipei, providing people with an opportunity to access and understand the Jewish culture with ease.”
Mayor Ko spent time with us viewing our new synagogue and touring our museum of rare Judaica and Jewish art.
Omer Caspi, Representative of the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei, said, “Look around you, what an amazing creation. It is evident that NaTang and Jeffrey put their hearts and souls—’Halev VeNeshama’ in Hebrew—in every detail of this magnificent building. It is an expression of their love, vision, and generosity. Thank you both for that.”
He continued, “It is a significant and exciting milestone in the development of Jewish life in Taiwan. This incredibly beautiful place symbolizes the prosperity and growth of the community throughout the decades that has existed on the island.”
Remarks from leaders of the global Jewish diaspora
We also wish to express our gratitutde to the several leaders and long-time friends from the global Jewish community who shared congratulatory remarks by video, including Dr. Nachman Shai, Minister of Diaspora Affairs of Israel; Irit Barish, Executive Director and Head of Delegation to the UK & Western Europe, The Jewish Agency for Israel; Robert Dorfman, leader of Hong Kong’s Jewish community; and Victor Sassoon, leader of the Singapore Jewish community.
Ribbon cutting
We were honored to be joined on stage for the ribbon cutting by several eminent officials and diplomats from the ROC government, including Mr. David Lee, Secretary General to the President; Mr. Frederick Chien, former President of the Control Yuan; Mr. Peng Zheng Sheng, Deputy Mayor of Taipei; Mr. Wu Chi-Min, Member of the Legislative Yuan; and Mr. Liao Wen Shan, President of Hua Ku Group.
Jeremy Cornforth, Deputy Director of the American Institute in Taiwan, and Roland Rudorfer, Director of the Austrian Office Taipei, also joined us in marking this special occasion.
The talented Beit Shalom Choir sang an inspiring rendition of Hatikva, Israel’s national anthem, as well as Havenu Shalom Aleichem.
Media coverage
The event was covered widely in Taiwan’s media. You can watch some news clips of my speech here, Mayor Ko Wen-je’s speech here, Vice President William Lai’s speech here, a clip of the ribbon cutting here, and a quick news segment here.
You can also read stories in English published by Taipei Times and the Central News Agency.
Leave a legacy: Become a founding Tree of Life donor
Help us write this new chapter in the history of the Jewish community of Taiwan and leave an enduring legacy for your entire family by becoming a Tree of Life founding donor. When you become a founding donor, you will be contributing directly to the establishment of our new center. Your name and if you wish, those of your family members, will be prominently inscribed on a plaque on our beautiful golden Tree of Life, located in the foyer of our new center. Please contact us at info@jtca.org.tw for more information.
Membership & visitor access
We plan to open the doors of our new center to the community in early February, right after the Chinese New Year. In the meantime, we will be conducting some internal tests this month to make sure that everything is operating smoothly. Membership details and visitor access information will be available next week on our website and Facebook pages and groups.
We built this for everyone
We welcome everyone who shares an interest in our culture and our mission. You do not have to be Jewish, or have any prior understanding of our culture, to enjoy our center.
May you and your families be blessed with health and happiness in this new year. We look forward to welcoming you to the center soon.
Happy New Year,
Jeffrey D. Schwartz & NaTang
Co-founders, Jewish Taiwan Cultural Association (JTCA)
